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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for E-Sports Marketing Specialist

💰 $55,000 - $110,000

MarketingE-SportsGamingPartnershipsContent

🎯 Role Definition

The E-Sports Marketing Specialist is a performance-minded marketing professional who plans, executes, and measures competitive gaming and esports activations to grow brand awareness, community engagement, user acquisition, and revenue. This role blends influencer partnerships, live event activation, content strategy, paid media, sponsorship deliverables, and analytics to deliver end-to-end esports programs. Ideal candidates have hands-on experience with Twitch, YouTube, Discord, influencer ecosystems, and the metrics that drive esports performance (viewership, engagement, installs/registrations, LTV).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Community Manager (Gaming/Twitch/Discord)
  • Social Media Specialist with gaming experience
  • Influencer Marketing Coordinator or Agency Associate

Advancement To:

  • Senior E-Sports Marketing Manager
  • Head of Esports / Global Gaming Marketing Lead
  • Brand Partnerships Director (Gaming & Esports)

Lateral Moves:

  • Influencer Marketing Manager
  • Product Marketing Manager (Gaming)
  • Sponsorship & Activation Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and execute end-to-end esports marketing campaigns that align with brand objectives, including audience targeting, creative direction, channel strategy (Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Discord, X), budget allocation, and performance goals.
  • Lead influencer and pro-player partnership strategy: scout talent, negotiate contracts, manage deliverables, coordinate content calendars, and optimize partnerships for reach, engagement, and conversions.
  • Plan, coordinate and execute live esports activations and tournament sponsorships—handling logistics, on-site branding, broadcast integration, talent wrangling, prize management, and post-event measurement.
  • Create content strategies tailored for esports audiences across livestreams, highlight reels, short-form social, and long-form YouTube content that increase viewership, retention, and subscriber growth.
  • Manage paid media buys and performance campaigns across Meta Ads, TikTok Ads, YouTube/Google Ads, and programmatic DSPs specifically optimized for gamer audiences and conversion funnels (installs, sign-ups, watch-time).
  • Build and manage community programs on Discord and other community platforms: moderation guidelines, event calendars, engagement mechanics (giveaways, AMAs, watch parties), and retention tactics to cultivate dedicated fans.
  • Collaborate with creative, product, PR, and analytics teams to produce campaign assets, creative briefs, broadcast overlays, and co-branded materials that meet broadcast standards and brand guidelines.
  • Define, track, and report KPIs for esports programs (viewership, unique viewers, peak concurrent viewers, engagement rate, click-throughs, installs, cost per install/acquisition, ROAS) and present insights to stakeholders.
  • Execute sponsorship activation plans including deliverable tracking, compliance with partner SLAs, measurement of sponsorship uplift, and post-campaign reporting to sponsors and internal teams.
  • Oversee influencer content review and compliance processes—ensuring messaging alignment, legal and FTC disclosure compliance, and brand safety across livestreams and social content.
  • Develop GTM plans for new esports products, features, or seasonal campaigns—mapping customer journeys from awareness to conversion and retention specifically for gaming audiences.
  • Use retention and CRM tactics (email, push notifications, in-game messaging) tailored to esports audiences to increase return visits, match attendance, and content consumption.
  • Coordinate broadcast partnerships with tournament organizers, streaming networks, and casters to secure favorable placement during high-viewership windows and co-branded content opportunities.
  • Manage campaign budgets and financial forecasting for esports initiatives, including contract negotiations, vendor management, and optimization for efficiency and impact.
  • Lead A/B testing for creative, messaging, landing pages, and call-to-action strategies across esports campaigns to continually improve conversion rates and audience lift.
  • Implement measurement frameworks and attribution models for livestream and influencer-driven conversions, working with analytics and data teams to ensure tracking fidelity (UTM standards, pixels, SDKs).
  • Drive growth through community-driven activations such as watch parties, co-op tournaments, creator challenges, user-generated content programs, and fan rewards systems.
  • Serve as the primary liaison for player and talent relations—managing schedules, expectations, and post-performance feedback to maintain long-term influencer relationships.
  • Coordinate cross-functional rehearsals and technical checks for livestreams and broadcast segments to minimize downtime and ensure seamless viewer experience during events.
  • Create and maintain competitive landscape analysis and trend reports on esports titles, league schedules, streamer behavior, and platform shifts to inform strategy and content planning.
  • Lead creative direction and brief development for in-house or agency production of trailers, sizzle reels, overlays, and social cutdowns tailored to esports audiences.
  • Drive international esports marketing efforts by localizing campaigns, coordinating with regional marketing teams, and adapting influencer strategies for local streamer ecosystems.
  • Mentor junior marketing team members and contractors on esports best practices, community management standards, and campaign execution playbooks.
  • Identify and test emerging platforms, tools, and formats (e.g., short-form video trends, metaverse events, interactive overlays) to evaluate fit for esports audience engagement and monetization.
  • Manage crisis communications and moderation escalation during broadcasts or community incidents, partnering with PR and legal teams to protect brand reputation.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests and assist analytics teams with esport-specific data needs and tagging for campaign analysis.
  • Contribute to the broader gaming marketing roadmap by providing insights from esports trends, community feedback, and campaign performance.
  • Collaborate with product and engineering teams to translate community and influencer feedback into feature requests or product improvements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies for marketing-led product launches and esports feature releases.
  • Maintain an updated library of campaign assets, influencer contracts, and broadcast templates to streamline recurring activations.
  • Support cross-promotional initiatives with brand partners, publishers, and platforms to increase reach and co-marketing opportunities.
  • Audit and improve partner onboarding processes, SLAs, and post-mortem documentation to increase operational efficiency.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep knowledge of streaming platforms (Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Trovo) and creator tools (OBS, StreamElements, Streamlabs) with experience setting up and troubleshooting livestreams.
  • Experience managing influencer and pro-player contracts, deliverables, usage rights, and disclosures (FTC and region-specific regulations).
  • Proficiency with paid media platforms optimized for gaming audiences: Meta Ads Manager, TikTok Ads, YouTube/Google Ads, and programmatic DSPs.
  • Strong analytics competency: Google Analytics, YouTube Analytics, Twitch Insights, and familiarity with attribution concepts (UTM tagging, pixels, SDKs).
  • Hands-on experience with community platforms and moderation tools: Discord server management, Discord bots, community CRM systems (e.g., Braze, Iterable), and fan engagement platforms.
  • Competence in measurement and visualization tools: Looker, Tableau, Power BI, or advanced Excel for KPI dashboards and campaign reporting.
  • Experience with sponsorship activation workflows, deliverable tracking tools (Google Sheets/Drive, Asana, Monday.com), and contract negotiation best practices.
  • Basic video editing and content production skills or the ability to brief and review edits (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, or equivalent).
  • Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks, lift studies, and conversion rate optimization methodologies specific to live and recorded content.
  • Knowledge of ad ops and basic tagging/troubleshooting for live streams, VODs, and social assets.
  • Experience with international localization workflows for multi-region esports campaigns.

