Sick of Streaming to 0 Viewers? Try This Tip for How To Get More Viewers on Twitch

DinkyDana

4 years ago

So you’ve created your Twitch channel, got your setup going, and are streaming your favorite games on Twitch. Congratulations!

But wait…no one is watching!

You may be thinking, “Man, this sucks! Why am I streaming to 0 viewers on Twitch? It’s been 1, 3, 6 months! What am I doing wrong?”

Most people would say, “Hey, keep at it. It may take a while, but you’ll start getting viewers if you just keep going.”

I’m not going to tell you that.

What I AM going to do is give you my #1 tip you can implement TODAY that helped me when I was streaming to no viewers on Twitch.

I got partnered on Twitch back in 2013, but I remember my first few months vividly.

So I understand that what you are doing right now is not working and that’s okay! My goal is to share how I felt when I was in your position and the #1 thing that helped me finally start getting more viewers on Twitch.

You can check out my Twitch Channel here if you would like to very that it has actually worked.

And if you just made a brand new Twitch channel and haven’t streamed much yet, you can read my beginners guide on how to start streaming on Twitch.

Does This Sounds Familiar?

What was the reason you decided to do your first live stream?

For me, I was excited that one of my best friends who moved to Tokyo, Japan would still be able to watch me play video games live. So I started my stream to play my favorite game, the original Legend of Zelda.

What I quickly found was that if my friend wasn’t in the stream, I’d find myself sitting alone with no viewers to talk to.

This happened to me for such a long time I used to have my brother, cousin, and friends open my stream even if the weren’t watching just so it would look like I had 3-5 viewers. It was rough and I remember thinking to myself, “Why am I doing this? When will people start watching?”

We all start streaming because we want some regular viewers to consistently hang out and chat while we play our favorite video games.

But then many of us end up having to learn to talk out loud for 2 hours straight just in case a viewers pop in and you want them to be interesting in what you’re playing.

For about 1-2 months, I would check my viewer list in hopes that a new name would appear, but it was usually completely empty.

So what did I do to start finally getting viewers?

How To Get Viewers and Followers on Twitch

When it comes to learning how to get more viewers and followers on Twitch, being able to welcome new viewers into the stream can make all the difference. Creating a community on Twitch is an important part of keeping viewers coming back to your stream.

The trick that worked for me is something that sounds like complete common sense, but it honestly took me a few months before I realized it.

What changed everything for me is I realized that if I just left my viewer list open at all times, I would be able to see out of the corner of my eye the moment a new viewer joined into my stream.

I would see NewViewer123 in the viewer list and think to myself, “SWEET! A viewer!”

I’d see them in there for a few minutes then poof…GONE!

“DAMNIT, they didn’t even say anything!” I remember thinking to myself.

Then it dawned on me…why would a random viewer just start talking to me out of the blue? They have no idea who I am, what I’m about, why I’m a great streamer to watch. Plus, there are 5 million other streams out there they could be enjoying so why would they stick around in mine?

It was a little depressing at first, but it actually turned out to be a really great discovery which leads into my #1 tip on how to get more viewers on Twitch and actually keep them around to turn into followers!

How To Check & Welcome Viewers Into Your Stream

I realized that in order for me to even have a chance at keeping new viewers in my stream, I would have to welcome them properly.

So how should you start welcoming viewers into your stream? The following process worked incredibly well for me and I hope it helps you, too.

Steps to Stop Streaming to 0 Viewers on Twitch

1. Keep your viewer list open and visible at all times

2. When you see a new viewer enter your stream, welcome them (Specific ways to welcome them listed below)

3. Give new viewers the opportunity to feel welcome and comfortable in your stream

How to Open Your Twitch Viewer List

To open your Twitch Viewer List to learn how to see who is watching your stream on Twitch, just follow these steps:

Log into your Twitch account
Click Your Avatar in the top right of the screen and visit your Creator Dashboard
In the bottom left, you will see a box with your Twitch Chat – Click the 3 dots in the upper right corner of your chat box.

This will allows a way how to see who is watching your stream on Twitch at all times. I recommend keeping your Twitch Viewer List visible so you can see when new people enter.

Why Keep Your Viewer List Visible?

Keeping your viewer list open at all times give you the opportunity to notice when a new viewer enters your steam. Many times, a new viewer will pop into your stream and only stick around for 3-5 minutes (sometimes even less). Since you may not be aware they even entered, it can be difficult to make a good first impression if you are just playing the game and not speaking at the moment they join.

Keeping the viewer list open not only helps catch when a new viewer joins which you can see out of the corner of your eye so you’re aware they are there. But it also allows you to properly welcome them into your stream and make a great first impression.

Encourage Viewers to be a Part of Your Stream

When a new viewer enters your stream, welcome with the following message:
“Hi [viewer name], Welcome to the stream! Let me know if you have any questions about the game!”

You can change this up to whatever works best for you, but the important part here is that you don’t want to put pressure on the viewer to participate.

Many viewers on Twitch prefer to be lurkers and you want them to feel comfortable in your stream whether they’re lurking or chatting up a storm. Using this style of introduction let’s them know that you acknowledge they are there, are open to answer any questions they have, and have given them the opportunity to chat IF they want to.

I have found that this strategy gets a lot more people not only talking with you in your stream, but it also starts the relationship off right in a way that promotes return visits to your stream.

Many Twitch viewers are used to just joining a stream and not having any direct communication with the streamer, so this can really help you start getting a few regulars so you are no longer streaming to 0 viewers on Twitch.

Hope This Helps You Get More Viewers on Twitch and Happy Streaming!

I really hope this advice helps you start learning how to get more viewers on Twitch and getting the viewers that do stop in to stick around and click that follow button! It can be rough streaming to 0 viewers on Twitch, but all you need to do is get just a few regulars who really enjoy hanging out with you in your stream to start getting a solid base.

As you get a few regular viewers, when new viewers drop in to watch, they’ll see you chatting with your regulars and feel more and more welcome as your channel continues to grow.

And of course, feel free to message me on Twitter, Instagram, or Twitch and let me know what your stream is and when you’ll be live! I’d love to stop in and check out your stream and give you any pointers I may have!

Thank you for reading and happy streaming!