The internet has changed a great many things, and competitive gaming is one of them: video gaming is now a form of entertainment in its own right. Global Wizards, an eSports influencer agency, sets out what eSports is and the marketing strategies that work inside it.
What eSports actually is
Most of us grew up playing computer games, and technology has turned gaming from a spare-time activity into a sport.
eSports, also known as electronic sports, are video game competitions in which professional players compete in different scenarios with different objectives depending on the game. The most popular competitions involve many teams and well-known titles, and fans worldwide tune into the livestreams, sometimes in record numbers.
Five parties make up the sport: players, organizations and teams, eSports leagues, casters and game publishers.
The connection between eSports and digital marketing
The eSports industry is expanding quickly, with new teams appearing everywhere to compete for cash prizes, and a fan base that reaches well beyond the borders of the competitors themselves.
Games becoming mainstream entertainment has led to arenas built across the US specifically for competitions, events and tournaments. That has created advertising opportunities that did not exist before: live-event sponsorships, product placement, and contributions to prize money are the three routes a brand has for putting its product in front of the right audience.
Streamers are influencers, and a partnership with one is an effective way to promote a product. Streamers usually have a manager or an eSports influencer agency handling their events, social posts and sponsored content, so that is normally the route in.
- Choose the audience before choosing a game, team or message
- Identify the streaming platforms that audience actually uses
- Partner with an influencer whose community fits the campaign
- Build an owned team when a continuing presence makes sense
- Host team events that give both communities a reason to gather
- Use an agency to discover talent and manage the campaign
- Co-sponsor an established event to join an engaged audience
- Publish useful gaming content around the campaign rather than only adverts
- Review the results and adjust the route while the campaign runs
Nine eSports marketing strategies
Find an appropriate eSports target audience
eSports splits into many genres, and audiences group themselves by the game they follow. Working out which of those groups is yours is the first decision, and every later one depends on it.
Identify the streaming platforms
No two streaming platforms are the same. A gamer spending most of their time on Twitch has different needs from one on YouTube, so an engaging advert means knowing the platform rather than picking one at random.
Partner with eSports influencers
Influencers let a brand reach beyond its established network and offer real interaction, such as contests for followers. Choosing an experienced eSports influencer agency is how most brands make that connection.
Start an eSports team
Launching a team is a way for a smaller brand to make its name known. Whenever the team streams, you get premium advertising placement inside the stream while interacting with the same audience on social media.
Host team events
Use a platform such as Twitch to create events with your team. Partnering with another organization that shares your interests makes the event more interactive for both audiences.
Let an agency build your team
Global Wizards is an eSports influencer agency that helps you discover influencers and manage your campaign. An agency saves time and connects you with reputable teams on different platforms.
Co-sponsor an event
Co-sponsoring a high-profile streamer’s event puts their popularity to work for you. Sponsorship is immediate access to a fan base that is already engaged.
Focus on content marketing
Content marketing builds a brand’s name in a growing industry. A digital marketing agency creates quality content about the latest gaming news and promotes it through websites, social accounts and in-stream advertising. Our guide to creative content marketing covers how that content gets made.
Check your strategy
Monitor your campaigns to see whether they are producing the result you wanted, and make as many changes as it takes to stay on track.
Some words to sum up
Competitive gaming has changed a great deal and is now a form of entertainment in its own right, which has also widened what marketing and advertising can reach. There are many ways to take advantage of what the gaming industry offers on that front.
Global Wizards is a digital marketing agency and a professional eSports influencer agency. We offer marketing services from content optimization and SEO to interactive content and eSports influencer management, and we connect brands with influencers.
We would like to know what you think about eSports as an advertising channel. Find us on Facebook and Instagram, or leave us a message.
Frequently asked questions
What are eSports?
eSports, or electronic sports, are video game competitions in which professional players compete in different scenarios with different objectives depending on the game. The most popular competitions involve many teams and well-known titles, and fans worldwide watch them through livestreaming.
Who are the parties involved in eSports?
Five: the players, the organizations and teams they belong to, the eSports leagues that run the competitions, the casters who commentate them, and the game publishers whose titles are being played. A marketing plan that ignores any of the five is planning against an incomplete picture of the sport.
How do brands advertise in eSports?
Purpose-built arenas across the US have created advertising opportunities that did not exist before, live-event sponsorship among them. Product placement and contributions to prize money are the other two routes named here for putting a product in front of the right audience.
What are the nine eSports marketing strategies?
Find an appropriate target audience; identify the streaming platforms it uses; partner with eSports influencers; start an eSports team; host team events; let an agency build your team; co-sponsor an event; focus on content marketing; and check your strategy against results as you go.
Why does the streaming platform matter for an eSports campaign?
No two streaming platforms are the same. A gamer spending most of their time on Twitch has different needs from one on YouTube, so an engaging advert means knowing the platform rather than treating them as interchangeable.
What does an eSports influencer agency do?
It discovers influencers and manages the campaign around them, which saves time and connects a brand to reputable teams on different platforms. Streamers themselves usually work with a manager or an agency that handles their events, social posts and sponsored content opportunities, so an agency is often the route to the streamer as well.
