Esports are exploding, and so are the marketing opportunities they encompass. It might have sounded crazy 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago, but esports is a booming industry that gets followed by millions of people around the world. Finding a piece of the esports marketing pie is an exciting new part of some businesses’ marketing strategies. It is especially effective when an esports agency is hired to make it happen.

What are Esports?

Esports, or electronic sports, are organized events based around competitive, multiplayer video games. The biggest events are viewed by hundreds-of-thousands to over a million viewers worldwide. Not only do they garner a lot of eyeballs, but they also keep them hooked for hours. The League of Legends World Championship logged 137 million hours watched. These are mind-blowing numbers, and they are incredibly exciting to any esports agency.

Esports are growing quickly. In 2019, the industry boasted $1.1 billion in revenue from media rights, ads, and sponsorships. It is estimated that this figure will rise to $1.8 billion by 2022. Brand investment makes up 82% of that total revenue. Many companies are hiring esports agencies to get an early foot in the door on a marketing opportunity that is more accessible and more international than some mainstream sports.

Here are a few steps to help in de-mystifying the complicated esports marketing world:

1) Hire a team

To successfully launch an esports marketing campaign, the first step for any company is to hire an esports agency. They know what they are doing in this relatively new landscape. Businesses must find an agency that has prior experience marketing their products or services in the esports market.

2) Know your audience

An esports agency helps their clients figure out their preferred target market. Figuring out desired demographics is the first step towards a successful esports marketing campaign.

Esports audiences are made up of mostly young men ages 18-34. They make up around 75% of the overall audience. Experienced esports agencies know how to target this demographic and create an impressive esports marketing campaign.

3) Know where to find them

Each league has its own demographics. Just like in traditional sports, different types of people are drawn to different gaming leagues. An esports agency will know the demographics of each league and will be able to help a business decide which league they should target. Esports cover a variety of games, including fighting games, first-person shooters, sports games, racing games, and multiplayer online battle arena games.

4) Target the Right Platforms

Not only are the demographics of each league different, but so too are the demographics of the different streaming platforms used to reach the viewers. Esports agencies can figure out which platforms will deliver the best return on investment for their clients. Popular streaming gaming platforms include Twitch and YouTube Gaming.

5) Don’t discount the power of influencers

Mega and micro-influencers are extremely popular within the esports culture. A well-connected esports agency can help connect their clients with an appropriate influencer for that brand. Esports enthusiasts and esports influencers have a particularly close relationship compared to other influencers. This can make a more authentic experience for everyone involved.

6) Content marketing

People who love watching esports also love to read about esports. Perfectly placed and well-written content marketing can be a valuable way to reach the esports market. Esports agencies should be well-versed in everything to do with digital marketing.

7) Be Flexible

It is important that a business stays flexible with their marketing plans. Esports amplifies this need. The world of esports is changing so quickly that plans might need to pivot just as fast. Working with an esports agency that is able to move as fast as this market is essential.

Marketing companies that are experienced as esports agencies are not as common as other types of marketing firms. They are getting more common as the popularity of esports explodes.

Esports marketing can be quite complicated. Finding a business’s target audience in the many leagues and gaming platforms is tricky. As it gets more complicated, any business will be happy to have enlisted a competent esports agency to figure out the best way to reach the right people.