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According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, the influencer marketing industry is expected to reach sales of $16.4 billion in 2022, a remarkable increase from 2021’s $13.8 billion. In an IMH study, over 90% of participants claimed that influencer marketing is “an effective form of marketing.” Likewise, Twitch has stated that 76% of users appreciated brands that support their favorite creators whether it be for financial stability or public exposure. While there are a plethora of platforms that can help get your brand out there, in this NeoReach article, we’ll be talking about how to utilize influencer marketing on Twitch.
Previous Twitch Campaigns
A Cambridge University Press study found that energy drinks, coffees, and teas are frequently talked about in Twitch chats due to mass advertisement towards the platform’s demographic (teen and young adult men) and how the substances are used to improve in-game performance.
But surprisingly enough, food delivery services and food places are talked about even more. Why? Streamers may often find themselves talking about the food they ate earlier or munching on snacks during the stream.
This will often encourage conversation and engagement between the streamer, the fans, and the community. If you have a campaign that focuses on food, that will encourage the influencer to discuss your product casually amongst their fans. This will also prevent disruption during the creator’s stream, especially if the sponsorship feels forced.
One example of influencer marketing on Twitch is when Ninja, a famous video game streamer and Fortnite extraordinaire, partnered up with Redbull to raise brand awareness for the energy drink in 2019. To help with engagement amongst Ninja’s fans, the sponsorship included a fan contest that gave participants the opportunity to meet Ninja and travel to a Red Bull gaming event.
Another example of the power of influencer marketing on Twitch is when Ubisoft wanted to advertise their new tactical shooter game, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Seige. According to Net Influencer, Lirik, a well-known Twitch streamer, played Seige during a stream and gained massive amounts of attention. Even today, Siege is still a viral game with a strong esports presence.
Likewise, Pokimane made her Nissin sponsorship more quirky by including a slurp meter while she ate the noodles. Her partnership didn’t feel forced, making the promotion more engaging and convincing.
How else would we surprise @ninja with the Ninja Red Bull Can? * drone incoming* Available in the U.S. beginning April 1. pic.twitter.com/JjerUW6aNs
— Red Bull (@redbull) March 27, 2019
Learn why brands need to focus on reliability with influencers at this NeoReach blog.
Good Strategies for Influencer Marketing on Twitch
Interested in working with a Twitch influencer? Here are a couple of tips that’ll help your brand gain awareness on Twitch:
- Work with an influencer that’ll mesh well with your brand
- Have a clear and concise pitch
- Research the influencer’s demographic and make sure your brand will receive positive reception
- Clarify your goals with the streamer and stress the importance of communication
- Stay within your budget when hiring a Twitch influencer
Work with an Influencer That’ll Mesh Well with Your Brand
For maximum exposure, finding the right influencer is crucial. If you’re trying to promote your new energy drink, it would make sense to connect with a streamer that plays a lot of video games or frequently consumes energy drinks. If you find a potential influencer that has openly stated their dislike for caffeine or other soft drink, it’s best to find an influencer that will genuinely like your brand.
What makes influencer marketing so powerful is that promotions are authentic, and most influencers choose what they want to sponsor based on their preferences. If your influencer enjoys baking and you’re trying to promote a new cooking set, not only will the influencer take interest in your product but their fans will also feel compelled to buy the set too.
Have a Clear and Concise Pitch
Once you find the perfect streamer to work with, establishing a connection is crucial. Make sure your brand pitch includes things such as your brand’s mission statement and services, so the influencer or agent you connect with paints an accurate picture of your campaign. Why did you create your brand, and what are you hoping to achieve with this promotion? How do you plan on meeting your goals as a campaign manager?
Communication is an essential part of influencer marketing on Twitch. Be sure to clarify why you believe the influencer will be an appropriate candidate for promoting your brand – this is where you’ll want to do research on your influencer before getting your feet wet.
