Influencer Marketing for Streaming Platforms: Examples and Tips

One of the world’s most popular influencers has signed a streaming deal with Amazon. Jimmy Donaldson, known to his YouTube subscribers as MrBeast, knows how to captivate an audience. His high-quality, fast-paced productions, which usually involve a game or giveaway, have garnered an audience of 247 million. Now, the famed YouTuber will host and produce a streaming show called “Beast Games,” where 1,000 contestants will compete for a $5 million prize. The deal, rumored to be worth $100 million, is the latest evidence of influencers becoming sought-after entertainers beyond their social streams. Beyond striking deals like these with creators, entertainment companies can tap into the power of influencer marketing for streaming services in various ways. 

Influencers star in streaming shows and movies

MrBeast isn’t the first influencer to transition from social media to the big screen; others have done the same. While there are dozens to list, here’s a look at a handful of creators who used their internet fame to break into the entertainment field: 

Addison Rae: A TikToker with 88.6 million followers, Addison released her own single and starred in Netflix’s “He’s All That.” She’s also set to star in “Thanksgiving,” a Netflix movie currently in the works.

Skye family: The Skye family, known as Fun Squad Family on YouTube, has 1.4 million subscribers. The family recently made appearances in a movie, “Camp Hideout.” They announced their movie debut on their channel, showed behind-the-scenes production clips, and promoted the movie when it started streaming on Hulu and Prime.

Ryan Kaji: Ryan reached YouTube stardom as a toy reviewer but has since transitioned into the TV world. The 12-year-old stars in “Ryan’s World” alongside his family, which streams on Hulu.

Jack Martin: A comedian who shares skits on TikTok, Jack parlayed his social fame into TV stardom with a role in “La Brea,” which streams on Peacock. 

Ariel Martin: Known as Baby Ariel on social, this musically talented star found fame on Musical.ly and soon found her way into Disney+’s “Zombie” movies.

How streaming services can leverage influencers

While dozens of well-known influencers have leveraged their social media fame to join Hollywood’s elite, there are hundreds more who support streaming platforms through sponsored promotions. 

Using influencer marketing to promote streaming shows and movies shifts from traditional promotional techniques. In years past, TV ads and movie trailer previews were the norm. Today, influencers are in the mix, adding authentic promotions to marketing efforts. 

Take a look at how streaming platforms collaborate with creators to promote new content:

Netflix taps influencers to review shows

Nextflix collaborates with several influencers for various promotions, including show reviews. For instance, Netflix India teamed up with Kusha Kapila and Srishti Dixit​, two popular influencers, to provide commentary on hit shows like “Bridgerton.”

Hulu invites influencers to an event 

LGBTQIA+ social media stars Plastique Tiara and Eric Sedeno hosted a livestream of the LA and NY Pride Parades. The influencers offered commentary and interviewed celebrities and everyday people inside a Hulu-themed tent. 

At the same time, Hulu tasked other LGBTQIA+ influencers with sharing their favorite Hulu-based Pride-themed content on social. 

The multi-pronged campaign leaned on events and social media posts to boost brand awareness and drive subscriptions.

Starz puts out a casting call for influencers

When season six of Starz’s hit show “Power” was set to release, the media company called for influencers to shoot 10 high-quality videos to promote the upcoming show. Starz picked the top contributors and asked them to participate in a promotional shoot in NYC. 

The campaign garnered a host of UGC and incentivized creators to up their game for a chance to work with the Starz production team on a professional promotion. 

Team up with niche creators

To promote a special streaming event on Netflix, creator Madi, who is a baker, created a cake to celebrate the occasion. She tells viewers about what to expect at the event to promote “Tudum.”

Influencer marketing impacts streaming platforms, and these marketing efforts are just the beginning. Streaming platforms and influencers will continue to find innovative ways to promote movies and shows to engaged social audiences. 

Influencers:

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Marketers:

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