The Discovery Problem All Streamers Face

Whether you’re building on Twitch or Kick, you know how huge of a hurdle the toughest part isn’t creating good content. It’s getting someone to find your stream in the first place.

Consider this: there are literally thousands of streamers going live any given moment. Your channel is but a single drop in an ocean of streams. You might be great, good, and streaming consistently and still be 0-3 viewers for months.

This is where the ‘Viewer Snowball’ principle comes into play. 

It’s an epiphanic concept that shows us why 20 solid viewers will enable you to grow organically to 100+ naturally. 

And the good news is: Once you understand it, you can apply this information to amplify your growth on Twitch or Kick network. Also ViewBots.com is here to help you big time to get that initial boost in a safe, stable way.

What Makes People Click on Your Stream?

This is what one does when they visit Twitch. They open up a category (such as “Just Chatting” or “Fortnite”) and view dozens or hundreds of streams. They both have a thumbnail and the number of viewers.

You’re now them. Would you click on a stream with 1 viewer? No, probably not. It sounds seedy, like sitting down in a restaurant and no one’s at the table dining. You question whether something’s wrong with the food.

But what about a 20-view stream? That’s not the same. It informs you that other people felt that this stream was worth watching. It informs you that something is happening. That’s “social proof” – we buy into what other people are already doing.

This one tiny psychological trigger is the basis of the entire Viewer Snowball effect.

The Algorithm Loves Attention

Stream sites like Twitch and Kick have a secret ace up their sleeve: their suggestion algorithm. This under-the-radar system determines who shines and who fades to black.

The algorithm has just one primary goal: keep users on the site as long as possible. It accomplishes this by rewarding streams that are already holding viewers.

When you have 20 regular viewers, you’re sending a strong signal to the algorithm. You’re showing the algorithm that your content is compelling. The Twitch platform notices this and begins doing you a favor.

Your stream could receive:

• Improved rankings in category lists
• Recommendations to new users
• Highlighted positions on the front page
• Improved search result visibility

As one experienced streamer explained on Reddit, “category listing positions are decided solely based on live viewers. If you’re nowhere on page one or three of the listing, it’s really worthless in regards to growth to stream.”

This is to say that without a good base of twitch viewers, your twitch stream effectively doesn’t exist. You might be the funniest, the best twitch streamer in the multiverse, but you’ll remain underground without the twitch algorithm pushing you up.

Why 20 Viewers Is The Magic Number

You may wonder: why 20 twitch viewers? Why 10 or 50 twitch viewers?

There isn’t a science behind this per se, but 20 twitch or kick viewers is a breaking point. It’s the turning point where you’re climbing out of the “graveyard” of single-digit viewers that destroys most new streamers. So 20 twitch followers in your streaming community becomes some gold standard to be different from a newbie to someone who really can actually make it.

When you reach 20 twitch viewers, a few things happen at once:

You become noticed. On most twitch categories, 20 twitch viewers will earn you page one or page two of results. This is important because most users never go past page three.

You appear to be alive. A 20-stream does not resemble a ghost town. It resembles an actual community meeting.

Your conversation fills up. With 20 viewers, you’ll typically have a minimum of two individuals speaking at a time. This generates momentum that new viewers can bounce off of.

This is because certain streamers do experiment with alternatives like buying Twitch viewers first – not as a permanent solution, but as a way of reaching this critical point where organic growth can then commence. But with this comes the need to properly consider platform rules and long-term strategy with help of ViewBots.com as well.

How The Snowball Starts Rolling

After you get past that 20-viewer barrier, something magical occurs. Your Twitch stream does not remain at 20 forever. Rather, it begins to build itself up. That is the snowball effect in action.

The First Roll: Increased Visibility

The instant you have 20 viewers, your Twitch stream gains position in the Twitch category ranks. Rather than being stuck on page 10, you’re then on page 1 or page 2. That means more individuals actually lay eyes on your thumbnail as they scroll.

The more views on your Twitch thumbnail, the higher the clicks. The higher the clicks, the higher the number of individuals going out of their way to visit your Twitch stream. And when your content is good, some of those individuals are going to stick around.

This is the first phase of organic growth. You’re not making other content – you’re merely being viewed by more individuals.

The Second Roll: Social Proof In Action

If a new Twitch viewer comes to your channel and notices 20+ viewers online, their mind quick-draws a judgment: “Other people are interested in this, so I need to watch it as well.”

They’re less inclined to click away from you than if they only caught a glimpse of your handle lingering on screen. Those two minutes are your window to win them over with your personality, your play, or your chat.

