Going live on social media with a small following can seem daunting. Many creators feel they need thousands of followers before they can start live streaming. But is a large audience really necessary to go live successfully? Here are some key questions answered:
Is there a minimum follower requirement to go live?
The short answer is no – there is no firm minimum follower count required to start live streaming on platforms like Instagram, Facebook or TikTok. While having a larger audience does help when first starting out, it’s completely possible to build an engaged community and following from going live regularly, even starting with just a few viewers.
What are the benefits of going live with a small following?
Some benefits of going live with fewer than 1000 followers include:
- Building real connections and relationships with your early supporters
- Testing and learning what content resonates without too much pressure
- Starting to establish your presence and niche in the space
- Gathering feedback and suggestions from viewers on what they’d like to see
- Growing your account more quickly through consistent live streams
What should you focus on when first going live with a small following?
When starting out live streaming, focus on:
- Delivering value – share useful tips, engaging stories, or entertainment
- Interacting with viewers through comments and questions
- Promoting your streams through other social channels, invites and hashtags
- Being consistent with a set schedule, like going live every Tuesday at 8pm
- Improving stream quality over time by investing in equipment
How can you grow your audience when first going live?
Some effective ways to grow your audience when you first start live streaming include:
- Leverage other platforms like Instagram or TikTok to promote you are going live
- Engage meaningfully with everyone who joins your streams
- Set a consistent live streaming schedule and stick to it
- Collaborate with others in your niche by inviting them on your live streams
- Repurpose clips from streams into short video content
- Use relevant hashtags and location tags to help your streams be discovered
Promote Your Live Streams on Other Channels
Let your current followers on other platforms know when you’ll be going live. Share the time and date on your Instagram story, TikTok page, Twitter feed etc. Make posts announcing your first stream to build excitement. Going live is still a novelty on many platforms, so leverage your other channels to drive viewers to your first streams.
Engage With Everyone Who Joins
When just starting out, a few viewers joining your live can feel like a big deal! Be sure to engage with each person who joins by greeting them, asking questions, responding to comments etc. Building personal connections will keep them coming back and help spread the word.
Collaborate With Others In Your Niche
Finding relevant creators with a similar audience size and inviting them on your live streams can introduce your content to new people. Offer to return the favor by going on their stream. Collaborating is a great way to cross-promote when first starting out.
What challenges may you face live streaming with a smaller following?
Some potential challenges that can arise include:
- Lower viewer counts and engagement at first
- Harder to get discovered by new viewers organically
- Difficulty keeping energy and momentum with fewer comments
- Feeling discouraged by fluctuations in live viewers
- Technical difficulties or streaming issues with no moderators
Keep Energy Up With Fewer Viewers
When just starting out, you may stream to lower viewer counts like 5-10 people. Keeping the energy and commentary up with fewer reactions can be difficult. Stay focused on delivering value for those tuned in rather than the viewer count.
Expect Fluctuations at First
Don’t get discouraged if you have 50 viewers one day and 5 the next. Fluctuations are very normal when first starting out live. Stay consistent through ups and downs and growth will come.
What equipment do you need to go live?
The basic equipment needed includes:
- A smartphone or camera
- A steady tripod or stand
- Decent lighting like a ring light
- A microphone for better audio (optional)
For streaming gaming or other PC content, you’ll need:
- A PC or laptop
- A webcam and microphone
- Screen capture software like OBS
- A gaming system or PC games
While basic smartphones work, investing in some extra equipment can really improve video and audio quality.
Upgrade Lighting
Proper lighting like a ring light makes a big difference in video quality. Poor lighting can make streams appear unprofessional.
Improve Audio with a Microphone
A dedicated USB or wireless microphone helps ensure crisp, clear audio vs the tiny built-in mic on your phone.
Invest in a Webcam
A solid webcam with 1080p or 4K resolution produces much sharper image quality for PC streams compared to inferior built-in webcams.
What games or content work best for small streamers?
Some gaming and content options ideal for small streamers starting out include:
- Popular multiplayer games like Fortnite, Apex Legends or Valorant
- Retro games with loyal fan bases like Mario Kart or Minecraft
- Trending single player story games
- Just Chatting streams talking about niche topics
- Podcast or talk show format productions
- Art, cooking, music or other creative content
Avoid overly saturated categories like Just Chatting or single player story games. Find a specific niche that fits your unique interests and personality.
