by Game Marketing Genie, on 18-Jul-2018 09:15:05
Last updated: July 11th, 2023
The gaming industry is one of the most competitive industries around. The high revenues generated within the industry have attracted a lot of players to the gaming industry, which has increased competition, making it harder for developers to penetrate the market.
Mediocre games cannot thrive in the games industry, and great ones are finding it hard to get the publicity they need as gamers have many more games to choose from. Developers, therefore, must find ways to get their games before the people that matter to increase downloads and improve their ROI. This calls for better game marketing techniques, and none is more effective than using game influencers.
Twitch and gaming
Twitch, an interactive platform allowing gamers to stream the games they are playing to other gaming enthusiasts, was developed for watching and streaming video games. Its core objective remains, but it is now used to stream many different kinds of content.
Twitch was set up in 2011, and by 2014 it had performed impressively as an online streaming platform for Amazon to acquire it. You may wonder what makes Twitch the preferred platform for popularizing your game. Well, here is a stat that shows the impact it has on the gaming audience:
Twitch had 22.4 billion hours watched in 2022 (source: Business of Apps). That's 25570 CENTURIES of content. And your game can be part of that!
What makes Twitch the best platform for popularizing your game?
Other than the massive audience that gets to view your gaming content when posted on Twitch, the other thing that makes Twitch ideal for game developers is its authenticity. JC Connors of Amazon supported this view: "Authenticity is so important. If you watch a broadcaster engage with their fans, they talk deeply about your game – strategy, character selection, etc. You can't fake anything in that interaction. That's what appeals so much to fans of your games – the ability to interact with someone who's as passionate as they are."
You may pay the influencer to promote your game, but you cannot control the influencer's feelings and emotions as he plays the game. Twitch's live and interactive nature makes the platform authentic, allowing influencers and followers to form a trusting connection for effective game promotion.
On Twitch, the influencers and their fans can chat, share jokes and talk about a game in detail, elevating their relationship from influencer to follower to friend. Therefore, the fan is more likely to follow what the influencer says about a game, which is another thing that makes Twitch an excellent platform for promoting your game. If the influencer plays your game and seems to enjoy it, followers are likelier to download and play it to experience the thrill.
Twitch advertising
There are two ways to advertise on Twitch. You can pay for advertising space on an influencer’s channel or get them to play your game. The Twitch display area is wide enough to accommodate promotional content during a live stream, and influencers can post your logo during a stream. A study by Twitch on advertising found that 82% of the users on the platform believe that sponsorships are suitable for the industry. 80% of Twitch users are open to game developers sponsoring a gamer, which bodes well with your ambition to get an influencer to promote your game.
Of the two advertisement options, getting a gamer to play your game live is the best way to promote your game, as users can block ads from appearing on their channels using Ad Block. Most Twitch users are teens and young adults, and this audience doesn’t like ads. Most opt to use an adblocker to keep the ads away from their channels. Since millennials are your target audience when promoting your game, you should avoid sponsored advertisements on the influencer’s channels, as adblockers will stop your content from appearing before them.
Millennials value their friends’ opinions over what advertisements have to say, making influencer marketing the best way to promote your new game. Twitch users view influencers on the platform as “friends” due to the interactive and social nature of the platform. This way, you will get your game the proper publicity when you get an influencer to play it than when you get him to post your game as an advertisement on his channel.
Stats support influencer marketing as the preferred way to promote your product too! Influencer Marketing Hub reports that businesses can expect to make $5.78 for every $1 paid for influencer marketing in 2022. These are impressive returns for your investments, and you can boost your market share and revenues if you get the right influencer to promote your game.
Choosing the gaming personalities to reach out to
Choosing the right gaming personalities to work with is one of the most critical aspects of influencer marketing if you want to crack the gaming market. These include the top-tier "celebrities," macro-influencers, and smaller folks with niche followings. The top-tier influencers have huge followings, and as such, your game will be viewed by many people when you hire them to promote your content. Celebrity influencers, however, may not specialize in a particular gaming niche, and as such, they may not be genuine ambassadors of your game.
Macro-influencers are known for their specialization in a specific gaming niche, and their opinion is valued by gamers who like that particular niche. They have gained a following on Twitch, and fans value their opinion on games in that niche. They may not be as popular as celebrity influencers, but their opinions matter significantly in the gaming niche.
Then there are micro-influencers. They may not be as famous as celebrities and macro-influencers, but they have amassed a following to make them influential in the gaming community. They are experts in their respective gaming fields, making them ideal for developers just starting. The small influencers will grow with your brand, and as their influence on Twitch increases, so will your brand popularity.
When choosing an influencer to work with, you should ensure that your content is in their voice and resonates with their community or their audience can tell that the content has been sponsored. The influencer should be seen to have fun playing your game so their followers buy into it. This is only possible when they enjoy the game they're promoting.
How to conduct outreach
Once you identify the influencers you will work with, the next step is to reach out to them to get them to promote your game. Before you reach out to an influencer, you need to realize that they are only there to help if your game is impressive, and as such, you need to approach them cautiously. It’s essential to follow them on their channels, and when you are sure that their style and numbers match your gaming ambition, only then should you reach out to them.
How to make a deal with an influencer
When an influencer shows interest in working with you, you must offer their services. Offer them a fair price to promote your game, and remember to include enticing extras such as tickets to popular gaming events and collector items. Most influencers are driven by their passion for gaming, not money, and these extras could be what you need to turn them into loyal brand ambassadors for your game.
What to be cautious about
As we've mentioned earlier, gamers can quickly tell when the content has been sponsored, and as such, you need to make sure you choose influencers that resonate with your brand. This means that you should only work with influencers in your gaming niche. If you're discussing an offer with an influencer, and you find they need more experience in your niche, you should continue your search.
What to track and measure
There are a few things that you need to track to find out if your influencer marketing campaign is going on well. Twitch allows viewers to post their comments on streams, which you should be on the lookout for when your influencer is playing your game.
Check the comments to see what the viewers say about your game. With this feedback, you can tell whether they like your game, which will help you adjust it when necessary. You also need to check the number of viewers accessing the live stream, as the intention of working with an influencer is to get your game before as many people as possible.
Making it count with influencer marketing
If your video game marketing strategy doesn’t include influencer marketing, you’re losing opportunities to convert. Whether you need mobile gaming influencers, PC personalities, or something else, we've got you covered. Get everything you need to know about video game influencer marketing in our ultimate guide here: The Definitive Guide to Influencer Marketing!
AtisfyReach has influencer marketing covered!
Don't underestimate influencers and importance of Twitch game marketing! Finding the right influencer to partner with is difficult and that is what we're here to help you with. At Game Marketing Genie, we knew that we had the power to make this whole process easy.
That why we created AtisfyReach. AtisfyReach is driven by data and AI meaning that we analyze thousands — if not millions — of influencer profiles to ensure that you're only matched with the best fit candidates for your needs. Simply put, influencer marketing strategies are now simple.
Want to know more? Head over to our gaming influencer marketing agency AtisfyReach to get to the next level!
