Okay so we covered a few things, like How to Get a Gaming Sponsorship, What NOT to do when applying for one, and what you can expect from one, so some of the things we talk about here might overlap just a little bit, but it’s still necessary to have this post nonetheless. Thankfully, what the gaming sponsors expect from you overlaps to help you out in other areas of your gaming journey. Let’s get started.
A Gamers Following
So this probably goes without saying, but having a following is essential when applying for sponsors, and when keeping them. There are a couple things that sponsors are going to look for when trying to figure out if your following is anything substantial, or not.
Social Media
How many followers do you have on your social media? By this I mean Twitter and your Facebook fan page that you obviously already have set up. What’s the magic number? It should be something substantial! Gaming sponsorships are a two way street, you can’t expect them to just give you free gear, and possibly even a cash sponsorship if you aren’t getting them exposure in the right way! It’s sometimes okay to slowly build up your following with a sponsor, but that is a rare occasion.
YouTube
Get people to click that Sub button! This could be included in social media, but I decided to give it it’s own section. There are gamers who are strictly sponsored just off their YouTube channel alone. Actually that’s a huge way to monetize your channel. Sometimes advertising just will not be enough, but lucky for you, sponsors love YouTube!
Twitch/Live Stream Following
This is becoming more and more important. It actually is just live YouTube. You don’t necessarily need both, but if you manage to get both, you’re even that much further ahead. Sometimes it’s okay to just use one of them to your advantage, but if a sponsor see’s a huge following on your Twitch channel and then heads over to YouTube and finds another huge following, they’re going to be that much more likely to accept you. They want exposure just as much as you want the sponsorship!
High Level Gameplay
So when is high level gameplay important? Always. Okay, I lied a little bit, but it’s also kind of true at the same time. High level gameplay can ALWAYS help you. It can never hurt. If you’re playing at an extremely high level a sponsor may be inclined to pick you up before you even have a following. This is rare, and you can expect the sponsor won’t be giving you nearly as much in return because it is essentially like them taking a chance on you. I wouldn’t go in expecting this, and I highly suggest building up your following as fast as you can! Get yourself known.
Tournaments
Regardless of if you’re a solo player or on a team, the sponsor is going to want to know you’re involved in tournaments in most situations when they’re sponsoring high level gamers. It’s just another plus when you can even win the tournaments and you can expect more perks from the sponsor, but they at least want you to be reppin’ their gear at all these tournaments for the world to see.
Exclusiveness
So this doesn’t necessarily have to be put under the high level gameplay section, but i’ll put it here strictly because most high level gamers will be expected to have this. Exclusiveness is something brands do when they want you to strictly use there gear. If you’re sponsored by them and they’re giving you the gear, they want the world to see you trust in it. That means using ALL of it. You can’t have a Razer keyboard and then use a Corsair mouse! You’re most likely going to be expected to be exclusive to that one brand.
Professionalism
Again, this goes for everyone, I just happen to put it under this section because it’s that much more important for these gamers. If you’re sponsored by a brand, people who view you see you as part of their team. If you’re going out and making a fool of yourself or doing something extreme or unprofessional, that comes back to hurt the brand. That is not what they’re bargaining for! They want you to be professional and make them look good. Don’t make them regret sending you all that awesome gear!
Authors note
I suggest getting all of this ready regardless of what level you’re at. If you think you can cover all of this, you’re most likely ready for a gaming sponsor. If you’re at a high level but don’t have a following, maybe start building one before applying. You don’t want an early application to come back to bite you in the butt. Also be ready to become exclusive and put on that professional game face. It’s time to get serious!