How To Gain Recognition & Exposure Within Esports
Here are a few places for you to start if you’re not sure how you can add value as a player or brand.
- Create Valuable Content
One of the most effective ways to catch the attention of esports enthusiasts is to create content that is appealing to them. Youtube, Instagram and Twitter are great marketing channels where you can easily deliver your content to the esports community. Make sure that your videos are relevant to what your audience will be interested in.
By subtly including the name of your brand into the content, you will gain more recognition among the community without coming across as trying too hard. For example, you can put “brought to you by (your brand)”at the beginning of your video to introduce your brand to the esports enthusiasts. The bottom line is that you should focus on making your content engaging and entertaining to the audience without being a pushy salesperson.
- Build Rapport With an esports Influencer
Influencers can be the key to attracting the attention of a larger esports audience while also keeping them engaged. These influencers come with a massive base of loyal fans and followers, and they are key people your target audience will look to for valuable information. Therefore, it’s a good idea to find some of the stars in the esports community and build a meaningful relationship with them. Unless you have a huge budget, you probably want to start with influencers that have smaller but highly engaged audiences. A good place to start looking is the Twitch Subscriber rankings. These influencers act as the bridge that connects you and the esports consumer, in which your messages can be conveyed in a more convincing way.
- Sponsor a Team
Another way to into the esports community is to sponsor a team. There are esports Works Teams and esports Agency Teams. The former teams are ones that are sponsored and run by product companies, such as the Samsung Galaxy Pro-Game Team, who won the title of League of Legends World Champions. However, these esports Work Teams are operated by leading product-focused businesses. This means that it can be more of a challenge for brands that are only entering the market.
Esports Agency Teams, on the other hand, are much more appealing to brands that want more brand building potential. By sponsoring esports Agency Teams, you can have your brand’s logo flaunted on the team jersey. Moreover, your brand will have a presence on the team website, social media, and other media publications when the team receives favorable feedback – all of which can help increase brand visibility.
- Sponsor an esports Event
Event sponsorship is another widely popular marketing strategy to gain recognition in the esports space. Many brands such as Coca-Coca, IBM, and LG are financing the majority of esports revenue through event sponsorship. As a result, esports fans are showing their appreciation by becoming these brands’ loyal customers. Comparing to traditional sporting event sponsorship, esports event sponsorship is much more cost-effective. Crowdfunding is one of the most effective ways to finance a large esports event.
- Gain Exposure Through White-Label Events
White-label events are usually small and exclusive tournaments as well as events put on by established agencies, such as Red Bull. Brands that are looking to gain recognition within the esports community can do so through these white-label events. This is, of course, as long as the agency is able to effectively convey the brand message to the esports consumer.
Looking for more insight on the industry?
Check out one of our new/meta podcast episodes featuring The Gaming Stadium.
Blue meta is an esports marketing agency that has access to considerable exposure in the esports industry – get in touch today to see how we can help.