Soft Skills

  • Deep cultural fit with gaming and esports communities—authentic voice, passion for titles, and sensitivity to community norms.
  • Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent campaigns and live activations.
  • Excellent negotiation and relationship management skills for dealing with talent, agencies, sponsors, and platform partners.
  • Strong communication and presentation skills for executive reporting, sponsor decks, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Data-driven decision-making mindset with the ability to translate analytics into actionable marketing optimizations.
  • Problem-solving under pressure, particularly during live events and broadcast moments.
  • Creative storytelling and content instincts to craft compelling narrative hooks for esports audiences.
  • Adaptability and curiosity to experiment with new formats, platforms, and performance levers.
  • Collaborative team player comfortable working with product, creative, analytics, and community teams.
  • Leadership and mentorship capabilities to upskill junior staff and manage external partners.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Digital Media, or related field (or equivalent professional experience in esports/gaming).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree with specialization in Digital Marketing, Sports Management, or an MBA for senior roles.
  • Certifications in analytics or digital marketing (Google Analytics, Meta Blueprint) are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Communications
  • Business Administration
  • Digital Media / Film / Video Production
  • Sports & Entertainment Management
  • Computer Science (for product-adjacent roles)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of marketing experience, with 2+ years specifically in esports, gaming, influencer marketing, or live-broadcast marketing.

Preferred:

  • 3–5+ years managing esports campaigns, influencer/talent partnerships, or sponsorship activations.
  • Proven track record driving measurable user acquisition, community growth, and broadcast/viewership KPIs.
  • Experience working with publishers, tournament organizers, streaming platforms, or esports teams.
  • Portfolio or case studies demonstrating successful influencer activations, tournament activations, and performance marketing outcomes.
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