Streamer traffic for advertisers
Erdem UkhinovHead of Influence at Royal PartnersErdem Ukhinov is a person with vast experience working with streamers. For over three years, he has headed the influencer relations department at Royal Partners. During this time, Erdem has trained more than 20 specialists and shared his knowledge with many affiliate managers, streamers, and other professionals in the iGaming industry.
Large iGaming companies send their managers to train with him, and many popular streamers in the CIS began their journey with his support.
In this interview, we discuss streamer traffic from an advertiser's perspective and talk about how to build effective relationships with influencers.
You worked in the affiliate department for a while and are now involved in influencer marketing. How did you transition to this role?
I started as an affiliate manager in 2019 and gradually worked my way up to the head of the department. As the team and tasks grew, I decided to create a separate team of managers who would focus solely on influencer traffic. Even back then, I saw huge potential in this area.
Building the department took about three years, and I personally led the process. The efforts paid off: now we work with markets in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. And we’re not stopping here — there are still many countries and markets ahead!
Why did you choose influencer marketing?
It happened quite naturally. Before iGaming, I worked at a large communications agency where we specialized in influencers and media. I’ve always enjoyed interacting with people.
The main reasons for transitioning were the almost limitless opportunities and the ease of launching campaigns: running ads with a blogger is much easier than dealing with constant bans and account blocks on FB or Google Ads.
What does your typical workday look like?
In the morning, I arrive at the office, and the day starts with a ton of meetings and calls: streamers, designers, heads of other departments, and of course, my team. Usually, I have three video calls and two offline meetings throughout the day.
In the evening, I head home, but the work doesn’t stop there. I’m almost always on call with partners and colleagues, stay- ing connected 24/7.
Are there iGaming influencers outside of streaming? Do you work with other bloggers?
Absolutely, there are. Our team works with all types of bloggers, although streamers make up the majority.
Most of them are bloggers who do slot and casino reviews, either in text or video format.
Who do you collaborate with for the most fruitful results?
Our most productive results come from working with streamers. However, we are always testing new approaches and formats.
Systematic approach is key to success. There is already enough showmanship in the casino sphere.
What distinguishes interaction with streamers from interaction with webmasters and media buyers?
Influencers face two categories of problems: traffic issues and personal issues.
Traffic problems can be resolved relatively quickly with the right approach, but personal challenges, such as gambling addiction or stress, can become insurmountable barriers to their development.
Frequent streams can be demanding, and many streamers eventually burn out or leave the field due to the pressure.
Why don't you work with Twitch and Kick streamers?
As for Twitch, there are two main reasons:
- Low-quality traffic. A significant issue is the high overlap in audiences between streamers, and the audience is often too young.
- Platform restrictions on casino content. Recently, these restrictions have been tightening.
As for Kick, it doesn't yet deliver the expected results: the audience is small and mostly inactive. The main issue is the lack of organic traffic and the platform's youth. Right now, we advise considering Kick as a secondary platform, with the main focus remaining on YouTube.
So, is YouTube your main channel now? Why is its audience of higher quality?
Yes, YouTube is our primary channel. Its main advantage is the search traffic from Google. All videos are well-indexed and appear in search results. I’m confident that in the future, the share of search traffic will only increase.
When working with YouTube, it's very important to pay attention to SEO. Proper optimization of titles, tags, and descriptions can yield impressive results.
Since you mentioned SEO, how does streamer traffic differ from other sources? What are the pros and cons compared to FB, PPC, and SEO?
Streamer traffic can only be compared to SEO. In terms of quality, they are similar and heavily rely on each other, especially when it comes to YouTube.
How do you define fraudulent traffic? What key metrics do you analyze?
We have an analytics department that handles incoming traffic analysis and prepares reports. The key metrics are the number of players and the volume of their deposits.
What about payment: fixed rate per stream or RevShare? Which payment model is the most effective for streamers?
All payment models are good, the key is to build long-term cooperation.
By the way, in one of the episodes of the "Troye pro ROI" podcast, we discussed payment models in detail. I recommend listening to it to under- stand how to choose the most profitable strategy.
Let's imagine that a beginner streamer comes to you offering a partnership. What would you focus on first?
I have a checklist for streamers — a streamer pack. It’s a guide for attracting a quality audience. It includes:
- Recommendations for working with social media, messengers, and streaming platforms
- Strategies for scaling and retaining an audience
- Content examples for publication
If a streamer has completed all these points, they're halfway to partnership.
The second part is about their personal qualities:
- A desire to grow. The streamer should be ready to work on their channel.
- Stress resistance. You can’t do without this.
- Age. Young streamers rarely attract an adult, paying audience.
In which GEOs is the conversion from streamer traffic the best? Where is the audience the most active?
I don't see a clear advantage in any specific GEO. Good results can be achieved anywhere, as long as the project operates smoothly and there are no payment issues.
What key factors are needed for a product to work successfully with streamers?
The ideal setup includes:
- an in-house SEO team
- high-quality product support
- an investor ready to build a long-term and profitable process