Why Your Brand Should Invest in Gaming Influencer Marketing in 2024

In today’s generation, finding someone who has never tried installing or playing a game on their mobile or computer devices at least once in their lives is rare. Whether they be action, puzzle, educational, or simulation games, the gaming industry has never been more on-trend for consumers young and old. For this reason, upping your marketing game and investing in gaming influencer marketing is one of the top trends brands should keep in mind for 2024.

In this first post of a 2-part series, we share statistics on why investing in gaming influencer marketing makes sense and how it best fits your brand. The second post shares examples of how brands are partnering with gaming influencers to drive amazing ROI.

This Post at a Glance

Why Gaming Influencer Marketing Is All the Rage

The gaming industry is rapidly dominating the handheld technology entertainment business sector and shows no sign of slowing down. These statistics make a compelling argument for why your brand should invest in gaming influencer marketing in 2020.

Global revenue for mobile games will reach USD $68.5 billion by the end of 2019.

Gone are the days when gaming was a children’s pastime or an adult’s downtime hobby. Gaming is a booming industry, driving billions of dollars each year. Additionally, with gaming influencers on the rise, brands have an opportunity in 2020 to partner with them to tap into their loyal followers. Let’s take a deeper look at the revenue gaming is driving.

Techcrunch reported that the mobile gaming industry is projected to be worth $68.5 billion by the end of the year. Estimates show that $56.4 billion in revenue in 2018 came solely from smartphones, accounting to 80% of the total projected revenue of $137.9 billion.

In 2017, Statistica projected a total of $40.6 billion revenue on mobile gaming. Total revenue ended up to an amazing $50.4 billion. That’s approximately 24% above expectations. Similarly, the same situation happened in 2016. The projected revenue was $35 billion but the actual revenue was $40.6 billion – a 16% increase.

Out of all of the ways consumers game, mobile gaming is the largest revenue generator, according to Newzoo, followed by console and PC gaming.

About 67% of Americans play games on at least one device.

In a recent study conducted by the Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, about 211 million of the total US population play video games on at least one type of device (eg. mobile, tablet, console, and PC). Additionally, US gamers aged between 18 and 35 spend at least 48 minutes each day on gaming.

This means that a single gamer who spends an average of 48 minutes each day gaming accumulates, over his or her lifetime, a total of 2.63 years of exposure to different products and advertisements. Think about the effect this could bring to your brand in terms of awareness and visibility. Then, extend beyond in-app advertisements and think gaming influencer marketing. Talk about huge ROI!

Male gamers dominate females by only 10%.

If you’re thinking that gamers are all young men, think again! Recent data from Statistica show a 7% increase from 2006 to 2018 in the total female gamer population. Additionally, the below data from Newzoo adds that the bulk of female gamers are between the age of 21 and 50. Contrary to some assumptions, gaming is dominated by Gen Xers and Millennials. What does this mean for brands who invest in gaming influencer marketing? Building influencer marketing and brand ambassador partnerships with gamers who have followers in their target market, especially those with disposable income who are key purchasing decision makers in their homes.

Top Three Platforms for Gaming Influencers

Once you’re ready to partner with gamers to promote your brand, the next question to ask yourself is: “Where do I find them?”

Gamers across the globe use lots of different platforms to connect, but the most popular are Twitch and YouTube. Additionally, Microsoft is joining the fun by bringing its youngest competitor to the gaming market, Mixer. Gaming influencers usually have their gaming schedules visible on their profiles. Apart from that, they also maintain social media accounts (mostly Instagram and Twitter) for additional promotions and networking. So, frequently following the three platforms and checking gamers out on social media to see who’s a fit is a great way to tap into gaming movers and shakers.

Here is an overview of these three most popular gaming platforms.

1. Twitch TV

Twitch was founded in 2011 and was purchased by Amazon in 2014 for nearly $1 billion. It is an online gaming community where gamers live stream their screens while competing with each other. The platform allows the gamer’s viewers to interact with them via a specified chat room. With over 2 million unique visitors each month, Twitch is the leading platform in video gaming. Gamers earn in Twitch through the Twitch Affiliates and Partner program. This program allows gamers to accept donations, ad placements, paid subscriptions, sponsorships etc. Some of the notable influencers on Twitch are Ninja, Bungie, and LegendaryLea, whose weekly incomes range from $1,000 to $18,000!

You can easily find influencers on Twitch by going over to the Live Channels category or by manually searching for a specific game title or series. Then, Twitch recommends live streams for you to choose from, with the gamers’ information available.

2. YouTube Gaming

In 2015, Google announced the creation of YouTube Gaming, which gathers around 300,000 unique visitors a month. It is similar to YouTube but designed to focus on live video game streaming. Also, it is easier to find influencers and has features making it a more convenient gamer experience. Some of the most popular influencers on YouTube Gaming are Pewdiepie, iHasCupquake, and SSSniperWolf.

While YouTube Gaming is making its name in the gamer platform space, a recent announcement by Google showed that it is heading a different path. In September 2018, Google announced that YouTube Gaming will retire in March 2019 and that all of its gaming efforts will go back to YouTube. This shift will not decrease viewing statistics while concentrating their audiences back to YouTube, where most of them are already gathered anyway.

3. Mixer

Mixer was announced only in 2016 and purchased by Microsoft later that year. It mainly attracts gamers using Windows 10 and Xbox because of its full integration with Microsoft platforms.

Being a new gamer platform, Mixer is less crowded in terms of users and viewers compared to Twitch and YouTube. It is currently developing features that will make it easier to find gamers and influencers, and provide a more convenient gaming and community experience. Some of the most popular streamers on Mixer are Robeyonekenobi, QueenofArt, and xSHEWULFx.

Wrapping it all up

Given the billions of revenue gaming generates, the number of people consuming this type of entertainment, and the gamer’s demographic, marketers should engage in this form of advertising in 2024. In today’s world of Millenials and Gen Z, setting the best gaming influencer marketing strategy is sure to help your brand win big.

“What ways are you seeing brands win big by investing in Gaming Influencer Marketing?

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