Marketing on Twitch What Marketers Should Know and How to Start
The Twitch platform has grown tremendously in recent years, and marketers have been taking notice. Gamers are glued to their screens for hours on end watching other gamers stream their games, and it's a phenomenon that even non-gamers can't seem to get enough of. But how does marketing on Twitch work? With the right strategy and know-how, you'll be able to take advantage of this exciting new opportunity!
Shall we begin?
*Spartan voices everywhere
The Basics of Twitch
What is Twitch exactly, you may ask. Twitch is a live streaming video platform where gamers can watch and broadcast their gaming sessions. Twitch also allows for monetization, so content creators on the site are able to make money from things like ad revenue or paid subscriptions.
How Do Twitch streamers Make Money
Twitch streamers can make money from three different sources: advertising, paid subscriptions, and sponsorships. Twitch offers two types of video ads that run on the live feed or in-between streams. They are "Sponsored" (product placement) or "Solo ads." These ads range in price depending on a few factors. Now, we will talk about all types of money sources for Twitch streamers.
What is "Twitch advertising" and how do you get started? Twitch ads are paid marketing messages that run on the Twitch website, either live or in a video player. They can be "sponsored" (product placement) or "solo ads." Sponsored Twitch videos will typically require you to already have products of your own for sale and they also may use their own content creator channels to advertise your products as well.
You may need to know more about partnerships/sponsorships. What is the biggest sponsorship case on Twitch? The Twitch streamer, Ninja, had a major sponsorship with Red Bull. The ad campaign ran for five days, from April 20-24th in 2020 and resulted in more than 600 million live views on the Red Bull Twitch channel during that time span. Representatives of Red Bull noted that Ninja is their favorite partner to work with because he's creative and has a good relationship with the viewers (gamers). Obviously, it was a very successful partnership on both sides.
Ninja definitely knows how to make money!
How Much Money Can Streamers Make From Partnerships?
Twitch streamers can make a lot of money from partnerships. Twitch offers creators the option to partner with them, and if you have high viewer counts, you can negotiate higher rates for advertising spots with brands on their channel. Ninja is an example of this—he makes $500 per hour on average using his channel streams and gaming skills, of course.
As a marketer, you can explore less known streamers who will be ready to product-place your offer on their channel for an affordable transaction. It's all about a deep-research and how you find and utilize the "search" panel of the platform. And Yes, collaborations are COOL.
Big Brands are Using Twitch for Product-Service Placement
Big brands have started utilizing Twitch as a marketing tool. We mentioned "Red Bull" but there are other brands that are now using Twitch for product placements.