What is Follow?
A one-click action that lets Twitch users subscribe to a channel's go-live notifications and add it to their followed channels list. Following is always available at no cost.
Following a channel adds it to your "Following" list on Twitch and enables go-live notifications (if the user has them turned on). Following is the lowest-commitment way to show support for a streamer.
Follower count is often seen as a vanity metric. What matters more for growth is how many of those followers actually return to watch — which is why building genuine relationships through networking leads to better retention than follow-for-follow schemes.