Put that in perspective with a Twitch stream that’s got 2 viewers. A new viewer comes in, notices the viewer count is low, thinks there mustn’t be anything interesting happening, and bails after 30 seconds. They never gave you a fair shot.

2 and 20 viewers isn’t math. It’s perception. It’s providing new visitors with a reason to think you’re worth their time.

The Third Roll: Chat Activity Creates Energy

Here’s something that aspiring Twitch and Kick streamers don’t know: chat activity is more valuable than watcher number in so many ways.

If you have 20 regular Twitch viewers, your chat is going to be more active as a baseline. You’re going to have several conversations going on at once, jokes being cracked back and forth, and emotes spamming. This builds community and vibe.

New visitor who comes in and gets an active Twitch chat at once feels like he or she has attended a party. He or she feels like joining in. He or she feels like contributing to the conversation.

In contrast, a dead chat (even with a few viewers) is uncomfortable. New visitors don’t know what they can say. They feel like they are intruding on silence. So they tend to just leave without contributing.

That’s why it’s so crucial to build a foundation of engaging, interactive Twitch viewers. They’re not only watching – they’re actually assisting you in grabbing and keeping new viewers.

The Fourth Roll: The Algorithm Doubles Down

Do you remember when we talked about how the algorithm prefers streams that keep viewers? Well, after you’re keeping more and more viewers for longer and longer amounts of time, the algorithm picks up on it even more finely.

Streaming websites monitor things like:

• Average watch time
• Chat messages per viewer
• Follow and subscribe rates
• How many viewers keep coming back to watch your future streams

When these figures get better (and they will because you’ll be going up from 20 to 30 to 40 viewers), the algorithm rewards you back with even more promotion on Twitch.

You may begin showing up in the “Recommended for You” pages of viewers who watch content like yours. You may show up during prime times. Your growth begins to soar.

This is when the snowball begins to roll. Growth that had been incremental (adding 1-2 viewers per week) now becomes exponential (5-10 per week, then 20-30, etc.).

From 20 to 100: The Tipping Point

Some time is required for the jump from 20 hard-core viewers to 100 organic viewers. But it occurs more quickly than getting from 0 to 20.

That’s why: at 20 Twitch viewers, you’ve already established that your stream is worth something. You’ve already got a foundation. Now you’re just expanding on that foundation.

Every additional viewer who stays watches brings you more social proof. They make your stream more appealing to the next guy who happens to stumble upon it. They add to your chat volume. They get you ranked higher in category rankings.

It is a self-perpetuating positive feedback loop. More viewers mean more visibility, which means more viewers, which means more visibility, and so on.

Some Twitch streamers see it within weeks. Others within months. But the principle is the same: 20 solid Twitch viewers is the point at which organic growth is far more likely.

Building Your Basis of 20 Viewers

Now you know why 20 Twitch viewers count. But how in the world do you actually reach it? That is where the majority of streamers mess up.

The brutal reality is that the initial 20 regulars will likely be the most difficult aspect of Twitch or Kick streaming. It does not happen overnight by simply going live and expecting people to just happen to stumble in. 

Strategy 1: Network With Other Streamers

One of the most important mistakes new streamers are guilty of is only thinking about their channel. They stream, then go offline. They never get involved with the larger Twitch streaming community.

Successful Twitch and Kick streamers know that networking is crucial. This is how to do it right:

Watch and subscribe to your own niche Twitch streamers. If you stream Minecraft, watch other Minecraft streamers (with a viewership of 20-100). Don’t stalk — be in the chat. Be authentic and encouraging.

Create actual connections. Don’t roll up and go “Hey, I stream too! Check out my channel!” That is irritating and will not help. Be a member of their community instead. Get to know names. Participate in conversations. Be someone people enjoy being around.

Partner as often as you can. After you’ve developed genuine friendships with other Twitch streamers, ask them if they’d be willing to partner with you. You can game together, raid each other’s streams, or scream at one another.

The word here is “genuine.” People can sense when you’re networking because you want to build your own channel and when you actually care about the community. Be the latter kind of person.

Strategy 2: Leverage Social Media For Traffic

Your Kick or Twitch channel cannot be on an island. You must promote yourself elsewhere on other sites where your would-be watchers hang out.

Some successful tactics are listed below:

Twitter/X: Post clips from your Twitch streams, bloopers, or notices of when you’re going live. Utilize relevant hashtags and reach out to other creators in your space.

TikTok: This is a big one for Twitch streamer expansion currently. Short, funny moments from your streams can go viral and attract thousands of new viewers to your channel.

Instagram Reels: The same thing as TikTok. Share your highlight moments in short, compelling formats.

