Twitch is one of the social platforms that took the storm during the pandemic of 2020 as huge influencers could give a live show to millions of people at once. More formally, “Twitch is an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions, in addition to offering music broadcasts, creative content, and in real life streams.” The company launched back in 2011 and had a slow but steady growth over the years, but at the beginning of 2020, the 7 day average viewership went from 1.6 million in March to just under 2.5 million viewers in April. As new media platforms serge, companies always try to hop on board so they can be one of the first to have a large presence on the app. Elgato is one of the most visible and profound companies that is in Twitch. Elgato usually uses the number one marketing strategy on the platform which is none other than Influencer Marketing.
Over the years, Twitch has become a top tier streaming service where thousands upon thousands of live streamers are able to build a large devoted fan base making Twitch the ultimate platform for Influencers to work with different brands or partnerships. Because creators will promote the product or service, it allows a more interactive promotion than a still picture as the influencer can go deeper and show what the product is, how it’s used, while also telling the audience why they think this can be useful to them. This is huge as Influencers, believe it or not, have influence as the name suggests. They have so much influence that in a lot of cases brands gain new customers that wouldn’t have bought their product if an influencer of their liking didn’t get behind the product and suggested their audience to buy it. To put some stats behind it, “84% of Twitch users believe showing support for creators is an important part of the experience, and 76% appreciate brands that help their favorite streamers achieve success, so the potential for a return on investment is huge”. With the way technology and social media is changing the way Gen-Z receives marketing, Twitch is a great way to have a more genuine relationship with the younger generation instead of making them feel like they are trying to be sold on a product or service.
Another Unique way to market on Twitch is having a branded channel. Wendy’s is a fast-food chain that stays on top of its marketing across a variety of platforms, even being one of the only major fast-food restaurants that is in the metaverse. With Twitch, Wendy’s is able to connect with their customers via live streaming events that they can host however often they would like. During these events, they can be as creative as they would like whether they host interviews, or offer exclusive offers that can only be claimed by customers who watch the live stream. This allows Wendy’s to make a more personal connection with their customers and makes them stand out as they gained such a following that they were the first verified restaurant on Twitch. All in all, having branded channels is a really unique way to build and interact with audiences as it makes your customers feel like they will miss out on a deal or offer if they don’t join the stream.
The final way that you are able to market on Twitch is the obvious answer, running ads. There are two different types of ads that can be ran on Twitch: banner ads and in-video ads, much like Youtube. There are some minor constraints when it comes to video ads. Video ads can only be shown on certain channels and those channels must be a part of the Twitch Partner program which enables video ads to run on their channel. These videos can be shown before, during, and after the stream. Being that the majority of Twitches audiences are a part of the Gen-Z community, it is imperative to make sure that ads shown are lighthearted and fun as they are on the platform to be entertained more than anything. Having an ad that affects the user in a negative way could leave a stain on the brand for that customer.
Finally, Twitch is a major platform for creators to live stream for their audience. There are three main ways to market your brand on Twitch. The most straightforward approach is running ads, the most unique approach is having a branded channel, and the most effective approach being influencer marketing.
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