YouTube and Instagram are the show stealers when it comes to influencer marketing campaigns. Most brands have now saturated these platforms with promotions and adverts. But many non-gaming brands aren’t familiar with Twitch, the king of social media as far as live streaming goes.
However, because influencer marketing is only getting started on these sites, social networks like Twitch can deliver the best results for new brands. Influencer marketing on Twitch could be the next way to achieve results for your brand, and early adopters could see major gains in brand exposure.
Haven’t included Twitch in your influencer marketing yet? Here are all the good reasons why you should.
Do Brands Need To Be On Twitch?
Here are a few notable stats from Twitch’s recent growth:
- There are over 15 million daily active users on the platform who spend an average of 44 billion minutes per month watching streams.
- In the forecast period of 2021 and 2026, gaming will be worth about $295 billion globally.
- There were about 9.5 million Twitch streamers as of February 2021.
- In January 2021, Twitch watch hours were more than 2 billion.
- Just Chatting has the highest number of weekly streamers as of May 5th, 2021.
- TheGrefg has 2,4 million concurrent views in 2021.
- As of March 25th, 2021, Ludwig has the highest 113 016 concurrent subs.
Figure 1: As per statistics, Twitch has grown exponentially in 2021. Source: TwitchTracker
Amazing, isn’t it? The numbers speak for the fact that Twitch is not to be ignored. It has left behind even YouTube and Facebook as the chosen platform for online broadcasting.
And even better yet, Twitch viewers are loyal to their favorite content creators, making it a valuable influencer marketing platform for marketers who can discover the best fit influencers.
What Differentiates Twitch From Other Channels
YouTube has a diversified audience that engages in a wide range of video content. Twitch’s content is mostly focused on video gaming and eSports, but other genres such as music and DIY are gaining traction.
Also, Twitch truly stands out in terms of the types of people who visit the website.
According to data from the second quarter of 2019, roughly 65% of users were male. But what’s more important here is the average age range.
Users aged 16 to 34 made up 73% of all viewers. It’s no surprise that the platform’s most active users are GenZers. Twitch provides everything GenZers want in terms of social media: games, music, online relationships and instant engagement.
The platform’s agglomeration of these users provides access to a target group with disposable income. Around 80% of Twitch viewers approve of company sponsorships, and 64% of users purchase Twitch-recommended products.
This is ideal for businesses looking to boost sales and establish a loyal customer base. The donations consumers make to their favorite content creators show that they appreciate spending their disposable income on content that resonates with them.
Reasons To Launch An Influencer Marketing Campaign On Twitch
At this point, perhaps you are not in a position to appreciate Twitch for what it can do for your brand. Let us change that for you so you don’t miss out on leveraging its power.
1. Twitch has transcended gaming
Twitch is no longer focused only on video games, even if these streams account for the majority of time spent on the network. Internet users can now access a wide range of interesting media, including gaming, but also – and most importantly – lifestyle content.
This is the case, for example, with some channels that broadcast debates on current events and politics, encouraging streamers to participate and share their thoughts. But that’s not all! In recent months, the “Just Chatting” section has attracted the most attention and has virtually exploded in popularity.
Figure 2: Screenshot of categories on Twitch. Source: Twitch
In addition to conversations on current events, the network brings together a diverse range of musicians, allowing for live music streaming, for example. Radio stations and television networks joined Twitch just a few months ago. Video games, music, discussion shows, sports, travel, food and other new events established by Twitch KOLs are just a few of the widespread number of genres on Twitch now.
2. Audiences are more loyal and invested
Twitch has a lot of potential for engaging and interacting. Twitch’s myriad of broadcast channels have aided the formation of niche communities focused on their favorite video game or streamer. Twitch streamers and their audiences develop rapport and loyalty through watching Twitch streams for long periods.
Many devoted viewers pay for their favorite influencers’ causes or purchase their products. Why? Because they’re interested in what the streamers have to say. The trend toward higher levels of involvement is growing, with the number of hours viewed expected to increase by 83 percent by 2020. We know that Twitch’s audience has grown, and so has content consumption, resulting in even higher engagement rates.
