Did you know that in January 2023, viewers watched a record 23 billion hours of content on Twitch? That‘s nearly 3 hours for every person on Earth!
As a social marketing expert, I‘ve seen first-hand how brands that tap into Twitch‘s highly engaged community are driving unbelievable results. If you‘re not utilizing influencer marketing on Twitch yet, you‘re missing out on one of the most powerful brand-building tools out there.
In this complete guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to use Twitch influencer marketing to explode your brand‘s reach and revenue. No prior Twitch knowledge required!
What is Twitch?
Launched in 2011, Twitch is the world‘s leading live streaming platform. While it started as the go-to place for gaming content, Twitch now hosts a diverse array of live and on-demand videos on everything from music and art to talk shows and podcasts.
Streamers, or "creators", broadcast live to their audience who can interact with them and each other via chat. Twitch also has robust community features like emotes (essentially custom Twitch emojis), badges, and chat rooms.
Twitch by the numbers
Source: Twitch Analytics, 2023
Here are just a few mind-blowing Twitch statistics that highlight the platform‘s incredible reach:
- 140M+ monthly active users
- 71% of users are male
- 55% of users are ages 18-34
- Average daily time spent/user is 100 min
- 19M+ average concurrent viewers
What‘s more, the number of streamers and viewers is growing exponentially year over year. Twitch‘s revenue is expected to surpass $4 billion in 2023 as it continues to solidify its place as a mainstream media platform.
What is Twitch influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing that involves partnering with influential content creators to promote your brand and products to their audience. Twitch influencer marketing simply means doing this on the Twitch platform.
Typically, brands will pay Twitch streamers to promote them during live broadcasts in various ways, such as:
- Verbally mentioning/recommending the brand
- Placing the brand‘s logo or products on screen
- Hosting a sponsored stream (e.g. playing a branded game)
- Running a giveaway or promo code for their audience
- Unboxing or demonstrating the brand‘s products live
Twitch offers unique influencer marketing opportunities due to its highly interactive, real-time format. Streamers can engage directly with their community and get instant feedback and participation around brand activations.
Why your brand needs to be on Twitch
There are 3 key reasons every business should be utilizing influencer marketing on Twitch:
1. Reach the next generation of consumers
Twitch has a massive, highly engaged audience that skews Millennial and Gen Z. These generations are notoriously hard to reach through traditional ad channels but have huge purchasing power (est. $300B/yr in the US alone).
2. Get authentic endorsements that drive action
The intimate, live-chat environment on Twitch breeds close creator-viewer relationships. 70% of Twitch users say they trust recommendations from their favorite streamers more than traditional celebrity endorsements. Twitch users are 2x more likely to buy recommended products compared to other social platforms.
3. See real-time results and ROI
Using Twitch features like chat triggers and reward codes, brands can directly attribute sales, sign-ups and other conversions to specific influencer promotions. The real-time nature of Twitch means you can also optimize your strategy on the fly based on audience response.
Twitch influencer marketing examples
Now that you grasp the power of influencer marketing on Twitch, let‘s look at how top brands are using it to achieve their goals:
| Brand | Influencer(s) | Activation | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy‘s | 10 popular streamers | Custom "Wendy" avatar for streamers to unlock in-game, giveaways | 7.2M organic impressions, 200K stream views |
| Bud Light | 100 Thieves esports team | Sponsored streams, custom merch | 600K avg. viewers/stream, 80% engagement rate |
| Lexus | Fuslie, Sykkuno | Sponsored streams featuring car unboxing, trivia | 1.2M unique viewers, 40% conversion rate |
These campaigns show the creativity and range of industries tapping into Twitch, from CPG to automotive.
How to create a winning Twitch influencer marketing strategy
Ready to harness the power of Twitch for your brand? Follow these steps to develop and execute a high-impact influencer campaign:
Step 1: Define your goals and target audience
What do you want to achieve with Twitch influencer marketing? Common goals include:
- Increasing brand awareness and affinity
- Driving sales or app installs
- Generating leads or sign-ups
- Reaching a new audience demographic
Get specific with metrics so you can measure success later on. Identify what audience segment you want to reach so you can find the right influencer partners.
Step 2: Find relevant Twitch influencers
Use a tool like PowerSpike to search for Twitch streamers that fit your criteria, such as:
- Content genre and game titles
- Audience demographic and location
- Stream schedule and frequency
- Average concurrent viewers and chat activity
- Brand safety score
Look for influencers who align with your brand values and voice. Watch their content to confirm the fit.
Step 3: Reach out and negotiate a partnership
Most established Twitch streamers list business inquiries contact info on their channel page. Send a personalized email introducing your brand and expressing interest in a potential sponsorship.
Be prepared to discuss specifics like:
- The goal and length of the campaign
- Exact promotion deliverables (live shoutouts, dedicated streams, chat triggers, etc.)
- Content approval process
- Compensation (flat fee vs. rev share, performance incentives, etc.)
- Exclusivity and termination clauses
Work with the influencer to brainstorm creative activation ideas that will resonate with their audience. Treat them as a collaborator and value their expertise.
Step 4: Provide assets and messaging
Equip your influencer partners with everything they need to effectively promote your brand:
- Approved talking points and key messages
- Visual assets (logos, overlays, emotes)
- Product demos or samples
- Unique discount code or URL for tracking
- Promotion schedule and deliverable deadlines
Be sure to provide a thorough creative brief while giving them enough flexibility to integrate your message authentically.
Step 5: Track, measure and optimize
Set up a campaign dashboard to monitor results in real-time. Key metrics to track include:
- Concurrent viewers and unique reach
- Average watch time
- Chat engagements (keyword mentions, click-throughs)
- Conversions and sales attributed to the promotion
Check in with your influencer partner regularly to gauge what‘s working and what‘s not. Don‘t be afraid to tweak your approach mid-campaign for better results.
Step 6: Conduct a post-mortem and plan next steps
After the campaign wraps, do a thorough analysis of the results. Calculate your ROI based on spend vs. return. Identify top-performing influencers and activations. Gather learnings and insights to inform your next Twitch influencer marketing push.
If a particular creator knocked it out of the park, explore an ongoing brand ambassador relationship. Twitch audiences value consistency and loyalty, so deeper partnerships can pay huge dividends.
The future of Twitch influencer marketing
As Twitch continues its lightning-fast growth and cultural impact, the opportunities for brands to connect with its passionate community will only expand. Experts predict these Twitch influencer marketing trends on the horizon:
More big brands in more verticals
From State Farm to Hershey‘s, mainstream brands across every industry are waking up to Twitch‘s unique potential. As the platform‘s audience diversifies, partner brands will too.
Bigger, bolder activations
Think major event and product launches live streamed exclusively on Twitch. Interactive rewards and real-time audience votes. Influencer-designed limited edition products. The immersive possibilities are endless.
Increase in long-term influencer relationships
Brands will shift from one-off campaigns to always-on Twitch influencer programs for maximum impact. Expect to see more official brand partner designations for top streamers.
Emphasis on measurement and attribution
As Twitch influencer marketing matures, brands will demand more granular data and analytics to prove ROI. Platforms that can provide end-to-end attribution and actionable insights will thrive.
If you want your business to stay relevant with the digital-first generations, you need to build a strong presence on Twitch. Influencer partnerships are hands-down the most effective way to do that.
The earlier you start exploring and experimenting with Twitch influencer marketing, the bigger edge you‘ll have as more brands crowd into the space. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start connecting with the streamers and communities that will take your brand to the next level!
