Marketing to Gamers 101: How Non-Gaming Brands Can Level Up on Twitch and Connect with Gamers
Welcome to Marketing to Gamers 101 (MTG 101), a series of blog posts designed to be your crash course in the platforms and tools that can be leveraged when marketing to the gaming community. As the gaming industry continues to grow and evolve, it's never been more important for brands to understand how to effectively engage with this passionate and diverse audience. In our first post, we're diving into Twitch, the live-streaming platform that has captured the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide. So, buckle up and get ready to level up your marketing game as we explore the ins and outs of Twitch marketing!
Twitch is a live-streaming powerhouse that draws in millions of viewers daily. Initially focused on gaming and esports, Twitch now offers a diverse range of content from music and cooking to art and fitness. The question is, how can non-gaming brands capitalize on Twitch to engage its huge audience? Buckle up, as we dive into the world of Twitch marketing, uncovering best practices and examples for non-gaming brands to forge unique and memorable campaigns.
The Magic of Twitch Marketing
Twitch boasts a massive, devoted audience that spends an average of 95 minutes per day on the platform. With 73% of users aged 34 or younger and 41% between 16 and 24, Twitch is a goldmine for brands targeting millennial or Gen Z audiences passionate about gaming and entertainment.
The platform offers unparalleled interactivity and engagement between streamers and viewers. Unlike other social media platforms where users can quickly scroll past ads, Twitch viewers are more likely to pay attention and interact with the content. Viewers can chat, send donations, participate in polls, or even influence the stream's outcome, all while immersed in their favourite streamer's world.
Capitalizing on the power of influencer marketing, Twitch enables brands to collaborate with streamers boasting large, dedicated fanbases. Acting as authentic advocates, these influencers can significantly impact consumer behaviour.
Twitch Marketing Masterclass
Depending on your brand's goals and budget, Twitch marketing can take several forms:
Sponsored streams: A brand pays a streamer to promote its product or service during the stream. The streamer can showcase the product, review it, or offer a discount code. Remember, streamers should disclose sponsorships and adhere to FTC and other government guidelines for influencer marketing.
Sponsored events: A brand sponsors a large-scale Twitch event, such as a tournament, concert, or charity fundraiser. The brand can gain exposure through logos, banners, ads, or mentions and offer prizes or incentives for viewer participation.
Branded channels: A brand creates its channel on Twitch to showcase products, educate viewers, entertain with engaging content, or interact through Q&A sessions or feedback surveys.
Co-streaming: A brand collaborates with one or more streamers, combining their audiences and content to create a captivating stream that highlights the brand's value proposition.
Twitch Marketing Success Stories
Numerous non-gaming brands have successfully tapped into Twitch marketing to connect with gamers:
Burberry: The luxury fashion brand pioneered live-streaming a catwalk show on Twitch during London Fashion Week in 2020. Using Twitch's squad mode, they offered multiple real-time views of the event, inviting influencers and celebrities to co-host the stream and chat with viewers.
Wendy's: To promote its fresh beef campaign, the fast-food chain played Fortnite on Twitch. They created a custom character resembling Wendy's mascot and destroyed freezers, used by rival burger chains in the game. The stream attracted over 400,000 viewers.
Old Spice: The personal care brand developed an interactive Twitch game show called "Old Spice Nature Adventure," where viewers controlled a real person in a forest using chat commands, spoofing the incredibly popular “Twitch Plays Pokemon” stream. The three-day event featured challenges, surprises, and celebrity guest appearances.
Navigating Twitch Marketing Challenges
Despite its appeal, Twitch marketing has its challenges:
Finding the right fit: Twitch is a diverse platform where different streamers and communities have unique preferences and expectations. Brands must research and align with streamers and content that match their values, goals, and target audience to avoid wasted resources or backlash. Leverage influencer discovery tools like Tagger or Dovetale, or do some manual digging on Twitch using its search filters to find streamers that may fit your brand.
Respecting the rules: Twitch has terms of service and community guidelines that streamers and brands must follow. These include rules on content, conduct, sponsorship disclosure, and intellectual property. Familiarize yourself with these rules and ensure your Twitch marketing campaigns comply to avoid penalties or bans from the platform.
Measuring the impact: Twitch marketing can be difficult to measure in terms of ROI and attribution. With limited data on viewership, engagement, or conversions, brands must rely on other metrics such as chat sentiment, social media buzz, or streamer feedback to assess campaign effectiveness. This can differ from brand and activation, so when possible include some trackable add-ons such as website coupons or UTM codes for specific partners to get additional metrics.
Livestreams = Live problems: Just like with other live video formats, there's always an element of surprise due to the real-time nature of the content. This is something brands should keep in mind while developing their Twitch strategies, selecting content creators to collaborate with, and engaging with users in chat. Though it adds a layer of complexity, being well-prepared alongside your partnered creator can ensure a smoother experience for everyone involved.
Winning Tips for Twitch Marketing
Twitch marketing can be a thrilling way to connect with a gaming audience, but it requires thoughtful planning and execution. Consider these tips for Twitch success:
Be authentic: Twitch viewers value authenticity and transparency from streamers and brands. Focus on providing value and entertainment to the viewers rather than being overly promotional or intrusive. Collaborate with streamers who genuinely appreciate your products or services, and let them freely express their opinions.
Be creative: Twitch viewers crave fresh, original content that stands out. Experiment with different formats, themes, and genres on Twitch, aiming to create memorable experiences that engage viewers emotionally and intellectually. Collaborate with streamers whose unique style, personality, or talent aligns with your brand identity.
Be interactive: Twitch viewers love interaction with streamers and brands. Encourage and reward viewer participation by asking questions, soliciting feedback, hosting polls or quizzes, offering incentives, or creating challenges involving viewers. Monitor and respond to chat comments and messages, showing appreciation for their support.
Twitch is a potent platform for non-gaming brands to engage with gaming audiences. By understanding the benefits and challenges of Twitch marketing and applying the best practices and tips shared in this blog post, brands can develop successful Twitch marketing campaigns that resonate with their target audience and achieve their digital marketing goals. So, power up your brand and dive into the exhilarating world of Twitch marketing!
Want to learn more about how you can leverage Twitch? Take a look at our Twitch platform breakdown of how brands can leverage the platform or check out some case studies that highlight how brands have successfully leveraged Twitch along with other marketing channels to engage with a gaming audience.
