Why creator programs are the long game in creator marketing

When you think about creator marketing, what pops into your mind? For a lot of marketers, it’ll be a big launch push. Creators streaming the new release. Deep dive videos on YouTube. A huge burst of visibility in the first few days. All that’s important, of course. But launch hype is fleeting. As many of you reading will understand, the challenge for publishers is sustaining visibility. Keeping players engaged and making sure creators stay on board after the initial buzz fades.

That’s where creator programs come in.

These powerful, branded hubs are designed to give creators ongoing reasons to make content for your game. Look at them as tools for building communities. Do them well and you’ll see casual creators turning into loyal advocates. That in turn will expand your reach to new audiences and extend the lifespan of your game.

More and more we see that content creator marketing and community building are rated by games industry marketers as the most effective channels for achieving their objectives, and creator programs are considered as one of the most effective weapons in a marketer's armory.

Bastion's Annual Video Game Marketing Survey 2025 showcases what we see to be trending at Lurkit as well. Some of the most successful campaigns we pulled this year such as Dune: Awakening and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, had organic viewership dwarfing their paid counterparts massively and we see this trend growing across the board. Portion of these success stories go to effective usage of Lurkit Creator Programs, but of course, it's the games being awesome themselves that carry them. We're not saying these titles would have failed in their marketing efforts without a program, but you get the point. As a game marketer, you use every tool you have to fight for the player's mind space and many good games get buried under others, especially in the long tail.

Effective as they are, it’s important to understand that creator programs aren’t fire-and-forget. They take time, effort and consistent management to thrive.

Let’s break down why they matter, what makes them work and what can happen when they go wrong.

What is a creator program, anyway?

We'll begin with a simple definition. A creator program is a dedicated platform or hub where content creators can sign up to collaborate with you, the publisher or dev. Through the program, they might gain access to exclusive campaigns, regular missions or rewards for creating and sharing content.

Think of it as a one-stop shop for creator interactions where you can:

• Offer creators perks and rewards in exchange for their time and content.

• Track their growth and performance over time.

• Build relationships that make creators feel part of the game’s ongoing journey.

They offer a whole lot more than a list of names or a Discord channel. They’re focal points. The three magic words here are meet, build and grow. Meet creators, build relationships with them and watch as you grow together.

Why creator programs are more than just launch tools

A common mistake we see is publishers treating creator programs as temporary. They spin one up around launch, use it to get creators on board for day one, then let it go quiet once the release window is over.

Why’s that a problem? Well, because launch hype is a sprint. But if you want to build a devoted community, you need to think in marathon terms. Games live or die on ongoing attention, especially in this era of hyper competition. When a program goes silent, creators drift away. And when creators stop making content, audiences stop watching and interest in the game wanes.

To get the most out of them, you need to run a creator program in the same way you’d manage a live service game. They demand regular updates, engagement and new reasons to log in. Just as players expect new content drops, creators expect ongoing opportunities to get involved. If you don’t give them those, they’ll move on to games that do.

The cost of neglect

Abandoning your creator program is a waste. Worse than that? It can actively harm your reputation.

Creators commit their time to missions and campaigns. If they then see the program go dark, it leaves them in the lurch. If payments or rewards are delayed because the program isn’t maintained, that frustration can spread quickly through the creator community.

And beyond the logistics, neglect means disconnecting from your most dedicated fans. Even if a game still has an active player base, a neglected creator program sends the message that the studio isn’t interested in supporting them. That can make communities feel like they’re carrying the marketing burden on their own, without recognition or reward.

Getting the most out of a creator program

That’s the bad stuff out the way. The good news is that keeping a creator program alive doesn’t require massive, complex campaigns every month. Consistency trumps scale. Here are some proven ways to get the best bang for your creator program buck:

1. Regular missions

Lurkit’s creator programs feature missions. Missions can be performance-based tasks, creative challenges or any kind of content objectives set by you, the publisher. Here are a couple of examples:

• "Complete a playthrough of Level 1 and share a 10-minute video"

• "Reach 100 likes on your YouTube Shorts walkthrough"

Missions can be tiered, starting out easy to onboard new members and becoming more complex or more involved as the creator completes them. Simple, KPI based missions have the benefit that they are tracked automatically in the platform. If you go for more “out of the box”, creative missions, engagement is likely to be higher, but they’ll need to be tracked manually.

