Why does Twitch matter for marketers? Top 7 tips how to increase your Twitch presence

Posted: 8:56 am, March 17, 2021 by Access Publishing

Are you wondering why Twitch is essential for your business? The most straightforward answer to this is: Twitch has followers that can make all the difference. Yes, Twitch is a great space to find followers for your enterprise, mainly because, like Instagram, it is a hub for influencer marketing.

Did that confuse you? Let’s explain. Twitch has initially been a platform used by gamers. It is one of the largest video gaming communities in the virtual world. The audience for video streams here is enormous. To gain followers on Twitch, all one needs is to make engaging videos that the viewers can connect with. This market space hence works well for anyone who can create convincing and crowd-pulling videos. Because of this, today, Twitch is one of the most popular go-to places for content creators to go live and reach out to a vast audience base. It does not matter if you are selling a workout routine or a new widget. If your target audience is Gen Z, you will likely find yourself the most suitable followers and endorsers in the Twitch community.

To sum it up, Twitch matters to you as a marketer because:

Depending on how you strategize your presence on Twitch, you have the potential to create an extensive audience outreach for your business with less monetary investments than on competitor platforms. Furthermore, having a large Twitch followers base helps your channel grow and increases its ranking in searches.
Twitch is already market-ready. This online streaming community owned by Amazon attracts a phenomenal rate of engagement every day. Although video games and eSports live-streaming and competitions are the most famous content here, streamers of cooking recipes, make-up, comedy, DIY, music, lifestyle, and other creative content are also gaining reasonably large amounts of viewer engagement. Moreover, Twitch’s audiences are seen to spend a lot of time on the platform, going by its algorithm analysis. Someone, in other words, is already there, surfing around to discover you.
Twitch influencers have organically growing followers. Because influencers here use live-streaming instead of pre-recorded images and videos, the audience finds their content more authentic and easier to trust. Hence, Twitch influencers are able to create loyal followers of brands they endorse. As non-video game content is still a relatively new avenue for Twitch influencers, the competition for audience attention is lower here for marketers than in some other influencer communities. This means you have a more significant success probability in attracting the right followers on this platform.

So now that you know why Twitch is a promising platform for you as a marketer, it is time to consider how do you create a presence for yourself on Twitch? After all, even though the potential for growing your followers on this streaming platform is immense, it is not completely devoid of competition. As a new user, you would still have to work hard to make yourself visible on the platform. As a person with an established base, you would still need to keep working on your online marketing goals and plans to sustain your existing audience’s engagement as well as to attract potential followers.

Here are 7 tips on how to make yourself stand out as a marketer and attract an organic follower count on Twitch:

Keep Your Goals Concrete – It is not enough to aim for growth in your followers. Think of how many more people you desire to have by the end of this month or next. As a marketer, you are not streaming as a hobby. Treat streaming as you would any other serious aspect of your business and set goals for it. Here is how you can go about it:

Spell your goals out in a measurable format and set dates/timelines for achieving the same. This does not always have to be in terms of follower count. If you are aiming to tie up with other Twitch users or influencers, set time lines for finalizing contracts. Suppose you are organizing your email lists and simultaneous streaming outlets – set timelines for that.
Think up ways of reaching the goals and revisit the same if the pace of progress towards your set end is not satisfactory. What works for one project may not work for another. Remember that it is crucial to have a realistic strategy for achieving your aims.
Stay focused on trying to reach your set target in the specified time frames. This is the most critical part of the whole process. Getting distracted by other activities can cause your entire goal plan to collapse. Staying organized is the key here.

Learn from What Works for Others – Just as what works for achieving one target may not work for achieving another, what works for one live-streamer may not work for another. Observe other live streamers in your field.

Pay Close Attention to How Failure has Been Handled: As a marketer, pay careful attention to why and how failures have happened. No one wants to fail, yet many do. To avoid making the same kind of mistakes, you must study common reasons why many cannot build a presence on Twitch despite their best intentions.
Research Audience Reception: Most followers get put off by in-your-face attempts to sell something. The crowd needs to be convinced into becoming followers. Check what kind of content the audience on Twitch is most receptive to. Remember that the community primarily comprises gamers who can stick with your streaming for hours if you can get them hooked to your content. Study how others have been able to create that kind of content.
Observe Streamer Behaviours: When you factor in your business strategy, it is essential to compare notes with your peer and competitors. This is best done by skillful observation of the finer details of how others have built and sustained their online presence. While you observe what works for whom, also research your peer to understand how streamers have reacted to failures and changed strategies to grow themselves.
Observe How to Select the Right Influencers for Your Business: Since influencer marketing on Twitch is all about live streaming, choosing influencers skilled at making products look good is a must. You must be prepared to reach out and sign contracts with influencers as a necessary part of building yourself up. Use emails or other forms of officially recorded communications to keep it safe and professional. In general, it is a good idea to choose influencers who have:
- built up a distinct and popular persona for themselves. You are likely to have successful follower growth if your chosen influencer knows how to entertain and present your product rather than boringly push the viewer to buy it.
- the ability to engage with the audience reliably and quickly during live streaming.