Capitalize on Trending Games
When new multiplayer games release or have viral moments, take advantage by streaming them consistently right away before they become oversaturated.
| Game Genre | Best Options for Small Streamers |
|---|---|
| Multiplayer/Competitive | Fortnite, Valorant, Apex Legends, Overwatch |
| Retro | Super Mario, Pokemon, Minecraft, Retro RPGs |
| Single Player Story | Latest releases, indie narrative games |
| IRL/Podcast | Themed shows, interviews, vlogs, Ask Me Anything |
| Creative | Drawing, music production, cooking, crafting |
Find Overlooked Older Games
Playing retro or older games with dedicated fan bases can be a great niche as a smaller streamer. Popular options include simulation, building, and retro RPG games.
What strategies help attract viewers when first going live?
Some effective strategies to help attract viewers as a new streamer include:
- Highlighting when you go live on other channels
- Using attention-grabbing thumbnails and titles
- Promoting your stream schedule and countdowns
- Running giveaways or special events
- Interacting constantly with viewers during the stream
- Sharing clips on other platforms like YouTube Shorts
Attention-Grabbing Titles and Thumbnails
Like YouTube, compelling titles and custom thumbnails help catch the eye of potential new viewers browsing streams. Include keywords like the game being played.
Leverage Other Platforms
Promote when you are going live on other social platforms ahead of time. Share clips after to further extend reach. This helps discovery beyond just the platform you are live streaming on.
Giveaways and Events
Special events like giveaways, tournaments, or collaboration streams create buzz and incentivize viewers to tune in. But don’t rely on gimmicks alone – keep them engaged with quality content.
| Strategy | Example Tactics |
|---|---|
| Leverage Other Platforms | – Promote live streams on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter – Share clips to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels |
| Attention-Grabbing Stream Titles and Thumbnails | – Include keywords like game name – Make titles dramatic or intriguing – Design custom thumbnails |
| Promote Schedules & Countdowns | – Share schedules on social media – Post pre-stream countdown imagery |
| Interactive Stream Elements | – Shout out new followers – Answer questions – Run polls, giveaways, events |
What tips help convert viewers into engaged followers?
Some key tips to convert viewers into active followers include:
- Interacting constantly through chat, polls and questions
- Thanking new followers and commenters during the stream
- Asking viewers questions and making them feel included
- Sharing user-generated content on stream like art or videos
- Creating a positive, welcoming community
- Establishing stream rituals like catchphrases or celebration animations
Make Viewers Feel Included
Greet everyone who joins, ask for their thoughts and opinions, and recognize user contributions. This fosters a welcoming, interactive environment.
Celebrate New Follows and Milestones
Thanking new followers makes them feel valued. Custom animations when you get a sub, cheer or tip helps mark milestones.
Share User Content and Inside Jokes
Featuring fan art, videos or other contributions makes viewers feel part of the community. Inside jokes and stream rituals also connect fans.
How can you set streaming goals and measure growth?
Ways to set goals and track growth include:
- Setting weekly or monthly follower count goals, like gaining 50 followers a month
- Establishing average viewer goals, like reaching 20 concurrent viewers
- Aiming for a set number of streams per week for consistency
- Tracking streaming hours milestones, like streaming for 10 hours monthly
- Using analytics to view follower growth, viewership stats and chat activity
Track Follower Growth
Follower count isn’t everything, but steady follower growth does indicate you’re reaching more people. Aim for weekly or monthly follower goals.
Increase Viewer Counts
Higher concurrent viewers indicates you’re attracting more live audiences. Establish weekly targets, like increasing average viewers by 5 per week.
Stream Consistency
Consistent streaming helps build loyalty and growth. Set a goal like broadcasting 3 days a week for a minimum of 1 hour.
| Metric | Example Goals |
|---|---|
| Follower Growth | Gain 50 new followers per month |
| Average Concurrent Viewers | Reach 15 concurrent viewers per stream |
| Stream Consistency | Stream 3 times per week for 1+ hour |
| Streaming Hours | Stream for 10 hours minimum per month |
Conclusion
Launching your first live streams with a smaller following can seem intimidating, but dedicated creators can find success by focusing on delivering value, closely interacting with viewers, and consistently growing their audience. With the right strategies, any creator has the potential to build an engaged community starting from just a few loyal fans tuning in.
Stay positive through fluctuations at first. Invest time into understanding analytics, optimizing discoverability, and establishing streaming rituals and inside jokes. Don’t get discouraged by low viewer counts in the beginning. Building genuine connections and relationships with fans takes patience – but doing so forms the foundation for a thriving, close-knit streaming community as your audience grows.
