How to Grow Your Twitch Channel

In this guide, we'll discuss how to grow your Twitch channel organically.

As you delve into the world of Twitch, you’ll find that it’s full of possibilities. With over 80,000 channels live streaming on average, there is no shortage of content.

The question is, what will you add to Twitch?

Whatever you have in mind for your channel, set yourself up for success by learning how to grow your Twitch channel. Getting a boost of free Twitch viewers is also helpful.

Here’s the ultimate guide to growing your Twitch channel. We’ll help you learn how to get free Twitch followers and start making money on Twitch.

Twitch Streaming

Stepping through the Twitch door can be a bit intimidating. With so many channels to choose from and so many directions your channel could go, it’s a lot to take in.

Don’t get overwhelmed. Starting with the basics will help.

Here’s what you need to know when you’re getting started on Twitch.

What is Twitch?

Twitch is the world’s leading live streaming gaming video platform. Twitch is different from other popular video streaming services like YouTube, in that it has found its niche in streaming live video gameplay.

While you can find an increasingly wide variety of non-gaming related Twitch content like music and talk shows, gamers continue to dominate the platform.

Every day, millions of dedicated gamers stream hours of live video game footage. On average, at any given time, nearly 100,000 channels are live streaming.

Some serious gamers successfully turn gaming into a career, making a hefty yearly income from Twitch’s streaming. For video game lovers, that is the ultimate dream.

Twitch Studio- How Does Twitch Work?

Signing up on Twitch, streaming live video, and watching other streamers’ channels on Twitch is free. All you have to do is create an account.

Twitch is for gamers, creatives, or anyone who has content to share with a live audience. It’s also an arena for people who want to watch free live videos and connect with others over mutual interests.

The Twitch platform categorizes channels by game. For example, if your channel is all about streaming Minecraft, your stream will appear on the Minecraft page. That way, Minecraft fans can more easily discover your channel.

In the past, Twitch channels with the lowest live viewers on a game’s page would sit at the bottom of the page, while the most viewed channels would rise to the top.

Now, when a user visits a game’s page, he can choose from four options for sorting the channels. The default for sort is Twitch’s relatively new ‘Recommended for You’ feature, which uses artificial intelligence to predict what content you’ll enjoy.

If you prefer, you can still sort by the number of viewers (low to high or high to low) or filter it to show live streams that have recently started.

Since viewers often choose to watch channels that appear to be popular based on the number of followers and views, growing your audience is essential to help people start noticing your channel.

Twitch streamers who grow their channel can unlock achievements within Twitch and open up new money-making opportunities.

Twitch Affiliate Program

Twitch rewards streamers that start gaining a following by granting them Affiliate Status. In time, eligible streamers can even become a Twitch partner, which is the ultimate goal for all serious gamers.

“For those just starting out, these achievements will help you set up and start your first stream,” says Twitch.

To monitor your progress toward these goals, navigate to your Twitch dashboard, and click in Insights > Achievements. Twitch tools will allow you to see how far you’ve come and suggest what you need to do next.

What makes these achievements worth unlocking, and how can your channel get on the path to Twitch success? Take a look at what it takes to become a Twitch Affiliate and Partner.

Affiliating on Twitch

Reaching Affiliate status is all about establishing a steady streaming schedule and attracting a modest number of concurrent live viewers. Becoming an Affiliate is free, as long as your channel qualifies.

Criteria for reaching Twitch Affiliate status:

• Have 50 followers
• Live stream for 500 minutes within the last 30 days
• Live stream on 7 different days within the last 30 days
• Average a minimum of 3 concurrent viewers

Twitch will automatically track your progress toward Affiliate status. Once you are eligible, a ‘Get Started’ button will pop up, and Twitch will walk you through getting aboard the Twitch Affiliate train.

Benefits of Being a Twitch Affiliate

Twitch Affiliation is a crucial stepping stone to gaining a Twitch Partnership.

“The Twitch Affiliate Program puts qualified streamers one step closer toward the dream of making a living from their passions. Twitch Affiliates can start earning income on Twitch while they build their audience,” explains Twitch.

Affiliate status can give you the monetary boost you need to keep expanding your channel’s horizons.

To learn more about Affiliate benefits and compare Twitch Affiliation with Partnership, read up on Joining the Affiliate Program.

