How to get more viewers on your stream: 11 actionable strategies to make your stream awesome

One of the most common questions streamers ask is, “how can I get more viewers for my stream.”

That’s because views and viewers are two of the most critical metrics in monetizing your channel. It’s the first (and sometimes only) metrics advertisers and sponsors look at when partnering with content creators and streamers. 

Having millions of viewers made PewDiePie, xQc, Summit1g, Ninja, and Shroud millions of dollars from streaming. 

If you want to be part of their ranks, too, here are 11 ways to make your stream stand out, and get more viewers.

 

Strategy #1: Engage more with your audience 

The first thing you need to have before you try to get more viewers for your stream is to keep your existing viewers. The last thing you want is to get 20 new viewers every day while also losing 20. Because if that happens, you’ll stay stagnant – which is a problem many streamers get. 

The best way to keep your existing viewers is to be engaging and build a relationship with them. As we mentioned previously, treating your viewers like your friends and engaging with them, mid-stream would make them keep coming back. 

 

Strategy #2: Collaborate with other streamers 

Once you have a solid audience who watches your streams consistently, you’d want to tap into a broader audience base. The easiest way to get more viewers is by collaborating with other streamers in your niche, preferably those with larger followings. This allows you to reach their existing viewers who would also be interested in your kind of streams. 

But don’t think you can just run around knocking on streamers’ doors, asking them to play with you and feature you on their stream. That’s not how collaboration works. If you’re asking for a favor, you need to bring value in return. Sometimes, collaborating with a streamer with the same audience size can be a quid-pro-quo since you’re both getting the same amount of views and potential new audiences. However, streamers with more viewers than you might ask for payment in return for collaboration or getting featured in their stream. A small price to pay to get more viewers. 

 

Strategy #3: Develop your online personality 

As an internet celebrity, you’ll need to have an appealing personality. It may not be something for everybody, but it needs to be appealing to your target viewers. This will help you get more viewers on your stream – and keep them watching. 

For instance, if your target audience is serious gamers, you can’t have a wacky personality. Instead, you’ll need to be authoritative and informative because they’re looking to learn from you. 

The best way to build your online personality is by knowing your audience and their expectations and tailoring your personality to that.

If that’s too hard for you – say you’re uncomfortable being wacky and crazy and prefer serious – then do your thing. You’ll still attract an audience – it might just be a smaller one. 

 

Strategy #4: Get creative with your streams 

Imagine your stream as a variety/reality show on TV. People are tuned in to be entertained and to enjoy. They want to have fun and forget about their daily lives for a moment. They want to feel some thrill and excitement! 

Playing the same game over and over and talking about mundane topics won’t do that. You need to get creative. Make your stream fun and exciting to watch. This keeps your current audience hooked, while also helping you get more viewers. 

How you make your streams more fun is up to you. You can have games your audiences can participate in during the stream. You can have giveaways and prizes for winners or random viewers. You can even accept calls and have a chat with your fans while playing. 

Whatever it is, make sure it’s enjoyable and stimulating to your fans. And don’t forget to shake it up every week or so! 

 

Strategy #5: Incentivize your viewers to share

Another great way to get more viewers is to encourage existing fans to share your stream with their friends. The best way to do this is by incentivizing them with freebies, games, and whatnot. 

For instance, some streamers would do giveaways on certain milestones like the 10,000th subscriber. This encourages their current subscribers to share and helps streamers reach their goals. 

If you add this to your growth strategy, you need to make sure you have the right incentives for your fans, so they’ll want to share your stream. 

 

Strategy #6: Play popular games

Playing popular games is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can get more viewers, since there are a lot of players. But on the other, you’ll also have a lot of competition for people’s attention. 

But let’s focus on the positive. By playing popular games, you have the opportunity to reach a lot of potential viewers for your stream. Of course, there’s a lot of competition, but there are also a lot of opportunities and gaps to fill. You just need to get creative with how you’ll run your stream. 

 

Strategy #7: Have a different approach to your streams 

This strategy is connected to the previous one. 

If you decide to play a popular game, you need to have a different approach. You can’t be a copycat of all the existing streamers. Being one in a million is how you fail at streaming. 

In a competitive arena, you need to be different. You need to be unique. You need to have something that your competitors don’t have. Something that’ll pique people’s attention to watch your streams. 

For instance: instead of playing games the normal way, you can have a weird playstyle. Then, you can ask your viewers for test builds/crazy ideas they want to try but can’t. You can be the master of building experiments. This will make your stream stand out and be more attractive to watch since everyone’s playing safe with their play style.  

 

Strategy #8: Improve your stream’s visuals

No one wants to watch a dull stream. Your viewers want novelty, excitement, and fun when watching your stream. That’s why you should make the most out of the existing features on streaming platforms like overlays, sticker emojis, and your physical setup. 

A nicer-looking stream with fun engagement mechanisms (emojis) will help you retain viewers because your stream makes them see nice things. Plus, the engaging visual experience can get more viewers.

 

Strategy #9: Know when to stream

Your audience isn’t always online 24/7 – and they surely won’t adjust to your streaming times. Of course, they have their own lives as well. And they’re tuning in to other streamers, too. That’s why you need to know your optimal streaming time and maximize it. This is one of the secrets to get more viewers. 

The best way to find your ideal streaming time is by experimenting. Spend a month streaming on different time slots and record how many viewers you’re getting each time out. You can also look at the top streamers who have the same audience as you and see what time they’re streaming their content. 

 

Strategy #10: Be consistent

Once you know your optimal streaming times, you need to stick to them and remain consistent. You need to commit to your audience. Let them know your streaming schedule so they’ll know when to tune in. 

Having a consistent schedule makes it easier for your audience to watch your streams consistently since it removes the guesswork. Plus, by being consistent, other people will also see you consistently on their home pages/feeds – increasing the likelihood of them watching your stream. 

 

Strategy #11: Share your clips across platforms 

The best way to get more viewers is to keep on promoting it across platforms – Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Upload your clips everywhere. Stream highlights, in-game highlights, and more. This would help you capture the interest of people who are interested in the games you’re streaming. 

Fun fact: you can make a lot of money by sharing your clips across platforms. Check out our article on how to make money by streaming video games. Spoiler alert: ad revenue and FreshCut.gg tokens. 

 

BONUS: Be a first mover

Another thing you can do to get more viewers is to be the first to stream the hottest games, games that just came out, or games with good potential. This is something you can do on the side of your regular stream or your new thing altogether. 

But usually, playing these kinds of games would help you capture audiences who are always looking for new games to play. 

 

These strategies helped a lot of creators and streamers get more viewers on their channels. We hope you can apply them and turn your dream into a reality!