Author: Megan Burke
Illustration: John Martinez
Press Play
What is Twitch?
Twitch is a live streaming platform geared towards gamers and gaming influencers, but has rapidly grown to include live streamed DJ concerts, cooking shows, and an astounding variety of ASMR. In these streams, viewers can interact with streamers and each other in real-time to build communities around their interests. This interactivity is what sets Twitch apart from other video content services like YouTube or Netflix; instead of a passive viewing experience, the audience shapes the development of the stream.
How Do Twitch Advertisements Work?
There are two main types of Twitch advertisements: display ads and in-video ads.
Display ads are typically static images or brief animations featured throughout the site, and in-video ads can feature more extended video content that runs before, during, or after streams. There are a number of advertising possibilities in both categories; from being on the homepage carousel, appearing amongst search results, to cross-screen video ads, your advertisements can take a variety of forms on Twitch. (Amazon Ads, 2022)
If your brand wants to get really out of the box in your advertising, another non-traditional option is to create your own branded channel! You can use this channel to stream content and host branded live events, which helps to connect even further with the Twitch community. With this community engagement, your channel can eventually reach Partner status, which gives you more perks such as a verified badge. (Hootsuite, 2022)
Reasons to Advertise on Twitch
A Growing Platform
Twitch’s user base has been growing steadily since its launch back in 2011. On top of that, they’ve experienced a great deal of growth in recent years with so many people searching for ways to stay entertained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitch’s large variety of live, longform content has drawn in viewers who are looking for something to be engaged in and people with similar interests. They currently have over 140 million active monthly users (Backlinko, 2022) and it’s growing fast. Now is an ideal time to get involved on the platform.
A Diverse Audience
The gaming community is one that skews quite young, but it is also actively becoming more diverse. This is especially true now for Twitch now that streams have expanded beyond traditional online gaming. Back in 2017, over 80% of Twitch users were male, but in the most recent assessment of their demographics the male audience has fluctuated down to about 65%, revealing an encouraging shift in the gender ratios. (Backlinko, 2022) As Twitch’s audience range continues to expand, you can take this opportunity to expand your own audience as well!
The Community of Twitch
Because of the real-time interactions on this platform, there is a sense of trustworthiness in the community. Not only does using Twitch position your brand as authentic, it also gives you more chances for direct engagement. There are countless niche communities on this platform: crocheting enthusiasts, karaoke fanatics, and even simulated co-working spaces! Your brand has a place on Twitch, especially because you can feel free to create that place as the platform continues to grow.
Significant Engagement
Advertising on Twitch has already shown to be successful for brands. Users seem to be receptive to these ads, with around 56% likely to take action after seeing Twitch advertisements. (Amazon Ads, 2022) Much of this engagement has to do with brands understanding the community values and culture of Twitch as a whole, showing users their authenticity and humanizing their brand.
Given the innovative styles of ads present on the platform, Twitch is a great place to try out different methods of advertising. This is your brand’s chance to discover unique ways to level up.
