Securing your own slice of the big Twitch pie is the primary goal of all Twitch streamers.
Some of the streamers aim for the heart of their fanbase, others for their humor or sense of awe, while a number of them try to game the Big Algorithm in their favor.
Some of these end up being more valid and effective than others, but each is being used to a varying degree of success.
While the subscriber count brings in the cash inflow, viewer count perhaps improves self-esteem and boosts prestige, and donors usually represent the most fervently loyal core of your community, it is the followers that form the base of your Twitch empire.
After all, viewers come and go, while every other part of your fanbase gets converted directly from the followers.
Let’s find out how to get more followers on Twitch.
How to Get More Followers on Twitch
In seeking to accomplish a high follower count on Twitch, streamers rely on three main ways: employing the use of automated software or bots, buying their followers, and manually focusing and improving on interaction with their audience.
All three have a specific structure and rely on different strategies.
We’re going to deal with each in detail.
1. Twitch Bots: Yes or No?
In spite of all the warnings, threats, and dangers that are lurking for every streamer that decides on employing a Twitch viewer bot, their use is at an all-time high.
Why is that? Are they so successful, or do the marketing efforts behind them propel them into simulated popularity?
Twitch Bot, sometimes referred to as Follower Bot, represents an automated software that attempts to simulate human activity in social communication on Twitch.
Sophisticated pieces of software like this employ a wide assortment of interaction possibilities, ranging from unique messages to comments and even emotes.
In other words, a Twitch bot replaces a human, while interacting on a grand scale with potential followers and content, both yours and those of other Twitch streamers.
A variant of Twitch Bot called Viewer Bot automates viewing in order to make the user seem more popular or get more Twitch bits out of Twitch ads.
Essentially, yet another automation attempt at simulating human activity.
The strategy behind mass activity aims for increasing the engagement rate of your content.
How many users respond to something that can be perceived (but doesn’t have to be) as spam? Let’s say one in twenty, even one in fifty.
That’s an abysmally low rate of return (2%), but Twitch bots can instantaneously interact with thousands of users!
The end result is ideally a dozen of new followers with zero effort invested from the Twitch user who employs them.
Do they really work? Sometimes, perhaps… But:
BIG DISCLAIMER TIME
Users can see through the facade and recognize a bot miles away most of the time.
This can seriously damage your reputation, but no harm is done in looking unscrupulous, right?
Well, no. Twitch policy makes bots strictly illegal, and they issue penalties on those who use them, going as far as perma banning their accounts.
This way, not only do they lose the gains obtained via bots, but they also become stripped of those followers who they’ve worked hard to obtain “manually”.
If you still press on with using Twitch bots, don’t say we didn’t warn you!
2. Buying Twitch Followers: Growth Services or Inflated Numbers?
Outright buying cheap Twitch followers: it must seem ridiculous, especially considering the previous couple of paragraphs.
However, read on for an intriguing surprise.
First of all, you aren’t buying all your followers. You’re buying a selected package of followers in order to look like a seasoned streamer instead of a newbie and another thing.
When you succeed in getting a bunch of followers fast, you attract the attention of the Twitch algorithm. Is this good or bad?
It’s quite good actually. Since “buying” real people isn’t conflicting with Twitch terms of use, you’re completely safe.
As the algorithm goes over your profile and picks up the info about increased growth, it deduces that your content merited that surge of popularity and goes to lengths to promote you even more.
This creates the much-desired snowballing growth effect where you can quite literally wake up to popularity.
So yeah, it does sound amazing, right?
The trick is to carefully choose who you’re buying followers from.
A multitude of sites employs so-called “account farms” where they’ll get a bunch of fake profiles that are obviously, well, fake.
However, the top services in this industry ensure that they enlist the service of real people from their well-established networks.
1. Media Mister
Media Mister is ideal if you are trying to get more followers on Twitch because they can help you grow your social network.
They say that they are proud to offer a comprehensive range of features, that are going to enhance your Twitch credibility and expand your reach in general.
