Today, there are 3.32 billion active gamers, and the competition for players' attention is fierce. In 2025, games will no longer just attract players, but establish meaningful connections with them. Due to the excessive details, this content will be divided into two parts and released one by one.
Back to the point In recent years, as consumers have increasingly rejected overt sales tactics, marketing has begun to shift towards authentic marketing. This is where gaming influencers come into play. These passionate gamers don’t just play games, they lead, commentate, and celebrate games with their communities. More than just skilled players, they are the face and heart of the gaming world. Platforms like Twitch and YouTube allow them to share commentary, tips, and live gameplay, cultivating loyal fans who trust their opinions.
Gaming influencer marketing can make or break a game’s success, whether it’s a AAA title or an indie game. Thanks to strategic partnerships with top content creators, Apex Legends attracted 25 million players in its first week and 50 million players by the end of its first month. Meanwhile, Slay the Spire had slow sales after its 2017 Early Access release, selling just 2,000 copies in its first week. After keys were sent to influencers, a popular Chinese streamer with over a million viewers livestreamed the game on Twitch, resulting in a massive spike in sales that ultimately made it the second best-selling game on Steam.
But how do you take advantage of this opportunity? As a game publisher or marketer, how do you know if gaming influencers are the right fit for your strategy? How can you use them to drive real results, like downloads? Most importantly, how do you ensure your gaming influencer marketing budget is spent wisely to maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS)?
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or new to the industry, our comprehensive guide to gaming influencer marketing can help you navigate this influencer landscape and maximize your opportunities.
Why Work With Gaming Influencers?
As the gaming audience grows, so does the potential to connect with this engaged community through influencers. The gaming influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $4.6 billion by 2025. Harnessing the power of gaming influencer marketing is a strategic way to tap into this massive market, delivering a range of benefits, including:
Game Exploration
With thousands of new games released every year, standing out can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Gaming influencers play a vital role in how gamers discover and play new games. Recent research from BGM Game shows that most gamers discover new games through YouTube and other social media platforms, with YouTube being 26% more likely to be used than the second-place TikTok.
Trust Factor
At the core of influencer influence is trust. After years of building strong relationships with their audiences, influencers earn respect and their opinions carry weight. When they recommend a game, fans pay attention. This trust drives engagement and genuine interest in the games they promote. In fact, gaming audiences are more than 50% more loyal than average, showing that they are extremely loyal to the creators they like and follow.
Gaming influencers have a special way of capturing people's attention. Whether they're live streaming or sharing pre-recorded videos, they create content that entertains and resonates with their audience. Live streaming allows for real-time interaction, with influencers reacting to gameplay, answering questions, and building strong fan communities. On-demand videos, on the other hand, offer polished, in-depth content for viewers who prefer to watch in their spare time.
Guiding players’ purchasing decisions
Gamers tend to be more inclined to buy, and their spending power is much higher than average. Game enthusiasts who play games 10 hours or more per week have twice as much disposable income as non-gamers. In addition, 74% of YouTube gamers say they are willing to pay a premium for high-quality media and entertainment products.
Watching gaming content also drives purchases. A study titled “The Relationship Between Gaming Video Content Consumption and Video Game Play and Purchases” found that consuming content like esports, “Let’s Play” videos, and reviews had a strong influence on how much people spent on gaming. In short, the more time people spent gaming, the more likely they were to make a gaming-related purchase.
When should you start using influencers to market your game? Check out this list of gaming influencers: http://chainpeak.notion.site
You’ve spent several years developing your game, and as you near launch, it’s time to focus on influencer marketing, especially in a fast-paced space like Web3, to get your project in front of the right audience. We recommend that you start engaging with influencers as soon as you have a playable version for them to experience . Gaming influencers can guide potential players through all stages of the game lifecycle, providing multiple touchpoints to effectively engage your audience and spark interest.
Early Development : Building anticipation during the early development stages is a strategic advantage. Gaming influencers can play a key role in this phase by sharing exclusive sneak peeks, concept art, and behind-the-scenes content. This not only sparks interest but also builds a community that is invested in the game’s progress.
