If a brand wishes to ace its influencer marketing game, it has to look beyond YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. Believe it or not, Twitch is the platform where the hustle is happening, prompting brands to figure out ways to launch profitable Twitch influencer marketing campaigns.
What Is Twitch?
Twitch is an Amazon-owned American video live-streaming service for gaming, entertainment, music, sports, etc. According to its website, it is “where brands and communities intersect”. Boasting of being the ultimate influencer marketing-based service, Twitch claims that more than 62% of viewers daily engage with gaming and esports personalities. Also, almost 65% purchase products recommended by them and at least 70% offer monetary support.
What Is Twitch Influencer Marketing?
Like any other influencer marketing, Twitch influencer marketing requires brands to get hold of a Twitch influencer with whom a contract can be signed. The influencer will then start promoting the brand to their audience. The only difference is that the promotions are live-streamed and will not consist of images or recorded videos.
Figure 1: Screengrab of Twitch website. Source: Twitch Sales
How Does Twitch Work?
Twitch was launched in June 2011, and since then, the service has seen an exponential increase in popularity. According to Statista, the video-streaming platform has more than 4 million subscribers currently, which is expected to reach 5.68 million by 2023.
Figure 2: Number of Twitch subscribers worldwide from 2017 to 2023. Source: Statista
While watching a broadcast, a user can see what the streamer is seeing on their monitor, i.e. the gameplay, hear and see the streamer playing the game. The user can also comment, make suggestions, and ask questions. Streams are also saved on Twitch, and you can watch previously streamed videos at your convenience.
For avid users, Twitch offers subscriptions starting from $4.99. Once availed, users can support their favorite streamer and watch their preferred channels ad-free. Subscribers also have access to other perks like emotes (exclusive emojis used to support a streamer) or chat badges ( which help identify what kind of user you are – from a broadcaster to a VIP).
Why Does Twitch Matter For Marketers?
Twitch has a huge potential to reach maximum audience with its phenomenal engagement rate, and brands are lining up to explore the platform’s potential. What makes Twitch influencer marketing stand out more is that the money involved is significantly lower than other platforms. It has also been observed that having Twitch followers helps with a website’s ranking.
Twitch – a young platform
Twitch has grown exponentially and has become a hub of millennials and GenZers. While 73% of Twitch’s users are 34 or under, 41% are between 16 and 24, stated a report. The younger generations have disposable income, making Twitch the perfect platform for brands looking to build a loyal customer base and increase sales.
What is Twitch doing right?
Twitch marketing campaigns are one of the few campaigns where both the audience and influencers are involved in the promotion. The more users have questions about a product or service, the more time the influencer spends answering those, making sure that the conversation revolves around the brand. Moreover, businesses are finding live promotions increasingly effective. According to a Sprout Social Index, more than 50% of brands have said live videos are a priority for their marketing tactics. Also, with this trend taking over, it is no longer a surprise that 40% of consumers want to see more live videos from brands.
How Are Brands Using Twitch?
1. Gaming tournaments and esports
Twitch is undoubtedly the market leader in video-game streaming. Getting high-profile streamers to play your latest offering is a great way to get people talking about it.
2. Digital events
Twitch streams have offered brands a cool platform for digital events. During the pandemic, the atmosphere of a live event was replaced by Twitch streams. Product launches, music events and award shows on interactive streams on Twitch are good alternatives for in-person events.
3. How-tos and “classes”
With Twitch proving it’s not only restricted to live streaming video games, the streaming platform is also breaking new grounds. Dance classes are becoming popular on Twitch, while explainers are also grabbing eyeballs.
4. Interviews and roundtables
Brands can easily host interviews and roundtables on Twitch as it doesn’t require a lot of production value. One fine example of Twitch being used for interviews is American politician Bernie Sanders, who showed the way forward by hosting interviews on the streaming platform.
5. Working with influencers
Don’t have a well-followed Twitch presence? Don’t worry. You can tie up with influencers to promote your product or service on the platform. Influencers offer a personal touch and already have a connection with their audience.
6. Philanthropy
Charity streams are becoming big on Twitch. Brands that focus on fundraising and charity can partner with influencers on Twitch. For instance, influencers can raise awareness about a particular cause while live streaming their gaming session. Corporate sponsors can also partner with streams and donate the money raised during such sessions.
7. Twitch ads
Twitch has a dedicated platform to place ads. Brands can benefit from Millenials and Gen Z audiences on the popular streaming platform. Brands can make use of the live platform to influence users who are generally averse to watching ads.
