Gone are the days when Twitch used to be synonymous with gaming streamers. These days, you can stream pretty much anything. Among all the noise, one category has risen to prominence in recent years – the cooking category. 

That’s right! Now you can share all your cooking adventures with a live audience. What’s even better is that you can make money from it by attracting sponsors for your Twitch channel. Let’s find out how!

But, before that..

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What is a Twitch Sponsorship? 

Brands sometimes approach Twitch streamers and ask them to promote their products or services in exchange for monetary gain. This is known as a Twitch sponsorship. Think of it as influencer marketing on Twitch. 

Different Types of Twitch Sponsorship

Twitch sponsorships come in different shapes and types:

• Paid sponsorships. Here, brands pay streamers a certain amount of money to promote their products or services. 
• Affiliate deals. In this type of sponsorship, streamers get paid based on how many people purchase the brand’s products through them. Streamers are given their own links to the products. Whenever somebody clicks on that link and completes a purchase, the streamer gets a commission. 
• Product partnerships. Here, instead of money, streamers get free products from companies in exchange for promoting them. 

Depending on the type of agreement you have with your sponsors, they may ask you to display their logo/ banners on your channel. 

But, are Twitch sponsorships really needed? What do they even do?

Well, for starters, you get to make money off of your passion and support the brands that you like. Moreover, being affiliated with brands may also give you a boost in engagement.

How To Attract Sponsors for Your Twitch Cooking Channel

To attract sponsors for your cooking channel, you need to first make sure that your account is presentable and professional enough for brands to want to work with you. 

Part I: Organize Your Channel 

This includes growing your audience and “cleaning up your channel,” so to speak. Let’s find out how!

#1 Build your own brand 

Your channel should be uniquely “you.” This means adding your personal touch to your content! In other words, your entire channel should act as your portfolio. Your logo, your banners, your bio – everything should reflect who you are. 

Some things you can do are cooking your own recipes, or putting your own spin on conventional recipes. No matter what, don’t forget to let your personality shine through!

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To make your cooking channel attractive to sponsors, you should also establish your presence across all social media platforms and maintain a consistent brand everywhere. This shows that you are serious about this and that your channel is worth investing in. 

#2 Stream quality content. Consistently 

Streaming great content, consistently, is the key to growing an audience and making your Twitch cooking channel attractive to sponsors. Make sure your streams are high quality. Sponsors will notice and appreciate your efforts!

Create a content calendar for yourself and post at least once a week. Add impressive thumbnails and titles for your streams so that anybody stumbling upon your videos knows exactly what they are about. 

#3 Engage with your viewers 

Engaging with your viewers authentically allows you to grow your viewership as well as build your own loyal community. Make everyone feel welcome and try out unique ways of keeping them engaged throughout your stream. 

You can answer their questions, host some fun contests and giveaways, get to know your audience through polls, and so on.

#4 Clean up your channel 

When you go to a job interview, you make sure that you are putting your best foot forward by looking presentable, right? In much the same way, in the job of attracting sponsors, you need to make sure that your channel looks the best! 

But what does cleaning up consist of? Using quality graphics, tidying up your bio to sound a little bit professional while letting your personality shine through, and making it easy for brands to find out how to contact you. 

Moreover, make sure not to overcrowd your stream overlays. Stick to only displaying information that is really needed. 

And now, for the actual “attracting sponsors” part!

Part II: Get Sponsors For Your Twitch Cooking Channel 

#1 Be clear that you are open to sponsors 

Not every Twitch streamer out there is looking to get sponsored. Some are content to just stream. 

Chances are that brands might be hesitant to get in touch with you if they are unsure whether you would welcome a partnership or not. So, make it clear that you are open to sponsors by clearly mentioning it in your about section!

You can also sign off your live streams with a CTA stating that brands are welcome to contact you for sponsorships. 

#2 Network with other cooking streamers 

No matter which social media platform you are using, this piece of advice remains constant: networking with other creators is key! This way, you can build your community, get support and advice from those who have previously worked with brands, and get to know about new opportunities. 

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Attend webinars, conferences, and any other networking events you come across. Brands sometimes look for streamers to sponsor at such events. At any rate, you will leave with some valuable information on how to attract sponsors.

#3 Try to build a relationship with your favorite brands 

Have a favorite brand that you would love to be sponsored by? Follow them and engage with them consistently on social media. Get them to notice you! But keep your interactions authentic. 

Let’s say you have a favorite spice brand and you use their products regularly while cooking live. Tag them on your posts/ videos and let them know how much you enjoy their products! This will take you one step closer to that sponsorship deal because brands like working with existing customers. 

#4 Use sponsorship platforms 

There are many tools like inStreamly, PowerSpike, and Pillar that connect Twitch streams with sponsors. Brands and streamers need to create an account on the websites and enter their details as well as what they are looking for. The website will, then, find the best fit for you! 

These sponsorship platforms take care of everything – right from finding you to sponsors to payment. Some of them are even more hands-on by managing your sponsorship portfolio and reviewing all the campaign deliverables.

#5 Start cold pitching to brands 

You can look for brands manually and start cold pitching them. Find their contact information and send them a DM or an email clearly stating your purpose. Contacting brands that you are already familiar with will increase your chances. 

Let them know that you enjoy their products and would love to help them promote the same. Talk a little about the performance of your Twitch channel and how your cooking videos can add value to the brand. If you have ideas for specific campaigns you would like to do with the brand, include details!

Finally, end with a CTA encouraging them to check you out and contact you.

#6 Take part in Twitch cooking challenges 

Brands have been trying to tap into the potential of Twitch cooking channels, with some of them even hosting challenges. For example, HelloFresh recently conducted a live cooking competition on Twitch with attractive gifts for the winners. Viewers were encouraged to tune in and vote for their favorite dishes. It was like MasterChef, but in real time. 

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Taking part in such challenges will not only help you increase your audience, but it will also get brands to notice you, which is a win-win situation. You might even be offered a sponsorship by the host brand itself! 

That’s all there is to attracting sponsors for your Twitch cooking channel! Follow the steps outlined above and keep doing what you love. The sponsors will come. 

Before we leave, here’s an important piece of advice – choose the brand that is the right fit for you. You need to believe in their products and values in order to have a long-lasting relationship that is mutually beneficial.