Beta Testing : During the development phase, you can hire influencers to serve as game testers, providing important feedback on game mechanics, graphics, and overall experience. Involving influencers in beta testing not only improves the game but also builds anticipation in the community.
Pre-release: Audiences love getting a full preview of a game before it’s officially released. Giving influencers early access allows them to showcase the game and help potential players gain confidence in its quality. It’s also very beneficial for developers, securing early pre-registrations. For example, Steam wishlists are critical to pre-release success — having influencers direct their fans to your Steam page can encourage wishlist additions, driving awareness before release.
Launch: On launch day, influencers can introduce your game through live gameplay, which can generate more interest than traditional advertising. By timed announcements, previews, and exclusive content, publishers can create a wave of excitement and thrust the game into the spotlight. Whether through live streams or dedicated videos, influencers can help to immediately engage players and attract a large number of new players to make your launch a success.
Post-launch updates: After release, keeping the game community engaged is key. Partnering with influencers to release post-launch content, such as expansion packs, DLC, and seasonal events, keeps the game relevant and exciting. Their continued involvement ensures players remain engaged and eager to explore new experiences. Influencers can also organize tournaments, competitions, and challenges to encourage player participation. This interaction extends the life of the game by providing players with new goals and incentives.
Timeline for launching a gaming influencer campaign
Setting up an influencer marketing campaign usually takes about 6–8 weeks to get things rolling, especially when working with multiple influencers. For a single influencer, a month of preparation might be enough, but larger campaigns will require more time for coordination and content review. Here’s a general breakdown of the approximate timeline:
- Week 1: Send a request to influencers and receive an initial response. On average, only 30–40% of influencers will respond early, so don’t wait for everyone — start working with those who do. If you leave it to us, we can immediately confirm the KOL’s time to work with, saving you time. Check out these KOLs: http://chainpeak.notion.site
- Week 2: Follow up with influencers who haven’t responded yet. We recommend sending at least two follow-up messages during this time.
- Week 3: Negotiate terms, brief and finalize. This includes finalizing the agreement, providing play materials, and briefing the influencer to ensure they have everything they need for content creation.
- Week 4–5: Influencer Video Production. Set aside time to produce influencer videos, but keep in mind that some influencers may be busy with other projects or traveling.
- Week 6: Feedback and Revision. Review the content and provide feedback, allowing time to make any necessary changes or revisions.
- Week 7: Content launch and initial evaluation. Launch content and begin evaluating its performance, focusing on early engagement metrics.
How to choose influencers for your game marketing campaign?
Choosing the right influencer to promote your game is a complex process that directly affects the success of your marketing campaign. The influencer you choose will impact key performance indicators such as reach, engagement, and conversion rate.
- The Influencer Adoption Cycle
We noticed that influencers across platforms generally fall into three categories: enthusiasts, early adopters, and mainstream influencers. This pattern aligns closely with the innovation adoption cycle, which is detailed in the technology marketing book Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore.
Enthusiasts are the first people to be exposed to new games in this cycle. They are eager to explore, experiment, and introduce something different to their audience. Enthusiasts play a vital role in kickstarting momentum because their audience expects variety and innovation. They often prepare for new game releases, inspiring other influencers to follow suit. For example, on YouTube, Wanderbots is an Enthusiast. If you send him a new game and he likes it, he will make a video about it without any compensation.
Next up are the early adopters, who are more discerning but still willing to try new things before most people. Using the same example, when Wanderbots plays a game, other influencers with similar audiences, like Retromation and Splattercatgaming, often notice the video and create their own content if the game matches their interests. These influencers influence each other’s choices and build on the early excitement.
However, there is often a "gap" between early excitement and a wider audience. This is where mainstream influencers come into play. These influencers are more cautious and prefer to see a game gain traction before jumping on board. They tend to be larger, more established channels that jump on trends, often only reporting on a game after it's become popular among early adopters. In doing so, they help push a game into the mainstream, reaching a wider general audience after the early movers have confirmed the initial buzz.
