Regardless of if you’re a brand new streamer or not, there could be some reasons that you’re not getting viewers watching your Twitch stream. In the past I’ve done testing with HitBox and even other stream sites and the obvious result (even before the test) was that Twitch has a much better ability to give you access to viewers. And yes, even with the TONS of competition. The truth is, there are certain things that you could be doing that is leading to the lack of viewership. We have to remember, streaming is a job, and you have to act like it. Unfortunately when you’re new or don’t yet have a following, you’re not going to be able to just turn your stream on and have tons of viewers pouring in. I wish that was the case. Lucky for you, I’m going to go through 6 reasons why you don’t have any viewers watching your stream.
6. Your Stream is still pretty new
I know I said in the opening sentence “regardless of if you’re a brand new streamer or not”, BUT the fact of the matter is, I still have to name this. The reason for that is, some people don’t realize what new is. It could take 6 months to a year to build a pretty good following. It doesn’t happen overnight and it most likely never will (unless of course you’re bringing a following from somewhere else, like YouTube or Twitter). You have to realize when you’re stream is still new, and adjust what you’re doing.
5. You’re not Promoting your Channel
Some streamers believe in magic, I understand that. Magic is fine, I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd. The problem is that Hermionie lost her spell for stream promotion. There is not magic serum that will get viewers into your channel. You’re going to have to promote yourself. Promoting is a whole different ball game. You have to be connecting on social media, promoting on forums, and also building your audience from other outside sources, like YouTube. Here’s some posts that may help you:
- Utilizing Social Media and Marketing to Promote your Channels
- Promoting yourself on Social Media
- Promoting your Channel on Social Media and Reddit
4. You’re Marketing not Connecting
Alright, one thing I want to make clear is that no one wants to be marketed to. Now you’re saying “but you tell us to market ourselves to our audience all the time”. Okay you got me, BUT, there’s a difference here. You have to use the marketing techniques to make a connection with your audience. No one wants to be told what to do. Why do you think you see so many streamers trying to say “Come Hangout” (even though I hate when I see that): because they’re trying to form a connection with the audience. The problem with it is, if you’re marketing like that, why would I want to come to your stream more then the other 100,000 streams? Give me a reason, connect with your viewers and your soon to be audience.
3. Your Stream isn’t Engaging (It’s Boring)
There are three things that automatically create engagement on a Twitch Stream:
- A Microphone
- A Webcam
- Engagement with your viewers
An argument can be made for webcams, but they’re becoming more and more vital. Streamers who used to get away with not having one are now finding themselves needing it to keep an edge. If someone has a mic, a webcam and is engaging, why would the audience want to stay in your stream when they can go there? You need to engage with your audience and further build that connection.
Check out “How to get viewers to engage in Twitch chat” to help. I know it can be hard to be engaging when they’re aren’t many viewers, and even when there are viewers but they’re just not talking! It can really stink, but keep working and realize it’s necessary to reach your goals.
2. You don’t have a Schedule
This one is a bit controversial, but it needs to be said. Some people might say “well my audience will come whenever I go live”, which may be the case, but what would happen if you gave them something to look forward to each day?
Let me give you some examples. My favorite podcast’s come out on the same day of the week, and I download them right away and look forward to them. Same goes for my favorite TV Shows. Could you imagine if they weren’t scheduled and the TV companies just played them whenever they wanted? Okay, I understand a schedule is a commitment, but that’s what you’re making when you start streaming. It becomes a job, and anything less then that won’t be as successful as it could be.
1. You’re acting like you’re already a Pro Streamer
Hey, maybe you are a pro. Maybe you’re even really freakin’ good or really freakin’ entertaining. If that’s the case, fine, but this will still help you. No one wants to be addressed like you don’t have time for them. If you’re streaming, it’s about your audience it’s not about you. You have to realize that going into it and adjust the way you are talking to your viewers. If you only have 10-20 viewers (or even less) and you’re talking to them as if your chat is flooded and you can’t handle engaging with them properly, you’re not going to be making the proper connections.
When you have that small amount of followers, it becomes the perfect time to make long term connections. Those connections can lead you to having long time followers, and even discovering the best MOD’s for your channel. Making friends on the internet isn’t a bad thing, and heck if you’re streaming you should want to make a ton of them!
Final Thought
These may not ALL apply to you, but by changing the few or even one that does will further improve your stream.