Furthermore, state your target audience and demographic, pricing, and time of the promotion. Don’t forget to establish credibility with the influencer by including social media links, analytics and data on your campaign, and media assets.
Photo by Stanley Li on Unsplash
Looking to run an epic influencer marketing campaign on Twitch? NeoReach has the best experience in creating viral campaigns that convert on social media. Sign up here!
Research the Influencer’s Demographics and Other Information
As we mentioned earlier, you must research the influencer’s demographics to make sure your brand will receive maximum engagement from the streamer’s audience.
Don’t rush yourself when looking for the right influencer. Find an influencer that not only has the best demographic for your brand but also has a good standing socially. Working with an influencer that is controversial or may go against your campaign’s values will negatively impact your brand’s reputation.
Clarify Your Goals
Communication is key! To help your influencer better understand you and your product, be transparent about your goals. Take into account the influencer’s goals so you both benefit from the sponsorship.
Being courteous of the influencer’s goals while also expressing your own will encourage other influencers to work with your brand in the future. What are your current brand goals? What are your future brand goals? What do you hope to improve on in the future to maximize your brand’s impact? Ask yourself these questions frequently and make sure you can answer them honestly.
Stay Within Your Budget
The rule of thumb here is the bigger the influencer, the more sponsorship will likely cost. Here’s a list of influencer types based on follower count:
- Nano Influencers (1k-10k followers)
- Micro Influencers (10k-100k followers)
- Macro Influencers (100k-1m followers)
- Mega Influencers (over 1 million followers)
When working with an influencer, engagement rates will always be more important than follower count, especially if an influencer has been known to have fake followers on other social media platforms or inflated engagement rates.
Regardless, this simple list will help you better understand how much money you’ll have to allocate to promote your brand with your favorite influencers. Keep in mind that every influencer will have different price points, but this is why communication must be established early on.
Worried that your influencer might have fake followers? Learn more about fraud and fake followers at this NeoReach blog.
What to Avoid Doing for Your Campaign on Twitch
While influencer marketing on Twitch has a surplus of benefits, you still need to know what to avoid when advertising your campaign on Twitch. Here are some things you must refrain from doing:
- Having a one-size-fits-all approach
- Bigger influencers aren’t always better
- Not giving your influencer freedom
- Not being transparent with the influencer and their fanbase
Do your research for any campaign platform. Check out these common influencer marketing mistakes at this NeoReach blog.
Having a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Having a one-size-fits-all mindset is a big no-no when investing in influencer marketing on Twitch. Every influencer is different and so is their fanbase. If you partner up with an influencer that lacks interest in your brand, chances are their fanbase won’t care either.
Not every influencer will take interest in your brand, and that’s okay! That’s why you must do your research and find a streamer that will not only accept your offer but also use your product even after the sponsorship is over.
Bigger Influencers Aren’t Always Better
It has been widely reported that influencers with fewer followers tend to have higher levels of engagement than mega-influencers. The reason behind this stems from the innate community of smaller groups.
Smaller influencers tend to be more connected with their audience, making their fans more loyal and open to potential sponsorships the influencer may announce. While these statistics vary in every situation, an important tip is to remember that bigger isn’t always better.
Not Giving Your Influencer Freedom
What makes influencer marketing better than traditional advertisements is that these promotions feel tailored to a specific demographic, making the sponsorship feel more authentic and personal. If your influencer accepts your offer, give them a bit of creative freedom when advertising your brand.
Influencers stand out because of their creativity, so it would be a shame to limit something that makes your influencer so special. For example, Pokimane’s partnership with Nissin Noodles and her inclusion of a funny slurp-meter on stream is what made her promotion more engaging than other influencers.
Not Being Transparent
Much like how communication is key, transparency is also just as important. Never leave your influencer or their following in the dark about your brand. Not being transparent may also scare away any other partnerships you decide to have with other influencers in the future, which will end up hurting your brand more than helping.