Understanding where influencers are in this adoption cycle is key to effectively targeting them and timing your outreach to maximize impact. In summary, enthusiasts start the momentum, early adopters amplify it, and mainstream influencers take the game to the masses. It’s important to connect with everyone at the right time.
- Evaluate influencer relevance
The next important step in the selection process is to evaluate how well the influencer fits with the video game you are promoting.
Recent gaming activity: The first thing to check is what games the influencer has played or talked about recently. Look at their last 20 videos and what they’ve done in the past year. Try to find influencers who have covered at least 2–3 games similar to yours.
Genres and themes: Look at the main genres and themes that the influencer focuses on, such as role-playing games, strategy games, or horror and fantasy themes. Check out their top 5 most popular games to get an idea of what they typically cover and make sure it aligns with the genre of the game you’re promoting.
Platform preference: Knowing whether the influencer primarily plays games on mobile, PC, or console is key. Look at the platforms they mention in their videos to see what they generally focus on. If the influencer primarily plays mobile games, it may not be as effective to have them cover PC or console games, so it’s best to find influencers who play on the platforms your game is on.
When it comes to relevance, following a phased approach helps achieve the best results:
1. Start with niche influencers: The first step is to focus on influencers who are well-versed in the main genre of your game, whether it is role-playing games, first-person shooters or simulation games. These influencers have a loyal audience who already like similar games, so they are perfect for targeted promotion and more detailed content.
2. Move to related genres: Once you have gained a certain amount of attention among niche influencers, the next step is to reach out to influencers of related genres. These creators will interact with audiences with common interests, help expand the publicity, and attract players who may like your game because of the game theme or game style.
3. Leverage various channels to achieve great things: In the final stage, introduce influencers who can reach a wide audience to ensure maximum exposure. These influencers may not specialize in your game type, but their wide influence can help increase overall awareness and attract different types of gamers.
Example: This phased strategy worked well for the launch of Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, a story-driven RPG developed by Owlcat Games.
- Analyze performance indicators
The next step is to analyze performance metrics, which is crucial to understanding the potential success of working with influencers. Publishers should focus on the following key data points:
Average views : For influencers who post video content, it’s important to look at the median and average views of their recent videos. This helps balance out the impact of viral or underperforming content to get a clear picture of their typical performance. Analyzing their video views over the past 30–60 days can provide insight into how their content is resonating with their audience and how engaged their audience is.
Average concurrent viewers (Twitch) : For Twitch influencers, look at the average concurrent viewers (CCV) of their last 20 streams. CCV is a key metric for evaluating stream engagement because it reflects the average number of viewers actively watching their stream at any given time. Twitch streamers with high CCVs are likely to have loyal, engaged audiences.
Real reach is an important metric for filtering out influencers with inactive or fake followers. It is calculated by dividing the average number of views over the past 30 days by the total number of subscribers. This gives a true picture of how many of an influencer’s followers are actively engaging with their content. For example, if an influencer has 500,000 subscribers but their videos only average 10,000 views, their real reach is much lower, indicating a low level of audience engagement.
Engagement rate measures how actively the audience interacts with the influencer’s content. It is usually calculated by dividing the total number of likes, comments, and shares by the average number of views of the influencer’s recent content.
For example, if an influencer gets an average of 2,000 likes, 500 comments, and 300 shares per video, and an average of 100,000 views, their engagement rate would be around 2.8% . A high engagement rate indicates an active and interested audience.
Recent activity: Publishers should also assess how often an influencer posts or streams. Consistent, regular activity is a strong indicator of audience engagement and activity. Influencers who regularly post high-quality content are more likely to maintain their audience’s interest and keep them engaged. For example, an influencer who streams 4–5 times a week or posts videos every few days is likely to have a larger audience than an influencer who posts content sporadically.
Other considerations
Audience Demographics and Location : Make sure the influencer’s audience aligns with your target market in terms of age, gender, and location. This is especially important for region-specific campaigns. Keep in mind that the influencer’s location does not always reflect the location of their audience, so it’s important to request an analysis of the geographic distribution of their audience to ensure relevance.
Past partnerships : View an influencer’s past brand collaborations to assess how they’ve worked with others in the industry and the results they’ve achieved. This insight can help predict their effectiveness for your campaigns.