Observe Which Type of Promotion Works Best for Whom: Like on all other online platforms, advertisements and promotions can be used to your advantage to give yourself an edge over others on Twitch. As you research your peer, study which type of ads have yielded the most profitable results. Promotions like giveaways, shout-outs, etc., work well for both brands and individual influencers, but you must figure out your investment goals here before you incorporate them into your marketing.

Plan Your Twitch Layout Wisely – A first look at your stream can make all the difference. Invest some time to study what works best for you and design your layout accordingly. A-well-thought-out structure tells your viewers you are serious about your content and will likely make them more open to your stream. If you are not very sure of designing your interface, consider getting it professionally done, although several free apps for the purpose are also available online. Ensure that your layout has:

A webcam;
The language you are streaming in;
Chat-box option for full-screen viewers;
Your website and social media handles in a display;
Any special widget that would encourage audience engagement without causing distractions.

Cross-Promote Your Twitch Streaming – There is nothing like the power of cross-platform posting to strengthen your audience reach.

Promote your Twitch live-streaming schedule on your social media handles. This will draw audiences who are not otherwise on Twitch to check your content out.
Create and promote your personal website in your content. Grow your email list by allowing visitors subscriptions to information from this website. Even if your followers choose not to be added to a mailing list, a website is the best place for your fans to find information regarding your:

Streaming schedule;
Upcoming events;
On-going Promotions;
Social media profiles;
Sponsorships and affiliate relationships.

Simulcast your stream on other sites like Mixer or YouTube to reach a wider viewership.

Strategically Organize your Stream Timings – You must be prepared to invest your time on Twitch. Marketers with a strong follower count have achieved their present ACV by setting up broadcasts that span several hours a day. This will help viewers discover you as well as push you up in the search rankings of the platform. The longer you stream, the faster you are likely to build your presence. Many Twitch users fill their live streaming time by setting up a countdown to the actual activity of the stream. This “Standing By” mode, on average, is kept open for about half an hour prior to the actual streaming. The countdown is used to build anticipation as well as to buy time for casual surfers to find your stream. Many live-stream setting up their things for the stream as part of their strategy to build audience curiosity and generate user engagement in terms of chats and
comments.

Ace Your Responding Time – Since the majority of the Twitch community are gamers, most have a tendency to engage in chats while streaming. The audience most attracted to your content may also have a tendency to use lingo you may not be familiar with. However, being quick to respond and in an amicable manner is the key to building sustained engagement. Research the trending chatting languages and channels of popular communication to become familiar with this aspect if you are not very familiar with the gaming environment.

You can also use this familiarity with the gaming environment to create content that speaks to your viewer’s interests while still staying on-brand.

Remember that though primarily a gaming platform, the reach of Twitch has expanded both demographically and genre-wise. There are plenty of channels and viewers on the platform who may not be comfortable with the gaming jargon or communication styles. Observe your audience to strike a balance. Going live allows you to improvise and change your presentation style based on your live viewers and comment generation in the chat. You must learn to adapt and respond to it in time. If you hire influencers, you must work with someone adept at this skill. Use the engagement on your live-streamed content as a guide for your future content creation. Let your audience lead you without causing you to go off your intended track completely. A good marketer will find ways to strike the right balance without losing out on the audience.

Attend Events and Meet-ups – Nothing beats in-person marketing opportunities. While prompt and genuine interaction during live streaming enables you to build a loyal fanbase, you must make most of the options that allow you to engage with your audience in person as well. Attend conventions and other events that let you meet your followers and peer. Use these meet up to learn from fellow streamers and to build connections. You can use these events to find influencers, sponsors, leads, and even financial collaborators. These events can give you the exposure you need to have honest conversations and create brand awareness in the process.

Conclusion

With the above pointers, you will indeed create an impactful presence on Twitch as a marketer. Plan your activities carefully, and soon you will be able to get leads and generate sales via Twitch. So do not hesitate about using this online platform as a part of your marketing. Let it become another means of creating brand awareness as well as earning for your business.