- Sarah Price
The Ultimate Guide To Growing Your Twitch Audience
Updated: Nov 12, 2020
We asked some new and some experienced streamers for their top tips on how to grow those audience numbers.
Twitch channel? Check.
Content? Check
Audience? Hmm….
It can seem daunting to build an audience on Twitch. With millions of broadcasters and thousands of live channels to choose from at any given moment, it might seem like climbing a very very high mountain to build audience figures to a level you are happy with. But hey - someone did climb Everest once, and now so many people climb it that they have to queue every day at the top of it.
So - how can you grow your audience?
We asked some of our Quiz Kit users for their top tips:
Interact
Remember it’s a two-way conversation. Talk to your audience. If they are there for you, you need to be there for them. Chat, acknowledge their comments, shoutout and make them feel loved. Like their stuff on social media and get involved on Discord. And even if you’ve only got a few viewers initially, talk to them as though you’ve got a big crowd. Some of the streamers we spoke to even prepare little cards or notes in advance to make sure they have enough comments for their audience. The more engaging you are, the more engaged they will feel.
Keep a schedule
Many of the streamers we spoke to put this very high up their list of ‘must-dos’. If you have a regular, published schedule, then people are more likely to actually turn up to watch. How often you stream will depend on a number of factors of course, but it’s probably fair to say that streaming every single day will tire both you and your audience out. And remember that getting thousands of viewers or more very quickly is a rarity rather than the norm, so keep your expectations in check.
Be consistent
At the beginning of your Twitch streaming journey, it’s understandable that you might want to find your feet by trying different kinds of streams. But once you’ve decided on a theme or game, then stick with it for a while - chopping and changing too much will only see your audience drift away, as they will be unsure of what you are trying to do.
Network
This is an essential. You have to be active in other communities. Get out there and start talking. Raiding a channel can be a fun way of helping to increase your own visibility. Twitch even wrote a whole guide about it. Remember: networking = growth.
Be yourself
Audiences can spot fakery a mile off. Be the real you and don’t pretend to be something else: that way audiences are much more likely to stick around.
Be helpful
If you're nice, remember people's names, maybe even find out what their current issues are and try and help them, then you are more likely to get people to stick around. This is especially true in the early days. If you can remember the names of your first 150 viewers and something about them, you'll start to build your reputation.
Promote, promote, promote
You can tell your friends and family about your stream. But if you are going to grow, then you are going to have to find that elusive treasure: returning viewers. Real, actual people who don’t know you, but want to come back to watch you. If you’ve got something interesting, quirky, nichey to say about your content then make sure you are pushing it out on your favourite social channels. To begin with, at least, you are your number one promoter. And you can be shameless: ask people in your audience to share your stream with their friends or anyone else they think might be interested.
Be nice!
As your audience grows, you’ll encounter more and more strangers. Make sure you welcome them, thank them for showing up and try to remember their names! If you can remember a specific thing about members of your audience, such as any particular likes they may have, and use this at an opportune moment, they’ll feel all the more valued.
Don’t worry about the numbers
This may seem counter-intuitive, but if you over-worry about the numbers by focusing on them too much, your stream will suffer. Concentrate on making the best stream you can, and don’t worry about checking those numbers every day.
Stay motivated
There’s no other way of saying it but growing an audience on Twitch is hard. But if you follow the above steps and stay focused and motivated, it can happen for you. And remember that getting thousands of viewers or more very quickly is a rarity rather than the norm, so keep your expectations in check!
Thanks to all of our streaming friends who helped - go check out their channels:
Engage your audiences with Quiz Kit - give it a try at: dashboard.twitch.tv/extensions/4xbv0wcmq7w91n66b3bh417irlsja1