Twitch Partner

Gaining Twitch Partner status is critical for anyone looking to make a career out of streaming on Twitch. Potential for channel growth and monetization increases with each Twitch achievement you unlock. How do you become eligible for a Twitch Partnership?

Criteria for reaching Twitch Partner status:

• Live stream for 25 hours within the last 30 days
• Live stream on 12 different days within the last 30 days
• Average a minimum of 75 concurrent viewers

“Becoming eligible for Partner does not guarantee Partner status. Once you become eligible, you will see an Apply button that will link to the Partner application form. Applications are reviewed manually by our Partnerships team,” says Twitch on the onboarding process.

It may take up to a week or two for the team to review your application and let you know whether you have gained a Twitch Partnership. Even if they decline your application, be patient, and don’t give up. You can apply again.

Benefits of Being a Twitch Partner

Twitch Partnership opens a full range of ways to make money from your channel and offers exclusive Partner-only benefits.

Pros of becoming a Twitch Partner include:

• Extension on video on demand storage (up to 60 days)
• Priority tech support
• Creation of custom chat badges and emoticons
• Addition of ‘Verified User’ badge
• Stream delay capabilities
• Video transcodes
• Greater monetization options

For more specifics on the perks of becoming a Partner, see the Twitch Partner Program Overview.

How to Make Money on Twitch Before You Become a Twitch Affiliate or Twitch Partner

If your Twitch channel is brand new, you need to know your options for making money on Twitch before you unlock Twitch achievements.

After all, it’s hard to justify dumping a vast amount of time into your live stream if you have no money-making prospects.

How can you start making cash faster on Twitch and fuel your channel to further growth? Here are three ways to make money before you become a Twitch Affiliate.

1. Donations

Anyone on Twitch can accept donations. All you have to do is place a link on your channel with an invitation for viewers to donate to your stream, whether through PayPal or whatever third-party means you choose.

With so many other worthy causes out there, you may think it unlikely for someone to give you money to keep streaming video games.

However, people love entertainment, and they will pay good money to make sure they can have continual access to the entertainment outlets they enjoy.

If you hope to get support through donations, just make sure your content is donation-worthy. Whether it's your high-quality video or your winning personality that makes people hit the ‘donate’ button, it has to be good.

While donations are a bit unpredictable, they may help you get what you need to keep streaming until you reach Affiliate status.

2. Affiliate Links

Not to be confused with Twitch Affiliates, affiliate links are specific third-party web links you place on your channel to advertise a service or product.

An affiliate link will contain your unique ID, which allows the affiliate company to track how much traffic you brought to their website through your stream. If someone watching your channel clicks the link and makes a purchase, you get a commission.

You can take the initiative by reaching out to companies offering products and services related to your stream or applying for pre-existing affiliate programs.

To maximize revenue potential, keep your audience in mind and try to partner with brands that offer something that would interest your viewers and result in a sale. For example, if you play an esports game, you might partner with brands that sell sporting gear.

The more your channel grows, the more affiliate opportunities you’ll have.

3. Merch Sales

Some Twitch streamers are famous solely for making a silly facial expression or using a funny saying that entertains people.

Do you have any iconic imagery or catch-phrases unique to your stream? Is there any meme material on your channel that viewers love?

If so, put it on a t-shirt and sell it to your fans by all means. Don’t stop at t-shirts either. Think stickers, socks, sweatshirts, water bottles, totes, and more.

Establishing an online store full of merch can grow into a fantastic way to supplement your income. Just create an account with an e-commerce platform, like Etsy or Shopify, and link it to your Twitch channel.  

As a word of caution, beware not to sell anything that would infringe on copyright laws, such as images that include characters, trademarks, or logos from other companies.

Let your followers know about your merch by featuring it in your stream and letting them know where to buy it.

What more can you do to make money on Twitch as you grow?

How To Make Money on Twitch

Making money on Twitch before you become a Twitch Affiliate hinges a lot on establishing golden content from the very start and hoping that people will recognize your stream’s potential enough to donate, buy your merch, or make an affiliate partnership with you.

Reaching Affiliate and then Partner status is necessary if you’re planning on making a living by streaming on Twitch.

What monetization opportunities do Twitch Affiliates and Partners enjoy? Here are five main ways Affiliates and Partners can make money on Twitch.

1. Twitch Bits

All Twitch users can purchase Twitch Bits, which carry a monetary value within the streaming platform.