Controversies/Red Flags: Be aware of any potential controversies or red flags associated with the influencer. Negative publicity can severely impact your campaign, so thoroughly researching their history and reputation is crucial to avoiding risk.
Campaign goals: Make sure the influencers you choose align with your specific campaign goals, whether that’s brand awareness, a product launch, or increased downloads.
- For the Downloads objective: If the primary goal is to drive game downloads, start by engaging niche influencers with highly targeted audiences and expand to a wider range of influencers as the campaign progresses. Focus on long-form content, such as in-depth reviews and livestreams, which provide more opportunities to showcase gameplay and drive conversions.
- For brand awareness: If the goal is to increase awareness, target influencers with greater influence and reach. In this case, short and cost-effective content integrations (such as short mentions or shoutouts) can optimize both awareness and engagement.
Next steps after receiving responses from KOLs
Once an influencer has expressed interest in your game, it’s time to provide a comprehensive campaign brief. This document will set clear expectations, deliverables, and timelines to ensure a smooth and successful collaboration.
Campaign Briefing
- Content format: Define the specific type of content you’re looking for, such as a gameplay video, livestream, or social media post, and be clear on the number of deliverables for the campaign. Agree on details such as content length and style, whether it’s a beginner’s guide, tutorial, brief review, or recap. For more information on specific content influencers, see the section on influencer types in the article.
- Release Dates: Set a schedule for content publishing, including any draft deadlines if approval is required. Consider aligning posts with key events like release dates or Steam sales to maximize impact, and use a shared content calendar for smooth coordination.
- Key requirements: Outline basic guidelines, including a call to action, tracking links, and any necessary disclosures (e.g. #ad or #sponsored). It’s also helpful to discuss the expected progression of the game and specific areas to be showcased, which can provide direction for the influencer while allowing for creative freedom.
- Key talking points: Highlight the main points you want to cover, such as the game’s unique features, positioning, or special promotions. Keep these points clear, but leave them flexible so the influencer can authentically incorporate them into the content.
- Assets and Resources: Provide a list of necessary assets, such as logos, artwork, or game footage, and confirm a delivery timeline to ensure the influencer has everything they need to produce high-quality content.
Formal Agreement
In addition to the items already covered in the summary, the formal contract should also include the following:
- Compensation terms: Clearly lay out payment details, including total amount, payment method, and payment schedule (e.g., 50% upfront, 50% upon completion). For performance-based payments, specify the metric to which the compensation is tied (such as pageviews or sales), as well as any additional bonuses for high engagement or high sales.
- Usage rights : Define any rights to reuse the influencer’s content on other platforms or in future campaigns. Be sure to specify the scope and duration of these rights (e.g. one year of digital rights on social media)
- Exclusivity: If desired, add exclusivity clauses to prevent the influencer from promoting competitor brands in the gaming category during and shortly after the campaign. Specify duration and, if applicable, any additional compensation.
- FTC Compliance : Requires compliance with FTC guidelines, ensuring influencers include clear disclosures (e.g. #ad or #sponsored). Specify brand expectations for the placement of disclosures, such as at the beginning of the video or periodically during a live stream.
- Approval process: Outline any pre-publication review requirements, including the number of revision rounds allowed, the expected turnaround time, and the final approval process.
- Termination clauses: Include early termination clauses covering unmet deadlines, unfulfilled obligations, or any breach of agreed content guidelines. Specify any compensation adjustments or penalties if content is not delivered as specified.
- Confidentiality: Include a confidentiality clause to protect sensitive campaign details, such as budgets, unreleased game features, or proprietary information, ensuring both parties agree to keep all information secure.
Adding these items to a formal contract ensures clarity, accountability, and consistency, resulting in a smooth and professional collaboration. If you work with ChainPeak, you can rest assured that these are all taken into account before the collaboration begins.
Maintaining open communication throughout the event keeps everyone on the same page. Regular check-ins allow you to address any updates, resource needs, or adjustments. As deadlines approach, send timely reminders to ensure everything is on track. After the event, provide performance feedback and, if successful, explore the potential for future collaboration.
