Twitch, owned by Amazon, is blowing up in popularity and with that crazy growth comes the opportunity for people to market their own businesses.
Twitch is an online streaming platform with over 15 million daily users where creators can stream content to a devoted audience, on topics from video games and eSports to creative endeavors to animal content and so much more.
The creators can chat as they stream, making it a highly engaging platform experience. Basically, think of Twitch as a TV/social media combo. As you can imagine, this means that it can reach a wild number of viewers…meaning that you can promote your business by using Twitch. And guess what? We’re about to show you how!
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Let’s get into what Twitch marketing is. Think of it like influencer marketing, but it’s done live rather than pre-made. Twitch has a great reach in its community, which consists of people from around the world.
The identity breakdown of Twitch users is roughly 65% male and 35% female, and about 73% of Twitch users fall between the ages of 16-34. This gives you an idea of just how many types of people you can reach for your business.
There are three different kinds of Twitch marketing that you can utilize for promoting your business, which we’ll cover here.
Influencer Marketing
Just like with regular influencer marketing, you can pay a Twitch streamer to promote your business. During their livestream, the creator will hype up your company to their viewers.
Brands are to provide information through the creator of all kinds and, since the promotion is live, they can also answer questions people may have. Some common ways that businesses use influencer marketing on Twitch is by having creators do things like unboxings, shootouts, sweepstakes, etc.
Some key things to think about when selecting a Twitch streamer to partner with are their personal brand (does it mesh with your business), their follower count (how many people will be reached), how often they broadcast, and how often they actively communicate with their viewers.
Paid Ads
Just like any other video streaming platform, Twitch often shows video ads before their content. These ads can be very useful if utilized properly. For these, you will want to keep the ad style very upbeat and lighthearted because most people come on Twitch to be entertained.
Branded Channel
If you want to take it a step further, and you have someone with the skills to handle it, you can create a channel for your brand. This will, as a start, bring awareness to your brand. The more eyes that are on your channel, the more people who know that you exist.
You can use your branded channel to host weekly livestreams with your future and current customers just to catch up, live interviews with big people in the company, and you can even have special streams for big events! Having a branded Twitch channel will create a sense of community around your business.
Now we can get into the key things to remember as you start your Twitch marketing journey. We’re going to cover the five main points of marketing on Twitch.
1. Set Your Marketing Goals
Just like any other business, Twitch marketing will need you to with setting business goals and having strategies in place to hit those goals. Make sure they are SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based) that line up with the overall goals of your business and marketing strategies.
2. Get To Know The Average Twitch User
The user base of Twitch skews to the younger side, with most users being between 16-34, and it’s around 65% guys. Also, the U.S. makes up over one-fifth of the platform’s traffic.
These are the things to keep an eye on when you look at what creators to partner with. Does their audience line up with your audience?
3. Fun First, Business Second
People come on Twitch to be entertained, first and foremost. Whatever method of marketing you do on Twitch needs to match up with that mentality.
Users don’t really want targeted straight-up ads, but they love hearing about products or services sponsored by their favorite streamers. If you can find that balance between sales and entertainment, your business can do very well using Twitch for marketing!
4. Find Your Perfect Partner
Twitch viewers tend to be highly loyal when it comes to their chosen streamers. If you find the right streamer to partner with for your influencer marketing, you can reach a huge amount of new people.
Consider the genre of the streamer and if it works with your product (ex: Monster Energy and a gaming streamer is a yes, but not a chess streamer). You’ll want to get to know their audience, the languages they speak, their activity level, and their viewers’ feelings about the streamer.
5. Remember To Interact!
With the many ways to interact with your potential clients on Twitch, why would you not take advantage of them?
You can get involved in the live chat on a stream, you can stream your own content, and you can follow your followers in all of their endeavors to show interest in them as a person.
Conclusion
Twitch is a great platform for those looking to reach some new people in a fun and unique way. Your business can do very well with Twitch marketing if you play by the Twitch rules of fun and interaction.
Find your partner in crime on the platform, or be your own, and let the new customers flow in! We hope this article has been helpful, and we look forward to seeing you again.
