How to Create Digital Marketing Campaigns for E-Sports?

E-sports is a solid and growing market. According to Research and Markets and the Globe Newswire, its market size was valued at close to US$1.4 billion in 2022, and there is a projection that e-sports can reach close to $7 billion by 2030. In this universe, teams, players, and competitions are spread worldwide, interacting with fans online and generating more and more engagement. As a marketer or a business manager, it is vital to understand how to create digital marketing campaigns for e-sports to stay close to your audience and bring more and more users to know and engage with your brand. Check the tips below:

The Audience is Key

Everything starts with the right audience. It’s vital to know and target the exact users when you think about how to create digital marketing campaigns for e-sports. Remember, it is a vast market with different genres, styles, and audiences, so the first step is always to learn more about the game and who is playing it. You can start by answering, “What is the game category?” Is it FPS (first-person shooter), PvP (player vs. player), MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), RTS (real-time strategy), or other? The answer provides different directions when we start thinking about digital marketing campaigns.

Create a Persona

After learning about the game and the audience, it is essential to do a deep dive into the players’ universe. The category points to a direction, but there are different ways of playing, which may lead to further ideas inside the marketing campaign. 

For example, gamers have different motivations when they focus on a game. It can be to master it completely, collect achievements, socialize with others, or immerse themselves. At the same time, players search for different experiences when they start gaming. Some prefer to be challenged; others are just for the fun. Those are behaviors that you must understand when you go deeper into your audience.

After this exercise, create a persona that will be the center of your digital marketing campaign and target your users accordingly.

Influencers Can Make a Difference

Influencers can play a key role when you think about how to create digital marketing campaigns for e-sports. They are everywhere and can be reached in different segments, but the gaming industry might be the most accessible place to find them for activations. The main reason is due to streaming platforms: sites like Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube Gaming are full of streamers with their active communities ready to represent your brand or help your campaign achieve success. You can aim for the top shelf, hire big players with huge numbers if you have the budget, or approach smaller channels; just research and learn all you can about them, what they play, and how they act with their viewers. Remember, influencers are powerful but can also cause severe damage to your brand and reputation if not chosen accordingly. 

Multichannel Approach

Aside from learning everything about your audience and having influencers at your side, another critical step in how to create digital marketing campaigns for e-sports is content execution. And the best way to do it is by having a multichannel approach. Gaming is an audiovisual experience and, therefore, relies primarily on video to generate that positive feeling in the audience. But, aside from video, images, audio, and even text can become part of a digital campaign. Approach your target using different formats, do test and learn runs, and keep feeding the audience with updates regularly. This is a great approach that will ensure the campaign’s success, generate brand awareness, and build a relationship with your player base.

Other Tactics and Tips

Before wrapping it up, there are a few other tips and ideas that you can explore about how to create digital marketing campaigns for e-sports. Check them below:

• Giveaways are often used in gaming and can be an ally when starting a campaign, bringing users, and generating engagement.
• Sponsorships are an excellent way to expose your brand, although they might only fit some budgets. You can sponsor a website, a streamer, a player, a team, and even an e-sport event. 
• Paid search is an option, but it may not work as well as in other categories. Think about your keywords and use tools to learn more about trends, search volumes, and other components that give you a sense of success or failure. 
• Paid ads run well if you opt for streaming platforms, gaming websites, and other places that are the right fit for your audience.
• Create communities or social media groups (Facebook, Reddit, etc) and promote discussions. It is a great way of building and growing your audience.  

Now you have a better sense on how to create digital marketing campaigns for e-sports. Research, learn, explore, and test. You will see the results coming and will be ready for the next level!