Gaming influencers: a step-by-step campaign guide

1. Set your influencer campaign goals

Be clear on your campaign goals from the beginning. They will determine your choice of gaming influencers and the type of campaign content. Do you want to raise brand awareness? Increase sales of a particular product line? Or reach new customers in the gaming niche?

2. Choose the right gaming platform

Twitch has risen through the ranks as the leading platform for video-game streaming content. With 9.6 million creators on the platform, you’ll be spoiled for choice when choosing gaming influencers. Other platforms to consider include YouTube Gaming, a leader for video on demand (VOD) views. Facebook Gaming has shown record audience growth at the beginning of 2021. That said, Twitch still comes out top when it comes to market share, representing 67% of hours streamed, compared to 22% for YouTube and 11% for Facebook.

3. Select the best gaming influencers for your brand

Your brand’s best gaming influencers are those whose followers perfectly match your target audience demographic. Look at the gender and age breakdown of your influencer’s audience to ensure you’ll be reaching a relevant audience. You should also analyze their content to be sure they’re aligned with your brand values, and check their performance metrics to make sure they’re a worthwhile investment.

4. Invite your influencers to take part

Gaming influencers are picky about their brand collaborations and will look for partnerships that will genuinely interest their audience. The best partnerships are based on real brand affinity, so be sure to highlight how your brand aligns with their channel. A personalized message will go a long way, so don’t forget to say exactly why you want to work with them in particular, and include examples of their recent content that has impressed you.

5. Make a value proposition

Incentivize your influencers with a partnership that offers value, such as free product samples, product giveaways for their audience or sponsorships. You’ll need to be ready to agree on the influencer’s payment, so offering additional value in the form of brand benefits will help you negotiate a lower fee.

6. Create influencer content to meet your goals

Giveaways are good for raising product awareness, while unboxing promotes product discovery and consideration. The anticipation of live unboxing videos and being able to learn a lot about the product in real-time makes them one of the most successful content formats for gaming influencers.

For greater visibility in the gaming industry, brands can sponsor professional esports players or esports tournaments, such as KIA’s sponsorship of the League of Legends European Championship (LEC). Esports sponsors can get creative by making promotional videos or limited-edition merchandise in partnership with gaming influencers to create excitement around esports events and promote brand awareness.

Brands aiming to drive sales can run a promo code or affiliate campaign with their influencers. By sharing their codes or links in the live chat, or talking about a brand during their pauses in gaming, influencers can promote brands in an authentic and relatable way to their viewers. This helps build positive brand sentiment and offers viewers an easy path to purchase.

Conclusion

Gaming influencers offer impressive engagement and help brands target a young, typically male, but diverse audience. The popularity of esports and the rapid growth of platforms like Twitch has further boosted their reach. By following the steps above, you’ll be on the path to success with gaming influencers. If you’re feeling inspired to try a campaign on Twitch, check out this beginner’s guide tailored to influencer marketing on Twitch.