HOW TO BOOST YOUR FIRST FOLLOWERS: THE MINIMUM FOUNDATIONS REQUIRED
Let us proceed step by step. If you've just created your channel and don't know how to attract your first viewers, I advise you to focus on the prerequisites first.
1) DEFINE A CONSISTENT CONTENT STRATEGY
Increasing your visibility on a streaming platform such as Twitch involves logically choosing upstream the nature of the content you want to broadcast and the type of target audience.
You understand that a video game that is too uninteresting, old, or unpopular will only give you access to low visibility. Conversely, streaming oriented towards a very competitive activity will have difficulty attracting the attention of new viewers.
That's why if you've just started and want to acquire many subscribers, I advise you to follow these tips:
- To grow your community, start by identifying your strengths by asking yourself some basic questions: what are your talents as a facilitator? What is your level in some games?
- To rank well on Twitch, search on the platform and only select games with a lot of followers, but for which only 10 to 20 streamers are already positioned.
- Above all, avoid overly popular niche games like Fortnite, League of Legend, etc.
2) INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL STREAM HARDWARE
Once the nature of your content is defined, it's time to make it attractive and interesting. It has not escaped you how the videos of reputable streamers can seem qualitative and attractive at first glance.The streamers are perfectly highlighted behind their screen, with professional decor corresponding to their universe. This is because, in practice, no detail is left to chance.
- Sound: a gamer microphone is ideal for improving the listening experience of viewers and increasing the credibility of your streaming.
- The image: a good camera offers better visual quality, strengthens the weight of your speech, and better holds the attention of the people who follow you.
- Lighting: a video optimized by light is more attractive
3) STREAM FOR SEVERAL HOURS
To maximize your growth goal on Twitch, keep in mind that it's imperative that you can schedule long online streaming sessions daily.
Indeed, one of the keys to success on this platform is your ability to offer rich and dense content to convince your viewers to follow you and gain new followers.
There is no doubt that the length of a video increases engagement and the number of subscribed users.
This is also what allows you to be well-referenced in the search engine results and therefore increase your exposure to users of the application.
As a general rule, it is considered that a channel in full development broadcasts continuously between 2 and 4 hours a day. It is only from about thirty minutes that the maximum number of viewers is reached.
Suffice to say that below, the number of spectators, so the chances of drawing attention to your feed, will be less. For example, the most successful streamers are active between 4 and 9 hours a day!
4) STREAM AT THE RIGHT TIME AND REGULARLY
Being active over time is good. Choosing the best broadcast time slots to be able to attract the most members is better. You easily understand that on an afternoon in the middle of the week, traffic on the platform is less important than during the weekend.
One of the secrets to increasing your influence and expanding your number of subscribers is to be logical and consistent in your broadcasts. Put yourself in the shoes of your potential followers.
It is necessarily easier to follow your broadcasts when your live broadcasts can be anticipated. This is also the best way for you to convince your viewers to subscribe to your channel.
5) INTERACT WITH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
When you stream live, you're not talking to bots but humans. It's not enough to just sit down and share your screen while waiting to see your traffic increase. You also have to be able to give the people who follow you what they want (according to their expectations!).
Twitch is an entertainment app. Users come to your feed to relax, make friends, learn new things, or keep up with the news.
Be the most sincere, and natural, and communicate directly with your audience to build loyalty. Otherwise, you will quickly be forgotten and replaced by another streamer able to provide the audience with what they want.
To acquire followers and make your channel interactive, you can:
- Let your viewers enter your universe and your intimacy. For example, by telling anecdotes about yourself or introducing the material you use. This is the best way for them to get to know you personally.
- Share your advice and expertise, to establish yourself as the authority in your field.
- Schedule question-and-answer sessions.
This is the first impression you give to your potential viewers. To have every chance of reaching a large number of spectators and increasing your visibility, it is best to meet several criteria.
A good streaming title is not too long (30 characters) and has useful and necessary information. It is specially adapted to the expectations of a large number of users.
I advise you first to identify the keywords and search terms most used in your field before including them in your titles (game name, associated suggestions, etc.). Logically, it is by making it easier to find you that you can attract more followers.
7) GIVE A PROFESSIONAL LOOK TO YOUR LAYOUTS
Your channel is your identity. Incidentally, it is also the first image you give to some viewers likely to follow you. When we know that 90% of the information retained by the brain is visual, we become aware of the need to pay attention to this criterion.
Competition is fierce on this app, so investing in some graphic design tools to create custom and eye-catching layouts can make all the difference (Photoshop, Canva, etc.).
A tool like Canva is all the more interesting because it has predefined templates, is adapted to Twitch, and is designed to capture maximum attention. What better way to increase your notoriety and develop a community?
For example, the profile picture or banner at the top of the channel should not be left to chance since they reflect your brand, and your universe and testify to your professionalism in the eyes of your audience.
Another way to increase the number of followers is to optimize your live streaming page (webcam at the top left, dialog box, etc.).
Making your social networks appear is also a good method to promote yourself and attract new followers. Finally, you can add special widgets that bring up recent subscribers. This is great for engaging viewers to engage with you.
8) BE ACTIVELY PRESENT ON SOCIAL NETWORKS
This is an aspect too often overlooked by young streamers. Social media is a powerful vehicle to attract new traffic or more generally to make a brand known to a new potential audience.
It is no coincidence that successful videographers are systematically present on all applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. This allows you to communicate with people in a more personal way and keep them up to date with your videos.
Popular streamers are those who manage to build trusting relationships with their fans.
9) USE OTHER VIDEO PLATFORMS (YOUTUBE, RESTREAM)
Using Restream can greatly facilitate your journey to notoriety. In addition to allowing you to simultaneously stream on Twitch and other apps (like YouTube), the service allows you to reach a large and diverse audience.
This is a great way to very easily increase your visibility and gain new followers without any extra effort to provide.
For its part, YouTube appears as the juggernaut of video production. To do without it is to neglect a considerable source of traffic.
Its main advantage lies in the power of its search engine and its ability to target a specific audience. By creating your own YouTube channel, and publishing your old Streams, you will have the opportunity to attract new users easily.
10) GET INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF OTHER STREAMERS
The universe of Amazon's flagship platform isn't just dictated by competition. Mutual aid and camaraderie are an integral part of streamer relationships. Nothing prevents you from meeting several of them and watching their Lives. If you're ambitious, you can even take inspiration from the most popular Twitch streamers in the world.
Sometimes, the best way to see the number of your followers grow is to look around. So go see how successful streamers and influencers work and organize themselves in your niche.
Write down everything that may interest you (duration of the Stream, degree of investment with the audience, way of communicating, etc.). By doing so, you will quickly realize your own shortcomings.