How To Get Followers on Twitch

Twitch is all the craze these days as more gamers start to stream their gameplay. The motives for streaming are all over the place. Some stream to build a community, others hoping for fame, and others cross their fingers that it’ll turn into an income. Whatever your reason for streaming on Twitch is we are sure you’d like to have more followers.

Whether you have 5 followers or 1000 followers, it’s always nice to have a few more, and maybe even have a few subscribe to your Twitch channel. We’ve put together the definitive guide on how to get followers on Twitch. So without further ado, here are our tips, tricks, methods, and pointers on how to get more  Twitch followers.

Have a Consistent Streaming Schedule

Go to any professional Twitch streamer’s channel who has thousands of followers and subscribers and you’ll quickly see a trend. They all have posted a schedule of what days and what times they’ll be playing. People who want to view your channel have lives of their own. Many of them would love to make time to watch your stream, but they need to schedule around it. Letting your viewers know exactly when you’ll be streaming allows them to figure out times when they can come join the stream.

Here’s a few things NOT to do

• Post a Schedule and not hold it. I know this is going to sound weird, but you need to treat this like a job. You don’t show up late to work or say that you’re going to be there only not to turn up. It’s rude to your audience. If you say that you’ll be on a 9pm make sure that the stream is live at 9pm.
• Stream for an hour or less. It’s hard to get followers when you’re hardly on.
• Only stream once a week. Viewers are unlikely to find you, or continue to watch you, if you’re only planning on streaming once a week or less. There are popular streamers who are an exception to this rule, but you’re not the exception. Sorry.

While we’re on the topic of your stream schedule, you should plan your streams to be several hours. It’s rare for people to discover your channel if you’re only online for a short amount of time. Longer streams (3+ hours) allow your viewership to build which results in a higher position in the Twitch search results. The higher position you have on Twitch results will give you greater exposure which leads to more followers. The most popular Twitch streamers are online for 6-10 hours a day. Longer streams are guaranteed to get you more Twitch followers.

To Summarize

• Post a Schedule
• Follow that Schedule
• Stream longer than 1 hour
• Stream more than once a week

Get a Webcam

People want to see your beautiful face. Part of the fun in watching a streamer on Twitch is being able to see them talk to their community, and their reactions to what’s happening in the game. People follow Twitch channels, because they want to build a relationship with the streamer. Viewers want to get to know who you are as person (even if it’s a manufactured persona i.e. Dr. Disrespect). Your Twitch followers want to see you get upset when you die again in Cuphead, or see you rejoice when you finally finish that massive quest! They won’t get any of this unless you have a webcam.

Not having a Webcam will put you at a serious disadvantage compared to other Twitch streamers. It is possible to build a community without a webcam and only a microphone, but will be considerably more difficult. If you really want more Twitch followers follow this tip. Get a Webcam. There’s tons of webcam options out there, but we’ve been happy with our Logitech C922x Pro Stream Webcam.

[pricing_table columns=”2″]

[pricing_column title=”Logitech C270″ price=”21.99″ currency_symbol=”$” interval=”As of Oct. 2017″]

• Cheap price
• Gets the job done.
• HD 720p video
• Video capture: Up to 1280 x 720 pixels
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• Built-in microphone

[button size=”medium” url=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FHO5Y6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=make09b-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B004FHO5Y6&linkId=b04ff0104222413fb27b277d30d1084e” text=”Buy on Amazon” color=”extra-color-1″]
[/pricing_column]

[pricing_column title=”Logitech C922x” highlight=”true” highlight_reason=”Most Popular” color=”extra-color-1″ price=”99.99″ currency_symbol=”$” interval=”As of Oct. 2017″ ]

• Optimized for top quality streaming on Twitch.
• Records at HD 1080P video at 30 frames per second
• Also records at 720P at 60 fps!
• Allows background change to a live image or scene.
• Auto-Focus is crisp, clear, and quick!
• Records in poorly light with automatic light correction.

[button size=”medium” url=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXCDPPK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=make09b-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01LXCDPPK&linkId=ca598298e1053e818a8606684e45ac9d” text=”Buy on Amazon.com” color=”extra-color-1″]
[/pricing_column]

Promote your Stream on Twitter, Facebook, and other Social Media Platform

It only takes one streaming session to realize that people don’t automatically show up the moment you start streaming. You can setup your channel to look beautiful, buy the best webcam, and stream the most popular game, but it guarantees nothing. If you want to gain more subscribers and followers on Twitch you’ll need to be your own hype man.

What this means is that you need to promote your stream anywhere and everywhere. We’re not asking you to be annoying or harass people about it, but you need to get the word out. Are you part of online forums or an avid user of Reddit? Let people know what you’re doing. If you’re on any of the popular social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) use them to let people know that you’re streaming.

Hype up your channel by giving the details about your stream. Share the link, but also let them know when you’ll be streaming and what you will be streaming. No one knows about your channel unless you tell them about it. Open your mouth and get the word out!

Interact With Your Viewers

Think of streaming on Twitch as building a relationship with a person. Real people are coming to your stream to be entertained, to watch you game, and to build a relationship with you. Now they’re not going to be your new best friends, but they are coming to your channel to get to know you and interact with you.

The Twitch streamers that gain 1000s of followers and subscribers are those that are interacting with their viewers. They do this by reading and responding to the comments that are made in the chat. When you’re streaming you need to have another screen with the channel chat within eyesight so that you can read comments and respond to them.