As well as being able to help you get more followers on Twitch, they can also help you with views, and so much more.
Their chat box that you will see on their website is really helpful, in case you need to be able to talk to a customer support person initially.
Another thing that is a standout feature about these guys is the fact that they have really good pricing, so you’re never going to be paying more than your budget allows for.
Their expertise and experience combine to bring you one of the best companies in the industry when it comes to Twitch followers.
3. Going Natural: Tips, Hacks, Hardships
The last and the most common way to get more followers on Twitch is relying on your own efforts. It can be hard, we know this.
Untold hordes of streamers have tried to break through and failed.
It requires a full-time job worth of time investments that people who are looking for quick success simply aren’t willing to commit to.
So, what can you do to get more followers on Twitch?
- First of all, lose the mindset. If you aim for a Twitch career, you’re not supposed to chase the numbers but focus on the content. Quality content will be the magnet you’re looking for.
- Streamline your schedule, and commit to your work. Stable streams attract more followers.
- Find your own niche. Do something no one has done before. Be better than everyone else in that one thing that you can call your own.
- Consider presenting yourself as a unique persona. Wear a costume, invent an alter-ego, or just do something that will turn you from a nondescript streamer to your own brand.
- Show appreciation for your community. Call them out, include them in your content, and engage with them… People love when they are being given attention, and be sure that they’ll return the favor.
Run a Giveaway Contest
One really practical way to get more followers on Twitch is to run a giveaway contest.
Everybody loves the idea of getting something for free and approaching it in this way is going to help your brand go viral.
You can do this live on your Twitch account, and you can also run the giveaway on your website as well, which is going to send people from your website to your Twitch profile.
As a result, people are more likely to follow your live streams, interact with your content in general, and continue to follow you for a long time.
There will be people that will just follow you for the sake of the contest, but there are also going to be plenty of people that are prepared to follow you even after the contest is over.
This is a good chance for them to find new content that they enjoy interacting with.
Stream the Right Content
Another way to get more followers on Twitch naturally is to be strategic about what you choose to stream.
Twitch is so much more than just a gaming platform right now, which means that you can stream not only gaming, but you can stream music, sports, crafting, and more.
Of course, this means that you can get really creative when it comes to the content that you stream, but it also means that it is really important that you come up with the right content that is going to appeal to your existing audience.
For example, if your channel is about gaming, you need to think about what’s popular right now in the gaming world.
You also might want to choose a specific game to stream that is going to attract more viewers.
Keep to A Consistent Schedule
Another really important aspect of being to get more followers on Twitch naturally is to be consistent with your streaming schedule.
The thing about people everywhere is that they have a lot going on, which means that if you are consistent with your streaming schedule, it is going to be easier to keep their attention.
If you start out initially posting a lot of content and live streaming a lot, people are going to flock to your Twitch profile, and get really excited about what you have to offer.
However, if you drop the ball on this, they are soon going to slip away, and find another Twitch live stream that is more consistent.
Not only do you want to be able to attract more Twitch followers to your Twitch stream, but you want to keep them there, and one of the best ways to go about this is to be consistent with your streaming schedule.
Stream for As Long as You Can
Considering that we are on the topic of a Twitch schedule, it is important to remember that length is really relevant when trying to keep followers around.
Because a live stream is slightly different to an Instagram or even a YouTube video, you’ve got to think about length.
As far as Twitch livestreams go, the longer the better. A general rule of thumb is that you need to stream between two and four hours.
We don’t recommend that you stream for less than two hours, because this isn’t going to be long enough for people to want to stick around.
The other thing to think about is that there is going to be a warm-up period in the beginning, where you are just getting started, and you are still capturing the attention of your audience.
A lot of live streamers don’t reach their peak until they are approximately 20 minutes into their live stream, which means that if you broadcast for a shorter amount of time, you could lose this opportunity to keep your audience engaged.
Be Creative with Your Titles
Just like a thumbnail and a video title on YouTube, live stream titles are really important for encouraging somebody to want to participate in them and get more followers on Twitch.