How To Use Twitch For Influencer Marketing — A Case Study
Still not sure whether you need to try Twitch influencer marketing? Well, here is a case study of how KFC, the popular fast-food brand, struck gold on Twitch.
Firstly, KFC took to Twitch, understanding that most of the users on the platform are potential customers. KFC tied-up with DrLupo, a professional eSports player, and decided to offer free dinners to fans during an online streaming session of PUBG.
The way KFC went about its business along with DrLupo is noteworthy. Viewers were asked to type “dinner dinner” in the chat box every time DrLupo had killed one of his 99 opponents. The phrase is a reference to a popular KFC slogan, “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner”.
Interestingly, KFC and Twitch also came up with a new KFC bucket emote that the users were asked to type in every time DrLupo had a kill. The viewers got a chance to win a $20 KFC gift card.
How To Use Twitch For Influencer Marketing
Set targets and define ways to achieve them
When you decide to join the Twitch bandwagon for marketing, much like any other medium, identify and set your target for marketing on Twitch.
If you are partnering with an influencer, make sure you set a tangible goal. If you are looking at increasing your subscriber base for a Twitch stream, define the number of subscribers you would want to have in a particular period of time.
It’s also important to set a desired timeline. You should ensure you are doing enough and not waste an eternity waiting for the desired results as live streaming also involves business.
Understand your customer: The average Twitch user
Once again, you need to understand who uses Twitch to turn them into your potential customers. As discussed earlier, Twitch has a young user base, and men dominate it. So it’s essential to understand whether your product or service will appeal to the platform’s users.
Also, it’s important to identify the geographic traffic of the live streaming platform and use it for your marketing needs.
Find right mix of advertisement and entertainment
You need to remember that Twitch users are a young audience. All they look for on the video streaming platform is entertainment. But they are not averse to the idea of their favorite streamers tying up with sponsors.
To put it simply, users trust their influencers more than brands. Identify the right influencer and give them the freedom to find creative ways to place your product in their streams.
Providing coupons and discounts is a great way of adding to your customer base.
Identify influencers who suit your plan
A business needs to identify the right kind of influencer or brand on Twitch. Multiple factors determine who can fit the bill perfectly for your product.
Type of Influencer: Video game streamers are the most popular on Twitch. But if your product is health insurance, you need to look for influencers outside game streamers as you may not have the right target audience.
User base: First things first: An influencer with a strong subscriber base will always be beneficial. However, even influencers with less than 100 subscribers can prove to be the right fit if they can market your business with a personal touch.
Make it a two-way road with the audience
Dialogue is important when interacting with your audience. Partnering with a top influencer isn’t going to guarantee you success, but treating your audience with a personal touch by interacting with them can work wonders.
The chatbox on Twitch is a great place to start, but you need to look beyond that. Identifying your target audience and knowing more about them, including following their streams, can come in handy when interacting with them.
Also, have a website that allows your audience to understand everything about you.
Bonus! Upcoming Trends For Twitch’s Influencer Marketing
- Twitch is also accommodating plenty of non-gaming streamers.
- Brands are coming for top streamers.
- Exclusive deals are being handed to the right streamers.
- Streamers with a personal touch and authenticity are making it big.
- Watch parties could be the next golden goose.
- Twitch is bidding to be more user-friendly with its software.
Does Twitch Marketing Have The Potential For Your Brand?
- Twitch made an estimated $2.3 billion in revenue in 2020.
- 18.6 billion hours of content were consumed on the platform in 2020.
- In 2021, Twitch had an average of 2.84 million viewers. This figure is predicted to increase by 188 million by 2023.
- 9 million Twitch users stream on the platform once a month.
Figure 3: Revenue chart of Twitch. Sources: Business of apps
Joining the Twitch influencer marketing bandwagon sooner than later will certainly give you a head start over your competitors, considering marketers from all sectors and industries will soon saturate real estate. You can get access to the best influencers – and take your sweet time finding audiences that resonate with your products and services.
Twitch may not seem that relevant for influencer marketing, but the truth is, the two are a perfect match! High ROI and influencers with sizable fan bases make it ideal for companies.
AtisfyReach, our AI-based platform, is meant for businesses like yours who need help creating an effective influencer marketing strategy and running successful campaigns. We can save you the trouble and match you with the influencers of your choice on your preferred platform, in your niche.
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