Don’t ignore the chat. If you find it annoying that you need to respond to the Twitch chat and interact with those in your channel then you may want to reconsider being on Twitch. The best Twitch communities that are gaining followers are lead by streamers who not only interact with their followers, but enjoy doing so.

Do a Giveaway

Holding a Giveaway brings in more people, but it doesn’t necessarily bring in the type of people you want. Hosting a giveaway where a prize is given to those in your channel (or who follow/subscribe) can bring in many new followers, but it also brings in people who will be gone as soon as the prize has been given. This is a valid way of gaining followers, but just know that not everyone is going to stick around after.

Play Games That You Find Fun

Play the games that you’re going to have fun playing. There are Streamers that will tell you to stay away from the most popular games or to only stream games with X number of viewers, but that’s bogus. The most important thing is that you’re having fun playing video games. New followers can tell if you’re playing a video game and not really into it, and they most definitely will know when you’re having an absolute blast. The channel is supposed to be entertaining for the viewer, and if you’re not having a good time they won’t be having one either.

With this said, we would recommend that you don’t bounce around from one game to the next very quickly, but instead focus on 1-2 video games that you really enjoy. The kind of games that you can play hours on end and have a heat time. Choose those games, stick with them for awhile, and have fun!

Don’t Get a Cheap Microphone

As we said earlier, it is vital to interact with your viewers if you’re ever going to gain followers and keep them. That’s why its important to have a quality microphone. You want a microphone that will pick up your voice, but not the clicking of the keyboard. It also must be good enough quality that you don’t sound like a troll. People will immediately leave your channel if your microphone makes you sound like a robotic bear. If you don’t own a good microphone yet, invest in one that will allow your new followers to hear your nice clear voice.

We’d recommend the HyperX Cloud Alpha Pro Gaming Headset. This headset has a microphone built into it. The sound quality on the HyperX is top notch, and the microphone will make you sound like a normal human being. It’s not the cheapest headset in the world, but it more than gets the job done and you won’t regret the purchase. One plus is that they’re crazy comfortable. Even during long non-stop gaming sessions this headset will keep your ears nice and comfy.

[button color=”accent-color” hover_text_color_override=”#fff” size=”large” url=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074NBSF9N/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=make09b-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B074NBSF9N&linkId=88971c40ff3b0d62a99b9cae811b86a1″ text=”Check out HyperX Headset/Mic on Amazon” color_override=””]

Decorate your Channel with Good Looking Art

Instead of placing a paragraph description under your stream create graphics for the top of your sections (About me, Rules, FAQ, Social Media). First impressions are everything in the world of Twitch streaming, and a little bit of art can go a long way. This type of art can be done easily in any basic paint program.

 

Here’s What NOT To Do

• Break any of the Twitch rules. They hold a standard of what is allowed and not allowed. Don’t break these rules or you can be banned. You’ll go from lots of followers to ZERO followers.
• Don’t use any sort of view botting program. These programs can be found online, and will charge you to place 100s of boths onto your stream to increase the view count. This is a sure-fire way to get banned from Twitch, and will not help you gain the type of followers you’re looking for. Anything that provides “free Twitch followers” is a path that you don’t want to be on.

A few more tips on How to get followers on Twitch

1) Create a countdown screen that can be streamed for 30 minutes before you actually starting streaming. This will attack viewers to your stream while you’re busy getting ready. They’ll know exactly how long until the stream begins, and you can start the stream with your followers there ready for the show to start.

2) Get creative with your stream’s title. Putting “Playing Overwatch with 100 viewers” isn’t enticing, and they can gather this information from the details on your Twitch stream. Dig deep and come up with catchy, unique titles that will create interest and draw new followers.

Don’t Be Discouraged

Building a community is hard work. It doesn’t happen overnight. It can take weeks, months, even years to build a large following on Twitch, but keep at it. Remind yourself why you’re doing this, and keep moving forward. Discouragement can happen, but keep your chin up, because persistence and working hard at getting better at streaming will eventually pay off.

Step Back and Reflect

If you have been streaming on Twitch for awhile (3+ months) and you haven’t grown in followers and subscribers, it’s time to step back and reflect on what you’re doing. Ask yourself these questions, answer as honestly as you can, and make the appropriate changes.

• Do I always interact with my viewers?
• Is the quality of my stream good or do I have lots of technical problems?
• Do I have a consistent stream schedule and do I hold to it?
• Have I been promoting my channel through social media?
• Do I enjoy doing this?
• Does my personality on the stream attract people or scare them away?
• When I watch my own recordings from the stream, do i find them entertaining? Would I watch to my own stream?

If you’re having a hard time answering these questions, you can always ask a friend or people who visit your stream to answer. Constructive criticism from your viewer base can be incredibly helpful at shaping your channel in a way to attract more followers!

Conclusion

Thanks for reading these tips and tricks on how to get followers on Twitch. We hope that this advice helped grow your community on Twitch. As a thank you to us, would you do one of two things?

#1 – Follow us on Twitch. We’re just like you wanting to build our community!

#2 – Join our email list! Every now and then we send out an email with posts similar to this one. (Click here to join)

Are we missing any great tips on how to get followers on Twitch? Share your advice in the comments below or on our Facebook page discussion!

You can also check out our podcast in which we discuss Twitch, Streamers, and more!