How to Budget for a Gaming Influencer Marketing Campaign
If you're not sure where to start planning, use your budget. Aligning your budget with your goals can help you determine the size of your campaign. It's crucial to estimating your return on investment (ROI) and ensuring you're making smart decisions about your marketing spend.
Before any content is created for a gaming sponsorship, both the brand and the influencer need to agree on how the payment will be made. There are a lot of different ways to do this, the key is to find a fair structure that works for both parties.
Key factors affecting sponsorship pricing
Game sponsorships aren’t all the same, and there are several factors that influence how much an influencer gets paid:
- Platform: Each platform has different pricing standards. For example, Twitch live streaming costs more than TikTok posts due to the live and interactive nature of the platform.
- Scale and engagement: It’s not just about the number of followers. It’s more about average viewership and engagement — how many people are interacting with their content, watching a live stream, or commenting on a post.
- Experience: The influencer’s experience and reputation also matter. Influencers who have been in the game for a while and have a proven track record will usually charge higher fees because they bring credibility and proven results.
- Scope of the campaign: The complexity or duration of the campaign will also affect the price. A single livestream or post will cost less than a month-long partnership (where the influencer will continue to promote the game). Larger campaigns may come with discounted prices if it’s a long-term deal.
Common salary models
There are multiple ways to structure influencer payouts, each aligned with specific business goals:
1. Flat Fee Per Video/Stream: This is a simple flat rate paid per piece of content (e.g. $5,000 per YouTube video review). This rate is suitable for one-time collaborations or influencers who have a specific rate schedule based on past performance.
2. CPM Deals (Cost Per Thousand Impressions) : The income of influencers depends on the number of people who watch their content, usually calculated in increments of 1,000 views. For example, an influencer’s CPM charge of $25 means that a video with 100,000 views will earn $2,500.
3. CPVH transactions (Cost Per Viewer Hour) : Mainly used for live streaming, this model pays based on total viewer hours. For example, if the streamer's rate is $1.00 per viewer hour, and they live stream for one hour with an average of 1,000 simultaneous viewers, they will receive $1,000 (1 hour * 1,000 viewers * $1.00/viewer hour).
4. Fixed Fee + Performance Bonus: A base rate combined with additional bonuses based on performance metrics (e.g., bonuses for exceeding viewer or sales targets). For example, a gaming YouTuber might receive $3,000 for a YouTube video, and $30 per thousand views if the video gets more than 100,000 views.
5. Percentage of Sales: In some cases, influencers earn a commission on every sale or download they facilitate, making their compensation directly tied to performance. For example, a TikTok influencer might promote a free game download and earn a 10% commission on in-app purchases facilitated by their audience.
6. Content Usage Fees: Brands can also negotiate the rights to reuse influencer content in their own marketing. This may include licensing fees for using YouTube videos or Twitch clips in ad campaigns, which typically results in higher fees.
How much will it cost?
Web3 game developers often ask, “What can we get with our budget?” To help guide your planning, here are budget benchmarks for 2024, with examples from our standard rates infographic covering every major social media platform and game content format.
Interest rate benchmark examples
Here are some example costs to consider for YouTube and Twitch sponsorships.
YouTube video sponsorship (60–90 second integration)
Average cost: $25–40 CPM
Example: If you want a YouTube influencer to promote your game in a 60–90 second integration, and the video gets 150,000 views, the cost might be:
Low end: $25 CPM x 150 (thousands of views) = $3,750
High: $40/CPM x 150 = $6,000
So for a YouTube sponsorship with an expected 150,000 views, your budget might be between $3,750 and $6,000.
Twitch Sponsorship (2 hour segment)
Average cost per viewing hour
Example: For a Twitch streamer who averages 2,000 concurrent viewers during a 2-hour sponsored segment:
Low end: $1 per hour x 2,000 viewers x 2 hours = $4,000
High Price: $2 per hour x 2,000 viewers x 2 hours = $8,000
For this Twitch sponsorship, expect to budget between $4,000 and $8,000, depending on the influencer’s rate.
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