Last month, rapper Danny Brown made waves by unveiling his latest project on the live-streaming platform Twitch, dubbing it “the first-ever Twitch album.” It was yet another step toward widespread cultural takeover for this burgeoning content hub, which is rapidly expanding beyond its distinction as strictly a host for video game communities. Twitch’s usage numbers, and creative new applications, demand the attention of marketers everywhere seeking to up the ante for audience engagement. In her Thursday morning Content Marketing World keynote, Twitch’s Director of Business Development Jane Weedon shared some eye-opening stats and laid out an ambitious go-forward vision for the platform’s active audience participation model. Per Alexa, Twitch.tv was the 12th-most visited site in the U.S. last year. These figures signify the platform’s massive popularity, which is only on the rise. While the “content creators” have primarily been gamers up to this point, that group also includes artists, craftspeople, cooks, programmers, animators, and more. “We inspire people to come on and share their creativity,” explains Weedon. “And they inspire others to start streaming.” Four Foundations of Audience Engagement The platform’s content experience is guided by four pillars, which can largely be repurposed for any type of content marketing initiative: #1 – Live The streams are mainly broadcast in real-time, giving participants a unique feeling of engagement and involvement that pre-recorded video can’t quite match. #3 – Interactive Interactivity is integral for making the viewers feel like they are truly part of what’s happening. But even beyond such potential utilities, marketers can benefit from simply studying Twitch’s highly effective audience engagement methods and stellar use of customer insights.
Last month, rapper Danny Brown made waves by unveiling his latest project on the live-streaming platform Twitch, dubbing it “the first-ever Twitch album.”
It was yet another step toward widespread cultural takeover for this burgeoning content hub, which is rapidly expanding beyond its distinction as strictly a host for video game communities. Twitch’s usage numbers, and creative new applications, demand the attention of marketers everywhere seeking to up the ante for audience engagement.
In her Thursday morning Content Marketing World keynote, Twitch’s Director of Business Development Jane Weedon shared some eye-opening stats and laid out an ambitious go-forward vision for the platform’s active audience participation model.
Twitch by the Numbers
In 2017, Twitch boasted more than 15 million daily visitors, who logged 355 billion total minutes of viewing. Per Alexa, Twitch.tv was the 12th-most visited site in the U.S. last year. These figures signify the platform’s massive popularity, which is only on the rise.
The core audience for Twitch at present is enthusiastic gamers, who both broadcast their own playing sessions (with commentary), and watch others do the same while actively participating via chat.
But the company’s mission statement, as shared by Weedon, hints toward a broader eventual user base:
Be the best home for content creators to build their careers and businesses, and to share their passion with fans worldwide.
While the “content creators” have primarily been gamers up to this point, that group also includes artists, craftspeople, cooks, programmers, animators, and more. And through the Twitch Partners program, these creators have the potential to make real money.
“We inspire people to come on and share their creativity,” explains Weedon. “And they inspire others to start streaming.”
Four Foundations of Audience Engagement
The platform’s content experience is guided by four pillars, which can largely be repurposed for any…
COMMENTS