Reddit: Research subreddits that are relevant to your content and engage in a genuine way. Share clips when the time is right (in accordance with each subreddit’s guidelines), but concentrate more on being a respectful community member.

Discord: Join Discord servers by game or interest. Appear, be friendly, and make announcements when you go live (don’t spam).

The idea isn’t to send “I’M LIVE” notifications to all places. It’s to create a presence on many sites so that when folks do find you, you’re where they are, and they can subscribe in multiple places and receive reminders when you stream.

Strategy 3: Be On A Regular Schedule

This might sound obvious, but one of the biggest factors in developing a habitual watcher is this.

If you stream at random hours – sometimes Monday afternoon, sometimes Friday night, sometimes not for a week – people can’t make it a habit to watch you. They’ll watch you once and enjoy themselves, then forget about you because they never know when to go back.

Choose specific days and times, and stick to them like a mantra. 

For instance: “I stream Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 7-10 PM Eastern.”

When you stream regularly, some wonderful things happen:

• People can schedule around your point of view. 
• Your streams become routine to them.
• The algorithm adores you. 
• Sites reward regular streamers and give them more promotion.
• You gain momentum.
• Each stream is flowing off the last instead of starting anew every time.

Yes, it does require dedication. You’ll need to work Twitch streaming like it’s part-time work, even if you have only 5 viewers. But this is what distinguishes developing streamers from the ones who remain stagnant.

Strategy 4: Analyze Strategic Growth Strategies

This is a somewhat delicate subject, but let’s get real: some Twitch streamers do indeed purchase Twitch followers or purchase Twitch viewers as part of their growth strategy.

Before we proceed, let’s be realistic about the risks and facts:

The platform owns the cards: Faking your numbers is prohibited by Twitch’s Terms of Service and can get your channel terminated. It’s an actual threat.

The quality problem: Not all services are created equal and are quality. Some offer fake bot accounts that will do nothing but damage your channel. Some offer more realistic-looking accounts, but these are still not actual engaged viewers. This is what ViewBots.com distinguish from other providers. Stable, private and using undetectable technology which nobody has it.

The strategy question: Even when you do it, it’s only meant to be a short-term bump to bring you up to that 20-viewer plateau where organic growth can happen. It can’t be part of your long-term plan.

All the same, some streamers feel that the social proof bump is worth taking the risk. They see it as paying for visibility just like other creators pay for Facebook ads or YouTube promotion.

If you are thinking of this route, do your due diligence. Seek out providers with histories (sudden spikes are warning signs), build-ups over time (not sudden spikes), and if possible some sort of interaction (not viewer numbers). 

But there’s a twist: this is a hack, not a solution. You still have to have great content, personality that draws people in, and an actual community. Lies will get people to click, but you alone can make them come back.

Strategy 5: Produce Content That’s Worth Returning To

It doesn’t have to be said, but it should be said anyway: you need to make people want to come back.

What makes your stream unique? 

Why should you be watched versus the hundreds of other streamers out there?

 You need to provide answers to these questions honestly.

Perhaps you are phenomenally gifted at your game. Perhaps you’re gifted at comedy. Perhaps you build an ultra-friendly and uplifting atmosphere. Perhaps you’re chat-skilled like nobody else. Perhaps you’re an expert at something that you can impart.

Whatever your talent is, play it. Use it as the central feature of your brand.

And here’s the secret: your very first 20 Twitch viewers are meant to be your strongest supporters. They need to be people who adore your work and want you to succeed. Quality is better than quantity any day of the week in the long term.

Maintaining the Momentum and Growing Past 100

Getting to 20 Twitch viewers is challenging. Growing from 20 to 100 is exciting. But after that? How do you get your snowball to roll on?

Don’t Forget Your Core Audience

Don’t be so enamored with new viewers and neglect those who brought you along the way. That’s a mistake.

Your first 20 consistent Twitch viewers are your core audience. They were with you when you were small. They believed in you. They contributed to the energy that recruited everybody else.

Ensure that you keep thanking them. Don’t forget their names. Refer to in-jokes. Let them feel valued. These are your informal or formal community leaders.

When valued, they will remain and contribute to your growth further. When they feel they are not valued, they will depart, and you will be forced to work harder to replace them.

Keep Networking and Partnering

Just because you reached 100 Twitch or Kick  viewers doesn’t mean you’re going to stop networking. Actually, it’s when you can network with even larger Twitch streamers that may have not noticed you before. Look for streamers who have between 200-500 viewers and apply the same networking techniques that you applied before. Be genuine. Be deserving. Search for similar collaboration.

