Marketers should tap into ‘thriving’ gaming community, TikTok claims

Gaming-related content generated more than three trillion organic views in 2022, according to a TikTok report – a feat that makes the category vital for brands and advertisers looking to market on the platform.

The report claimed that, as gaming has become a “broader dedicated lifestyle or aesthetic, rather than just an everyday activity”, TikTok users have become more attracted to learning about creators’ gaming rituals, setups and personal stories, as well as opportunities for crossovers with other interests (such as fashion, home decor and food). 

Last year, hashtags such as #GamingSetup and #GamingLife received 13 billion and 8.5 billion views respectively.

Assaf Sagy, head of global gaming and global business solutions at TikTok, told Campaign that more than half (50%) of TikTok’s community members “are receiving gaming content every day”.

“It’s very hard to understand it in our minds because we’re living in a world of seven billion people and on TikTok we have a community of more than a billion people,” he said. “[But] it’s not a surprise, because 82% of them are actually playing games.”

The company also claimed that dedicated fandoms, found frequently within gaming communities, are less interested in passively consuming content and are much more inclined to produce their own content and use their creative skills.

A survey conducted in partnership with Flamingo found that 78% of global TikTok users enjoy the idea of brands trying different ways to create content while, last year, a series of gaming-related hashtags, such as #Cosplay and #Mascot, received 166.2 billion and 1.6 billion views respectively.

Given that gaming content on the platform is also overwhelmingly positive – often characterised by humour, creativity and playfulness – TikTok has linked this fact to a claim that 41% of global TikTok users say they are motivated to make a buying decision out of a feeling of joy.

Rema Vasan, head of global gaming business marketing at TikTok, said this figure signals an alignment between TikTok’s business model and gaming culture.

She added: “I know the pandemic is in our rearview now but what emerged from that is this idea that there are moments people just wanted to have for themselves, that are about wellbeing and that give them joy. 

“And that’s perfectly aligned with gaming because, on TikTok, gaming culture is moving as quickly as gaming technology. And it’s very much about all these diverse gaming audiences coming together and feeling comfortable sharing their own perspectives and stories.”

Sagy and Vasan also highlighted the communal mechanics of both TikTok and the gaming space, citing how 75% of global users claim to feel “part of a network of people with shared interests” on the platform.

Sagy said: “You can see that the different means of co-creation allow anyone and everyone to participate. We’re seeing people from different communities getting involved.”

The social media giant has already partnered a roster of major gaming brands, including Niantic, Roblox, Axlebolt and NBA2K.

The partnership with Niantic, in which the game development company launched its recent title Peridot (an AR game allowing users to raise Tamagotchi-like “virtual pets”) exclusively on the platform, helped the brand hit a target of more than a million game installs in “less than a month”. 

A least a third of these downloads were attributed to paid activities – while the rest of the achievement was done through “working with creators across different content verticals”.

Circling back to the idea that marketers can target users across various interests, Vasan added: “[Niantic] didn’t just target gamers – they targeted pets, owners of pets, parents, gardeners and all kinds of other creators to really represent the different facets of being a gamer.”

Vasan said that marketers should pay attention to “trend signals” on TikTok, which are markers of interest across the platform. She also advised that they think about which trends will have longevity in gaming culture.

“These are not fleeting moments in time. These will stand the test of time, at least for a couple of years. So understanding this will really allow marketers to target through culture and community to see the business impact,” she said.