Over half of the US population will likely identify as gamers by the end of 2022.
For brands, that means gaming is continuing to grow into a high-quality marketing channel. And by collaborating with creators, who have built authentic connections with gaming communities, brands can see increased audience exposure, higher engagement numbers and even increased revenue. Recent data shows just how powerful the role of influencers in the gaming community is—and why more brand marketers should look to this channel to reach relevant audiences.
Gamers Are Active in Social Media Communities
The gaming community is stronger than ever online, with communities being highly interactive and engaged on social media platforms. Engagement with popular gaming topics on TikTok increased 553% from 2020 to 2021, including topics like #Fortnite which has 258B views. Conversations are active and gaming has become as much about community as it is about gaming.
9 in 10 adults across gaming genres use social media. However, each game genre uses social platforms differently. For example, 90% of Battle Royale game players use social media, and they 40% more likely to use Twitch than the average video gamer. Creators are a part of these communities and understand the nuances of how to communicate on each platform, allowing brands to connect authentically to gamers.
Gamers value watching other people play games and describe strategies. Gaming video content reached 56.7 million viewers in the US in 2021, and that number is projected to grow to 63.7 million by 2025. Almost all of gaming content watch time on YouTube and Facebook is spent with creator content. In 2021, Twitch became the most popular platform to watch livestreams, adding 6B hours of live streaming watched that year.
Behavior can vary by generation: While older gamers have loyalty to following a specific game, the majority of Gen Z gamers invest in following specific creators. If their favorite streamer starts playing a new game or endorses a new release, the gamer is likely to try it. Moreover, 87% of Gen Z gamers actively watch livestreams.
Brands who work strategically with gaming creators can tap into these highly engaged audiences—regardless of age, more than half of all gamers watch over an hour of livestream content at a time.
Gamers Are Highly Engaged with Influencer Content
Gamers care about their favorite creators’ opinions on games and products. Sponsored video game live streams increased upwards of 98% since 2020 and influencer reactions to trailers have been proven to impact engagement rates by 4 times. For example, Square Enix’s launch of a new game earned 131K concurrent livestream views by working with diverse gaming creators. UbiSoft’s announcement of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, in partnership with key creators, earned 4.3M views over 7 days.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, creator-driven content will continue to heavily impact gamer engagement, how brands connect with gamer communities, and drive revenue for both games and products.
Take a closer look at how brands like UbiSoft, Square Enix and TikTok worked with BEN to see success with gaming audiences.