Raids are best at this point. If you close down your stream and raid a person of your size, they will likely do the same to you at some point or another. This brings your viewers into theirs and vice versa.

It’s a cross-promotion game. Few Twitch streamers develop completely alone. Most successful content creators exist within a network of other content creators that help to promote each other.

Diversify Your Content Platforms

Do you recall when we talked about presenting yourself on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter? It becomes increasingly important as you grow further.

Your highlight reel of your stream should be trimmed back and shared across all platforms. This serves a few purposes:

It attracts new viewers who come across you on other sites and want to see what you are about.

It makes your existing audience curious between streams by giving them something to view and share.

It makes you a brand apart from being just a Twitch streamer. You’re a presence as a content creator now across the internet.

Some of the most rapidly growing streamers currently are those who leverage streaming as just one component in an overall content strategy. They have presences on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, producing a presence of content that all leads to live streams.

Invest In Production Quality

When you’re small, people tolerate bad sound, bad lighting, and plain overlays. They’re watching to see you, not your production quality.

But when you scale up, expectations increase. Viewers will compare you with other streams of your size, and if your production value is significantly poorer, that’s a growth cap.

You don’t have to put out thousands of dollars, but do spend money on:

A good microphone. There is no compromise on unobstructed audio. Even a $50 USB microphone is superior to a headset microphone.

Good lighting. If you’re webcamming, decent lighting can be the difference between success and failure. A ring light is an inexpensive, effective solution.

Professional overlays. Your visual aesthetic for your stream needs to be clean and have some representation of your brand.

A good internet connection. Buffering and dropped frames will sabotage your growth quicker than most things.

Consider these investments as doing an overhaul of the theater you perform in. You’re still the main attraction, but the stage now fits your level of proficiency.

Stay Consistent (Yes, Still)

We mentioned consistency before, but its importance cannot be stressed enough: don’t bypass your regimen just because you’re increasing in size.

Actually, consistency is even more crucial when your Twitch following grows. Now you have more individuals who are waiting to catch you at certain times. Throwing them off time and time again will destroy the trust you’ve worked to establish.

Life does occur, after all. Sometimes, sure, you do have to sleep. But talk to your Twitch audience. Let them know in advance when you won’t be streaming. Don’t give them the silent treatment.

The streamers that experience long-term growth are the ones that show up consistently, year-round. Your audience needs to be able to trust you.

Engage Your Audience Between Streams

Create a Discord server if you don’t have one already. This provides your audience with a hangout spot between streams, where they can learn to know each other and learn about you.

Keep your Discord active. Post news. Spark discussions. Game with your community members. The more people care for you and for each other, the more they will keep watching and cheering for you.

Some streamers also have special events – watch parties, community game nights, subscriber streams, or charity events. These are events that are memorable and strengthen the connection between you and your viewers.

Manage Growth Gracefully

As your Kick channel gets bigger, so will the issues. Trolls, drama, more pressure and expectations. How you address these things will decide if you will continue to expand or get stagnant.

Stay humble. Don’t forget how far you’ve come. Treat everyone with respect, 0 view count or 10,000. The community is smaller than you’re aware, and your reputation is all that counts.

Establish good boundaries and manage your Twitch chat well. As you continue to grow, you’ll require moderators that keep everything in check. Select people that you trust and brief them on what you expect.

Above all, have fun. Streaming ought to be enjoyable. If it starts becoming all about simple stress and obligation, then you’re going to burn out, and your audience will notice.

The Truth About Sustainable Growth

This is the reality: the Viewer Snowball effect does exist, but it’s not magic. It’s not going to occur on its own. And it does take real effort from you.

You can’t simply buy Twitch followers, relax, and wait to be the next huge streamer. You must produce content that is actually worth watching, develop actual relationships, and put in the effort to show up for your viewers consistently.

But when you do that, and when you hit that magic number of 20 regular viewers, something miraculous occurs. Your growth no longer becomes an impossibility, but a certainty.

The snowball begins small. It’s merely a small group of people who adore what you do. But as it moves down the hill, the velocity increases. It becomes larger. And the next thing you know, you’re up from 20 viewers to 100, then 200, then increasingly more.

That is the Viewer Snowball effect magic. Not overnight fame. It is creating something tangible, viewer by viewer, until you’ve built something that exists on its own.

So build to 20 Twitch followers. Build the roots. Build an incredible experience for those early committed viewers. And then let your snowball roll into something better than you could ever have dreamed.

The 0 to 20 journey is tough. But the 20 to 100 and beyond journey? That’s where the real magic occurs.