If you have decided to start streaming, you need two essential things to get it going: first of all, basic equipment that allows you to stream, and secondly, an audience that will follow your live streams and that will gradually become your community. In this post, we tell you how to gain your first viewers on Twitch, Youtube, or any other streaming platform.
It is no secret that apart from a good team that allows you to perform at your best in your streams, what will really make you worth it as a streamer is the number of viewers and the level of interaction you create with your community.
It is true that having a large number of viewers is what counts during a stream, but so is the bond you create with your audience. Therefore, our tips on how to gain your first viewers on Twitch are not only focused on the number of viewers but also on the quality of the audience, on how to keep them and build loyalty.
The ideal scenario would be that gaining followers and viewers go hand in hand, but in many cases, this is not the case.
The first step is usually to gain some curious viewers who stop by your channel to see how you are doing and if they like what they see on screen, and then if they are interested they become followers of your account. Later we will do a similar post specifically to gain followers but for now let’s focus on the first step: the viewers. Let’s go there!
The first impression counts
Think of the user quickly scrolling down the Twitch homepage and seeing thousands of thumbnails of live streamers. The first impression has to be eye-catching and entice the user to gossip about who you are. For this first impression, some recommendations are as follows:
Use a short, descriptive title that honestly defines what you are doing at the moment. Although clickbait can be used with honesty and criteria, if you do it wrong you will not get your viewers to stay in your life and they will leave with a bad image of you.
Let them see light and colors. It is not the same to see a streamer from a dark room than someone with powerful light and colors that illuminate your room. It goes without saying that it is mandatory that your face is visible. On a first pass that the viewer has thousands of options, it is important to convey brightness and quality immediately.
As far as possible, make your setup look somewhat professional. It’s still a very early stage if you are just starting but don’t hesitate to “fix up” your room a bit to match your streamings.
Doing a live stream with a picture of your communion in the background is not the ideal scenario; choose a good background, and whenever you can, invest in equipment for your setup like a gamer chair or a good microphone.
The image of your channel: although this last point is more related to gaining new followers, it is very important that the image of your channel is well cared for to attract new viewers and to be taken seriously as a streamer. Your passion and professionalism for the world of streaming should be reflected through the header image and description panels.
The quality of the stream
We are aware that not everyone can buy a full set of equipment to stream from minute zero but if you are going to take it seriously, from this moment on you will have to invest a lot in material that will increase the quality of your streamings.
We won’t go too much into this point but you must keep in mind that if you want to gain your first viewers on Twitch and keep them on your side you must have a decent camera or a microphone that allows your audience to hear you well.
Don’t stop interacting, the essential key to gaining your first viewers.
When you start streaming you will see that the most difficult challenge is to retain viewers. Start with a concrete goal, for example, to keep a viewer for 2-3 minutes. Now we are going to give you some tips that will help you to maintain this interaction and in that way, make sure your audience stays a little longer in your live stream and little by little, keep adding viewers:
Starting by playing with someone is the easiest and most basic tip. If you’re not used to talking all the time, playing with someone is a good idea to keep an active conversation going and entertain your viewers.
Think that your viewers not only want to see how you play, but they will also stay for your personality and the way you entertain them. Therefore, don’t hesitate to play with a friend or several partners to get some jokes going and your audience will get to know you better.
Offer to play with your audience. Likewise, if the game allows it, offer the possibility for your viewers to play with you. Not only will this keep them longer on your live show, but it will also create a bond with your viewers.
You’ll let them know that you care about your audience and they’re sure to want to come back another day or become followers of your channel.
Interact with the chat immediately: even if there are five of you at the beginning, don’t stop asking questions and reading people’s comments in the chat.
And if you see a new viewer who enters your live channel, greet them or ask them a question immediately to make them feel comfortable and integrated.
That way he will surely stay a little longer than he intended to. It is important to be quick and close with your chat.
Do something different and fun: it’s not all about playing and playing; the audience is also there for you to have fun and share things.
Sometimes consider taking a break between games and do something different: react to viral videos, play a personal game or join a challenge. It is very important that the content is varied and not routine, otherwise your viewers will look for something different outside.
Choose a good schedule
It’s not just about streaming, but also about knowing when to do it. Here are our recommendations to choose a good schedule and gain some extra viewers:
Keep a stable schedule, this way you will educate your audience so they know when they can find you doing live.
If they are followers of your channel, in principle they will receive a notification but it is true that sometimes the notifications are not entirely reliable… Write down your schedule in the description boxes of your social networks and streaming platform.
Observe the schedules of the big streamers and avoid coinciding with them. At the moment, it’s better this way, as the most popular streamers usually get the most viewers, especially if there are big events or tournaments. It is very difficult to find a slot where there is only you but as much as possible, it will give you more opportunities to be seen, even if it is only for the first hour.
Promotion on social networks
From this point on, your social networks should become the first window to promote your streams. So it’s time to keep them active and inform your followers of all your steps. Here are some tips on how to gain your first viewers on Twitch from social networks:
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Write your streaming schedules in your profile description.
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Inform your followers when you are going to start your live stream.
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Don’t forget to take some funny clips from your stream to post on your social networks.
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Don’t stop interacting with other streamers on social networks: don’t abuse or spam but in a communal way. Great opportunities may arise such as, for example, being added to a tournament or finding a partner to play with. Social networks are a great community that offer great advantages if you use them well.
Why your Twitch channel may not be getting viewers
If you have just launched your channel you need to understand that there is no magic way to make viewers instantly appear. If you are a twitch.tv streamer this brief guide may help you to get more live viewers. Here are some things it’s important to learn when you start streaming on Twitch.tv…
Schedule
Do you have a favorite TV show? Do you look forward to watching that same show every day, or every week at it’s scheduled time? Yes. You know when it will be on. The day of the week and the time of day it will appear. Your viewers are like you. They want to know when a show is on so that they can be there to watch it. We you go live you will have viewers waiting to watch. If you just randomly go live will your viewers know? No, they won’t. They won’t be watching because they won’t know you’re on.
What Do Your Viewers Like?
Once you begin getting viewers it’s important to keep them hooked. Take note of what your viewers like to see. Always try to keep them happy. Satisfied viewers will tell their friends and family about your show which will lead to more viewers. Dissatisfied viewers will leave and not come back.
Communication
It’s really important to be interactive. Use a microphone to communicate with your live viewers when you are streaming on twitch.tv. Involve yourself with your audience. This will help you to get to know the viewers you have and can help to draw in more.
Make It About Your Audience
Your show is about whatever it’s about but in order to make your audience feel connected to your show you have to find a way to connect them. Remember when communicating to really involve your audience with your show. It can be just you hosting a show. Ask you viewers opinions, welcome comments and suggestions, or answer viewer questions.
Promote Your Channel
In order to get more viewers when you start streaming on twitch.tv you have to promote your channel. Promote it everywhere you can. In chat rooms, message boards, or with a blog or website. The more you promote the more viewers you will have. You can also build a relationship with experienced streamers. Look around twitch.tv for streamers that are doing really well. Get to know them. See how they are scheduling, how they are interacting with viewers, etc. Sometimes if you offer to promote them they will promote you in return. It’s like one hand washing the other. If makes their life easier and your too. Many streamers have found knowledge and success through other streamers.
So do you think you have what it takes to be a successful live streamer on twitch.tv? If you have the motivation and dedication it takes you can do it. The above guide offers important advice that will help you to start streaming. Remember, it’s all about your viewers. Get to know them, and keep them happy and you will be successful.