3. A great way to reach people who hate marketing
Streamers have committed viewers who are resistant to advertising on more popular platforms, meaning that Twitch marketing is a good approach to target these wary fans.
The Twitch performance data given above indicates that the platform strives to provide its users with a truly unique exchange, authenticity and an involved experience. Twitch effectively fosters a closer bond between streamers and their subscribers than other social networks by giving live content and allowing users to actively participate.
4. The audience is more diverse
Gaming’s popularity has attracted people from all walks of life, not just die hard gamers. It’s no longer just teenage boys who spend hours playing video games. Gaming fans from the 1980s and 1990s have grown up and now play with their children and partners. For game night, families are favoring video games over board games, and it’s not uncommon for couples to spend their date night dueling it out in their favorite video game. Although the 18 – 34 age group is the most popular among gamers (38 percent), Statista reports that 34 – 54 is the second most popular, accounting for 26 percent of US players.
It is also worth noting that the gender divide between male and female players is shrinking. The majority of gamers are still men, but women now account for over 40% of all gamers, indicating their growing interest in the topic. This is reflected in Twitch audiences as well, with 35% of viewers being female. The development of female Twitch streamers like Pokimane is also helping to increase the amount of female-oriented content on the platform.
Figure 3: Female content creators like Pokimane are closing the gender divide on Twitch. Source: Twitch
5. Truly impressive reach
If TikTok has essentially established itself as THE network of all possibilities in the year 2020, Twitch has seen a similar, if subtler, but equally exponential rise, particularly during the lockdowns we’ve all seen.
According to Gartner L2’s Digital IQ Index: Consumer Electronics, Twitch drove desktop site traffic for an astonishing 25% of brands studied from Q2 2017 to Q1 2018. And this number has only grown since.
If you want to enhance your brand’s exposure, starting a campaign on Twitch is a terrific way to do so. Especially if your target demographic is similar to Twitch.
6. Live collaborations are more effective
Even if monthly consumption of all online media platforms has surged since the pandemic, one has shattered all records: live streaming content.
In terms of hours seen, the live streaming industry rose by 99 percent year over year, from 1.97 billion in April 2019 to a whopping 3.93 billion in April 2020.
Live streaming is different from typical online video content in that it allows users to broadcast in real-time over the internet without having to capture, store, or edit it. The information becomes more raw and authentic as a result of this process. The live streamer may easily communicate with their audience via live chat because people are seeing the video at the same time it is being aired.
Not only can these live interactions be entirely focused on your brand, but live streaming fosters a genuine bond between streamers and their audiences that is frequently lacking on other influencer platforms.
Genuine connections, as we all know, build trust, making consumers far more likely to follow the advice of influencers on purchasing decisions.
7. Difficult to fake influence
Fake influence is a big problem on many networks, but not so much on Twitch. Twitch users watch live streams for hours at a time. Real-time interaction with streamers necessitates a level of devotion that cannot be faked. On other networks, followers can be purchased and a bot’s emoji can appear to be engaged.
When your product appears on a live stream on Twitch, it automatically becomes a topic of conversation for that audience — with family, friends and other fans who missed the stream. Your brand will receive more exposure when influencers have an audience made up of real people.
Twitch, The Social Network Of The Moment
As of 2021, Twitch is estimated to be worth $6 billion. Many brands are aware of this. Marketers from all sectors and industries will soon be saturating Twitch with their influencer marketing campaigns.
Why not use the time available to turn to Twitch before that happens? You’ll gain access to the most influential people and have more time to reach audiences who are interested in your products and services. By the time other marketers start using Twitch in their influencer campaigns, your brand will have already established itself on the network.
AtisfyReach is redefining the influencer marketing space by offering AI-driven solutions that automate your entire influencer marketing workflow. Find the perfect influencer on Twitch to promote your brand!
Register with AtisfyReach today.
