Tipping Hacks: How to Encourage Donations on Your Streams

Livestreaming isn’t just a great way to connect with fans, it’s also an excellent opportunity to earn tips, which serve as a valuable revenue source for plenty of content creators. That being said, bringing in tips is a specialized skill in itself– if you’re hoping to up your tipping game, you’ve come to the right place.

Below, we’ll detail how to encourage more donations on your streams so that you can start earning more for your efforts. 

6 Ways to Encourage Tipping on Livestreams 

Without further ado, here are some surefire ways to encourage more tipping on your livestream: 

Showcase Your Supporters List 

It might feel like a small shift, but showcasing your top and new supporters, even if it’s on something as simple as a dry-erase board can mean a lot to your community. Having a tip leaderboard, whether that’s physical or digital, is an instant visual cue that reminds fans that they have the option to tip— make it easy for your audience to know that their contributions are appreciated.

Remember Your Top Tippers 

Gratitude and acknowledgment of your top tippers can go a long way. Fortunately, Brand Army makes it easy to identify and reward your top tippers and fans— simply navigate to wallet, where you’ll find your payments conveniently broken down by user. Pay special attention to these top tippers by welcoming them into your streams, and taking their content suggestions in mind. Make your streaming times fairly regular and predictable so that it’s easy for your fans to show up and engage in your community as a part of their routines.

Have Themed-Tip Nights (community goals etc)

Build a sense of community and incentivize tippers by giving them something to look forward to. Themed stream nights like Trivia Tuesdays can keep your community coming back for more as they know what to expect week to week. 

You can also create community goals or come up with themes together. For instance, you could say something like, “If we reach X amount of tips, I’ll let you all choose the next game or activity I do on stream.” Framing it as a communal goal can bring your fans closer together and increase tips in the process.

Create Exclusive Perks for Top Tippers 

Spread the love by providing exclusive perks for your top tippers, in and outside your live stream— this could be something like offering access to a specialized newsletter, or behind-the-scene and early-access content. Share links to exclusive content in your stream chat to incentivize fans to come back for more and offer up more tips along the way. 

Use Tips to Unlock Stream Actions 

Top tippers deserve special privileges. For instance, you might incentivize more tipping by allowing tippers to unlock stream actions. This could be as simple as picking what song to sing or game to play while streaming, but it goes a long way in showcasing your appreciation– by letting your audience members in on the production process, you create a closer connection. 

Host Giveaways for Tippers

Give back to your fans by automatically entering tippers into a raffle or giveaway to earn merch or early-access to coveted content. Through the gamification of your live stream, audience members may be more inclined to become first-time tippers. 

How to Earn More Tips While Streaming FAQ

Use these commonly asked questions and answers to start earning more while streaming: 

How do streamers get tips?

Streamers get tips by creating an interactive, valuable experience for their audiences. Your audience needs to be aware of where/how they can tip, and should be provided with a streaming session that warrants tips through games, interaction, or exclusive access to content. 

Where should I live stream?

The best place to live stream your content to superfans is through BrandArmy. BrandArmy users can set an access price for specific streams and earn tips directly on the platform while connecting with your audience. 

How do I earn more tips while streaming? 

Earning more tips while streaming is a matter of gaining more exposure, making it easy for your audience to tip, and creating interactive streaming sessions. We outline several ways to encourage more donations while streaming above.