This is the first thing that somebody is going to see about your live stream, and it is going to determine whether they want to interact with your live stream or not.
If you can’t come up with a creative and compelling title for your live stream, then there is a good chance that people aren’t going to click on it, and you lose an opportunity to get a new follower.
When people are looking for something that they want to watch on Twitch, they tend to use specific keywords with their search terms.
This means that not only do you have to get creative with your title when it comes to being appealing, and tempting your potential audience to click on it, but you’ve also got to think about the keywords that they might search, so that you can include them as well.
One of the best ways to do this is to look at what your competition is doing.
Be Attractive with Your Twitch Layout
Of course, you need to add value to your content when it comes to your Twitch livestreams, but you’ve also got to think about what your Twitch profile looks like in general.
The thing about Twitch is that it is an extremely competitive landscape.
This means that you need to find different and unique ways to stand out from your competition. One way to achieve this is to make your layout attractive and eye-catching.
Just like the title of your live stream, your profile photo is one of the first things that people are going to see, and they might decide whether to click on your live stream or not based on this impression.
Make sure that your profile photo represents your brand with a logo, an avatar, or a headshot.
Once you have nailed down your profile photo, you can move on to your channel banner.
This is an image that you will find at the top of your channel page, and again, it has to relate to your brand in a way that is appealing to your audience.
The more continuity you can produce when it comes to your profile photo and your channel banner, the more people are going to find your Twitch profile aesthetically pleasing, and they will want to interact with it.
Publish Your Streams on Your Website
Including your Twitch stream on your website is a really good way to naturally attract more Twitch followers to your Twitch profile, because it makes your Twitch content go further, and it means that you are able to cross-promote your content.
Perhaps there are people that visit your website that have no idea that you have a Twitch account, or just haven’t bothered to go over and check it out, because you haven’t posted anything on your website about it yet.
When you post your live streams of Twitch on your website, people are not only more likely to click on them through your website, but they are more likely to go through to your Twitch profile and see what else you’ve got going on.
The good news is that it is really easy to embed Twitch videos into your website.
Add a Twitch Follow Button on Your Website
If you want to be able to attract Twitch followers naturally to your Twitch profile, the good news is that they don’t even have to visit your Twitch profile in order to do this.
If you include a Twitch follow button on your website, then they are going to be able to follow your Twitch profile just from seeing Twitch live streams on your website.
Perhaps they enjoyed your live stream through your website, but they don’t have time right now to click through to your profile and check out what other content you have on offer.
When you have a follow button for your Twitch profile on your website, they don’t have to click through to your live streams and your Twitch profile in order to follow you on Twitch.
Publish Your Streams on YouTube
Another great way to cross-promote your content for Twitch, and to attract more followers naturally is to publish your live streams on YouTube as well.
Everybody knows that YouTube is one of the most popular video streaming platforms right now, so the more you can include your Twitch profile and your YouTube channel, the better off you’re going to be.
YouTube is also a really popular platform for gamers, so if you run a gaming channel on Twitch, it makes sense to make your Twitch live streams go further and feature them on your YouTube channel at the same time.
This way, you are going to be able to encourage the people that follow you on your YouTube channel to check out your live streams on Twitch.
Be Active on Social Media in General
As well as publishing your live streams on your website and YouTube, there are other ways that you can cross-promote your Twitch content and attract more Twitch followers to your livestreams naturally.
Facebook and Instagram are also really good places to promote your content for Twitch, just remember that you might want to publish an abridged version on these platforms because your audience is going to be slightly different when it comes to the content that they want to consume.
With social media sites like these, you can include shorter snippets that are going to encourage them to go and check out the entire thing on your Twitch channel.
Conclusion
The list goes on, but there’s no set of rules carved in stone for instant Twitch success.
Twitch is a fluid platform and what’s been doing the job a month ago can already be a cliche.
One thing remains in all cases, though: you have to love what you do. Radiate your love for gaming and streaming, and you’ll be there in no time.