Whichever style you choose, missions, when offered regularly, give creators a reason to stay active. They’re the backbone of creator programs.

2. Segmenting creators

Not every creator brings the same reach, and that’s a strength rather than a weakness. The flexibility of our creator programs means you can chop up participants into groups based on:

• Size of following: Put together creator tier lists based on the size of their audiences. This is super helpful when it comes to allocating your budget.

• Geography & language: Segment by country, region or language spoken to target different markets.

• Content style: Different creators have different styles. Matching them with campaigns that play to their strengths means better, more authentic content.

Segmenting means you avoid the “one-size-fits-all” trap. Customize your offerings to creators and align them with campaigns that make sense for their audience and their content style. That alignment leads to better content and higher engagement.

3. Tailored rewards for each segment

Our platform allows you to reward creators for completing missions. And these rewards can be tailored to your creator segments.

• Top-tier creators might be incentivized with early access, keys they can give away to their audience or larger sponsorship opportunities.

• Mid-tier creators are powerful for niche engagement. Rewarding them with consistent recognition, featured spots in your hub or cosmetic drops can keep them highly motivated.

• Smaller creators should never be overlooked. These are often the most loyal members of your program. Rewarding their consistency builds trust. They’ll become long-term champions precisely because they feel valued early.

This tiered approach keeps creators of all sizes engaged and prevents programs from being dominated only by the biggest names.

4. Communication and recognition

Creators want to feel seen. Something as simple as a monthly message to the program, sharing updates, highlighting standout content or even featuring a “creator of the month”, shows that the studio is paying attention. 

Regular newsletters, a community Q&A or interviews with the dev team. They all make creators feel connected to the game as it evolves. We’re going to keep banging this drum: consistency over complexity.

5. Data insights

We all like a spreadsheet filled with lovely data. One of the biggest advantages of running programs through platforms like ours is the availability of data and the ability to track performance over time. Check out which creators are growing, how well their content is doing and where engagement is coming from. That insight lets you:

• Spot rising stars early.

• Remove inactive members and invite rejected creators who eventually become a good match for your program.

• Invite creators who you think are a good fit for your game or campaign.

• Understand what works best for your segmented groups.

Over time, this turns the creator program into not just a marketing tool but a valuable source of business intelligence.

Building community

Creator marketing is really about people giving you their time. Sure, rewards and perks matter, but what keeps them around is feeling like they’re part of something.

That feeling comes from the basics: keeping in touch, sharing updates and making sure creators know they’re included. When they feel connected, they’ll often go further with the time and effort they put into your game.

And it has a ripple effect. Creators who feel that sense of belonging talk about the game with an enthusiasm that’s infectious. Their audiences pick up on that, and that’s what helps a game grow.

Lessons from the field

While we won’t point to individual titles, the industry is full of examples that illustrate both the upside and the pitfalls of creator programs. On one hand, there are programs that flourished because they were treated as long-term commitments, with regular missions, consistent communication and rewards for loyalty. The trust that developed between game and creator meant that they were able to grow together.

On the other hand, there are programs that launched strong but were quickly abandoned. Despite having thousands of active broadcasters, these programs went silent. Creators kept making content, but without support, the relationship between studio and community broke down. Everyone disliked that.

The difference between scenarios one and two comes down to commitment and consistency.

The bottom line

Creator programs are a powerful marketing tool that you ignore at your peril. If you treat them as a quick campaign or a launch-only play, you’re missing the point. A good program shows creators that their time matters. When they feel that, they’ll keep showing up, keep making content and keep championing your game.

In today’s games industry, loyalty like this is gold. And it doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when programs are maintained and nurtured.

When it works, you’ll have a community of creators who show up for launch day and stick around far beyond, bringing their audiences with them.

If you want to take the guesswork out of running a creator program, that’s exactly what Lurkit is here for. Get in touch and let’s chat.

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