Twitch Bits help viewers express their enthusiasm for your channel and celebrate your stream by rewarding you with however many Twitch Bits they deem fit. When Twitch viewers watch your channel and like what they see, they can cheer you on using a Twitch Bit in your channel’s chat.

“Bits are a virtual good that your viewers can use to Cheer in chat to show support, celebrate moments, and amplify their voice. When a viewer Cheers, animated Bit gem emotes,  Cheermotes (animated versions of popular emotes), or custom Cheermotes (for Partners) appear in Chat. You receive $0.01 for each Bit used in your chat,” says Twitch.

That means if a fan sends you 100 Twitch Bits, you can cash the Bits in for $1.00.

In some cases, fans will begin to compete, trying to prove who is the most enthusiastic about your stream. It’s a way for them to show their support for your channel. Plus, they can unlock badges and become a top cheerer on the leaderboard for your stream’s chat.

The more loyal your fans are, the more potential you have for making a nice chunk of change from Twitch Bits.

2. Twitch Subscriptions

Official Twitch Affiliates and Partners can start accepting Twitch subscriptions from fans. Subscribing to your channel is the primary way for fans to show their support for your stream and pay you for it.

While it is free for viewers to watch your live stream, viewers who subscribe benefit from unlocking unique channel emotes and ad-free streaming.

Currently, Twitch users can choose from three subscription tiers, each of which incurs a different monthly fee. Each level grants access to additional emotes and badges.

Twitch channel monthly subscription tiers:

• Tier 1 - $4.99/month
• Tier 2 - $9.99/month
• Tier 3 - $24.99/month

As an alternative, viewers can subscribe through Twitch Prime Gaming, a partnership between Amazon Prime and Twitch. This service allows users one free subscription per month toward any Twitch channel and an Amazon Prime account’s benefits. If a user subscribes to your channel through his Prime Gaming account, Amazon will pay your subscription fee.

Whether your fans subscribe through Twitch or Prime Gaming, you will get 50% of the subscription fee.

You can incentivize fans to subscribe by creating exclusive content for subscribers and letting viewers know they’ll need to subscribe to enjoy it. Rewarding subscribers through periodic giveaways and handing out badges is another way to show appreciation for your fans. These perks will encourage your subscribers to stay with you month after month.

3. Ad Revenue

As an Affiliate or Partner, you gain control over advertising done on your channel. Ads present a significant opportunity to monetize your channel.

When viewers click on an ad shown during your stream and make a purchase, you will receive part of the revenue.

“Ad breaks can be between 30 seconds and three minutes long and the income you earn from ad breaks depends on how many viewers see the ad - the more who see the ad, the more you earn,” says Twitch.

You can choose how long and how often to show ads on your stream. Customize your viewers’ experience by tailoring the ads to fit your fans. Aim for playing just enough ads to make money, but not so many that your viewers get impatient.

4. Game Sales

If you are a gamer, you can earn money on making game sales, as long as Twitch sells your game.

As you stream, a link to purchase your game is on display beneath the video. If a viewer clicks the link and decides to buy the game, you will receive 5% of the revenue.

When buying the game, Twitch will let your fan know that you are getting a cut of the earnings from his purchase, and he’ll be happy knowing he’s supporting your channel.

5. Sponsorships

Sponsorships are a traditional way to make money on Twitch. Brands, big and small, are always on the lookout to connect with a larger audience to gain exposure for their products.

With sponsorship, a brand pays you to promote their product on your channel. How you promote the product and how much money you make for doing so will depend on the deal you make with the sponsor.

From the very inception of your Twitch stream, start thinking about what type of brands you would be happy to represent. Sponsorships can come from all sorts of brands, such as energy drink companies, gaming accessory makers, computer engineers, office chair companies, etc.

Theoretically, you can land a sponsorship before you become an Affiliate or Partner. Still, it’s unlikely that a brand will be willing to sponsor you unless you can prove you have serious growth potential.

Brands typically need to see that you have a sizable following. Before offering you a deal, they’ll likely ask to see stats from your Twitch dashboard.

To get the scoop on how to choose sponsorships wisely, watch Twitch’s video on sponsorships.

Now that you know what money-making opportunities await on Twitch, it’s time to get down to the nuts and bolts of how to get followers so you can get to that point.

How to Gain Organic Twitch Followers for Free

The most cost-effective way to acquire free Twitch followers is to gain them organically. To obtain free followers on Twitch, you’ll need to create a solid strategy and follow through.

