The Ultimate Guide for Publishers and Developers to Partner with Influencers

Navigating the complex world of influencer partnerships can be overwhelming for game publishers and developers. However, a well-structured deal can create a campaign-defining activation that makes all the difference between a game receiving modest attention or becoming a widespread phenomenon in gaming culture. Strategic collaborations with content creators hold immense potential and should not be ignored, especially when launching a game with limited budgets. Gamesight has collaborated with thousands of creators across top platforms, including TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube, and has identified common concepts that developers and publishers should keep in mind when considering activations. Here are five key strategies learned from over a decade of working in influencer marketing and supporting successful games. To set yourself up for success, qualify your game and determine when it is ready for influencers. Basic qualifiers include: Does your game have an upcoming launch, DLC, or other significant event? How are you incentivizing paid, organic, or earned engagement? Can your budget meet your objectives? Ask yourself which influencers you can afford and what deliverables you can achieve with that budget. Your influencer marketing budget should reflect your overall objectives, whether performance-driven or awareness-focused. Common goals and KPIs can guide your budgeting decisions, and you should determine whether you are prioritizing cost per view, genre takeover, earned engagement, website visits, or pre-orders. Calculating this can be complex, but a starting point is to multiply a streamer's average viewership by two. For Twitch streams, the industry standard is to calculate payment based on cost per viewer hour. For YouTube or short-form content, you will look at cost per view. General measures include $1.50-3 cost per viewer hour on Twitch, $0.05-0.15 cost per view on YouTube, and $0.02-0.15 cost per view on short-form content. The number of deliverables you want from an influencer should be part of the budget, and each deliverable will incur its own cost. Deciding how many deliverables to include depends on the game, KPIs, content available, and lead time. If your goal is to get within the top five games on Twitch, having simple deliverables makes it easier to align creators to go live at a given time. Creators are more likely to participate in campaigns that are straightforward, allow creative freedom, and seem less like an ad. As a brand, you should ask yourself questions before reaching out to creators, such as: How much will you spend for a certain number of views or clicks? Does the creator's content align with your brand? How well does the creator's sponsored content perform? Do you have backup creators in case the initial creator does not work out? These initial steps are crucial in determining whether a rate is reasonable and preparing for negotiations. They also help educate creators and build better relationships. If both parties cannot agree on a rate that meets the brand's KPI goals and provides a reasonable return on investment, it is okay to walk away. Creators and agencies understand that budget is finite, and sometimes you need to work with what you have. You can position yourself for success by giving your best offer, understanding what informs a premium rate, and knowing when to move on. When sponsoring content creators, it is essential to understand what works and what does not. If audiences realize that a segment, stream, or video is sponsored, they are less likely to engage with it positively. To avoid being perceived as a sellout, allow creators to create content that aligns with their style and meets their audience's expectations. Research potential talent and understand what to expect from them during the sponsored segment. The best sponsored content aligns with a creator's regular style, and it is essential to show the audience that your game is fun instead of merely telling them. Therefore, it is crucial to contract creators and outline your goals in a brief beforehand. Empower creators with creative freedom and set them up for success while ensuring they hit your major talking points. To meet your KPIs, make specific requests such as requiring a panel image in the stream description with a tracking link to the game page or having each creator use the same hashtags throughout their social posts. Transparency and flexibility go a long way, and leaving your creators with a positive experience will make an impact. Through all stages of engaging with influencers and their management, it pays off in the long run to be realistic and generous with your time, adaptable, and to follow through on your commitments. Effective influencer partnerships are about more than just transactions; they are about forging authentic, mutually beneficial relationships. By being strategic, adaptable, and respectful, you can leverage these collaborations to amplify your game's reach and brand sentiment within the gaming community. Collaborating with agencies can be an advantageous option if bringing someone onto your team to manage influencer relations is not currently viable, but however you approach working with influencers, keeping these best practices in mind is key to designing an effective promotional campaign that delivers results and develops long-lasting business relationships.