Twitch and brands (II)

Interaction with millennials and centennials. The younger generations are an attractive audience for many brands, as they have a great capacity to influence the market. Fifty-five percent of Amazon’s video network users are between 18 and 34 years old, making it one of the best places to reach this audience accurately.

Influencer marketing. Although it is a social network mainly focused on video games, Twitch influencers can recommend all kinds of brands effectively. As long as the product can be of interest to the channel’s fans, there is a good chance of establishing an effective collaboration between both parties. And as we already know, influencer marketing is a good tool for building trust.

Pre-roll ads. Thanks to pre-roll ads, brands can have a format that does not require collaboration with any particular channel. Since this network is very strict when it comes to monitoring the content of its creators, it can be considered “safer” for advertisers than other video sites such as YouTube. Major brands such as Netflix, Apple and Nike are already using it for their campaigns.

Access to a global market. Twitch brings together gamers from all over the world, so it’s a good bet wherever you are. And of course, it’s also very interesting if you’re looking to reach an international audience.

Low saturation. Large social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram or even YouTube, are full of ads from a multitude of brands. This saturation causes the user to “disconnect” and the ads are no longer as effective. On the other hand, on Twitch there is a new audience with which to obtain a greater impact and more frequent viewing.

Great social possibilities. Twitch is first and foremost a social network. Unlike other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, the action here happens live. Users can interact with the streamer in real time. Some streamers take advantage of this by letting users choose which game to play. And the relationship is not only two-way: chat participants can also establish connections with each other. The social element largely explains the success of this network.

Flexible branding options. To get started with Twitch advertising on a modest budget, pre-roll ads are a great option… but as we’ve seen in the examples above, brands can do much more. For example, gaming headset manufacturer Turtle Beach often gives away free products to streamers as long as they mention their brand. This way, the audience gets to see a live demo of the product.

Continuous growth. In 2012, Twitch had about 20 million monthly users, and since then it has not stopped growing. Looking at the numbers, this network is going to be with us for a long time. Therefore, being one of the first brands to have a presence there is a great long-term investment. In addition, elements beyond the world of video games have been introduced, so the audience is diversifying. Who knows, maybe one day we could be talking about the successor to YouTube.

Own content. Brands do not have to limit themselves to sponsorship; they can also create and broadcast their own live content. For example, many companies use it to broadcast press conferences or charity events. The key to making it work is creating engaging and entertaining content for the audience, not the subject matter.

The power of live. Live broadcasts have the ability to engage viewers and make them feel part of something. Live is the essence of Twitch and is what makes it such a powerful tool; it allows users to participate in a unique moment.