Here are six proven methods for growing your Twitch channel organically.

1. Social Media

These days, social media is where people gather. Your potential fans are spending lots of time on social media, and you can use this to your advantage to draw attention to your Twitch stream.

Follow these steps to promote your Twitch account on social media:

1. Open an account on all the leading social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.).
2. Create brand consistency by customizing your profile on each platform.
3. Generate high-quality, relevant content to post across each platform.
4. Schedule your social media posts to ensure regular posting.
5. Connect with your audience through comments, re-posts, follows, and tags.
6. Include calls-to-action, pointing followers to your live Twitch stream.

Maintaining an engaging presence on social media platforms will keep you connected with current fans and help you gain new ones.

2. High-Quality Content

There is no replacement for high-quality content. Before you start streaming, think carefully about what, where, and how you will stream. It doesn’t have to be super formal, but try to polish your content to appeal to a broad audience.

Do’s for a high-quality Twitch stream:

• Do use a good quality camera or webcam.
• Do choose a well-lit place.
• Do clean up your surroundings.
• Do have a nice appearance.
• Do mind your manners.
• Do be yourself and be unique.

Don'ts for a high-quality Twitch stream:

• Don’t stream grainy or low-quality video.
• Don’t stream in a messy or dirty environment.
• Don’t use degrading or inappropriate language.
• Don’t try to copy someone else.

Streaming a solid, clean-cut video can help you build a loyal following.

3. Consistent Live Stream

Once you have high-quality video content to offer, be sure to establish a good streaming schedule. Establish specific times and days you will stream and stick to it. That way, your audience will know what to expect and plan accordingly to watch your channel.

Beyond scheduling, try to keep the content consistent as well. Avoid frequently swapping between games or styles.

From the beginning, strive to find your niche in the world of Twitch. At first watch, your viewers will tune in to your channel because they like the game you play. Over time though, they will tune in because they like you. Don’t disappoint them with unnecessary changes to your channel.

4. Audience Engagement

Once you draw an audience – even if it’s an audience of one – it’s essential to make them feel welcome. Let each viewer know you appreciate him viewing your channel by offering a simple greeting.

As you stream, involve your audience. Invite viewers to participate in your chat, and take time to interact with your crew. Try to create a low-pressure environment. If someone doesn’t feel like joining in on the conversation, it’s ok.

Remember, as a content creator and the leader of your community, you set the ground rules and tone for the chat. You are responsible for keeping everything friendly and upbeat.

Before a live session, brainstorm a few conversation pieces to bring to the chat if it hits a lull.  

“How much you want to share with your community is up to you and there is no right way to guide conversation between chat and yourself. Keeping a conversation going is a skill many creators work hard to develop. Think of it as a conversation with friends,” recommends Twitch.

You’re far more likely to gain loyal fans if your viewers feel like they have a relationship with you and know you care about them.

5. Community Involvement

While Twitch can sometimes be a competitive environment, many streamers work to create good sportsmanship and a community atmosphere.

As soon as you open a Twitch account, start reaching out to like-minded users. Find fellow creators who are just beginning as well and start supporting each other.

“Networking with other creators on Twitch is a great way to grow your community, form genuine connections with your fellow streamers, and introduce your viewers to some of your favorite content on Twitch,” advises Twitch. Adding, “Your streamer colleagues are looking to grow their communities too, so even a little effort can go a long way.”

Here are two key ways to get involved with your Twitch community:

1. Raiding - A raid is when you click a couple of buttons that send your viewers to another channel at the end of your stream. Before you send them off to the channel, you share a nice message with them to paste into the destination channel’s chat. Your viewers don’t have to participate, but it’s a fun way to show them other content you love and help fellow creators get exposure. You may not immediately get anything out of it, but if you do nice things for fellow streamers, they’ll likely return the favor and help you grow your channel.
2. Hosting - Between your live streams, you can fill in the gaps on your channel by hosting another streamer’s content. By hosting, your audience gets to know more about your interests, and you help support other creators on Twitch. Hosting is a kind gesture that other streamers may return to you, allowing your channel to gain more exposure.

Staying in touch with your community on Twitch is vital to gain and maintain a strong following.

6. Sheer Charisma

With the abundance of channels streaming live content on Twitch, it’s imperative to think about how to stand out from the crowd. Gaining popularity on Twitch often has a lot to do with personality.

Contemplate what you have to offer to your Twitch community. A good sense of humor? An endearing smile? A witty commentary? A quirky perspective? An impressive skill level? A dazzling wardrobe?

Whatever your strengths happen to be, play to them. While it’s ok to draw inspiration from fellow streamers, remember to be yourself. Stay authentic and just be likable. Your followers will grow to love your stream for what it is.

Beyond this six-step guide for gaining Twitch followers organically, what else can you do to get Twitch followers?

Twitch Followers

Even when you pull out all the stops to gain organic Twitch followers, you may find your channel’s growth to be slow. Growing a loyal following of fans often takes time.

Is there a way to supplement and speed up growing your Twitch channel?

Yes. You can fast-track Twitch channel growth by using a third-party service to buy Twitch followers.

Why Use a Third-Party Service to Buy Twitch Followers?

Using a third-party Twitch followers service allows you to buy Twitch followers or even get free followers on Twitch.

Twitch follower services can help your channel get on its feet by increasing exposure and speeding up growth. Whether you want to gain live viewers or followers, third-party services can help you reach your Twitch channel goals.

Still, some third-party Twitch services can threaten the future of your channel.

Avoid Twitch Bot Services

Many third-party Twitch services promising to help you get instantaneous followers do so using robots through bot processing. Botting means that the viewers or followers you buy are robots, not humans. The bots work to inflate your channel’s stats to capture the attention of real viewers.

View bots and follow bots can effectively catapult your channel to the top.

What’s the catch?

Twitch view bots and follow bots are against the Twitch terms of service. If Twitch catches you view botting, you risk permanent suspension of your account.

Overall, the Twitch community strongly disapproves of botting. Many streamers have brought shame and humiliation on themselves by using bots to blow up their stats artificially.

Twitch view bots work to disguise their robot selves by interacting in chats with human viewers. However, these robots can’t fool the countless Twitch viewers who know how to detect a bot when they see one. Plenty of viewers are willing to call streamers out if they suspect view botting, and this can severely damage even a popular streamer’s reputation.

If you sign up for a free Twitch followers trial or Twitch viewers service, make sure that you’re not jeopardizing your channel and wasting money on robots.

Gain Free Twitch Followers on TwitchGainz.com

Protect your account from termination and get Twitch followers for free by signing up with TwitchGainz.com.  

With Twitch Gainz, you can gain real human followers and viewers for free without violating the Twitch TOS.

How to get free Twitch followers on Twitch Gainz in four steps:

1. Create a free account.
2. Earn free GEMS (the online currency) by following or watching other streamers.
3. Use the GEMS to incentivize potential followers and viewers.
4. Watch your channel grow.

The best part is, since Twitch Gainz users decide which offers to fulfill, you can attract an audience that finds your channel interesting and gain a loyal fan base for your channel.

Become a Twitch Affiliate Fast with Twitch Gainz

If you’d like to reach your Twitch channel goals more quickly, Twitch Gainz offers various GEM packages to help fast-track things.

When you use Twitch Gainz, your progress will be monitored along the way, allowing you to easily check in on how you're trending towards becoming a Twitch Affiliate.

The Bottom Line

Twitch is a powerful video streaming platform. Creating a Twitch account opens an entire realm of possibilities, including becoming part of a unique community and even making a career out of doing what you love.

To grow in popularity and start making money on Twitch requires time and dedication, but it is possible as long as you have a proper strategy and the right tools.

Here are eight ways you can make money on Twitch:

1. Donations
2. Affiliate links
3. Merchandise sales
4. Twitch Bits
5. Subscriptions
6. Ad revenue
7. Game sales
8. Sponsorships

Before you can start making money on Twitch, you need an audience. Gaining followers is key to growing your Twitch channel and opening up monetization opportunities.

Here are six things you can do to gain followers organically on Twitch:

1. Use up social media
2. Create high-quality video content
3. Stream consistently
4. Engage with your audience
5. Connect with your community
6. Showcase your personality

Supplement organic Twitch growth by using TwitchGainz.com

Twitch Gainz is a free service that helps you grow your channel. To ensure your channel’s future success, avoid botting services at all costs. Instead, opt for a service that helps you get real human followers on Twitch for free without violating Twitch terms of service and risking suspension, like TwitchGainz.com.