403In recent years, the explosion of the e-sports industry and the widespread adoption of remote work have transformed mechanical keyboards from professional equipment into mass consumer products.
According to marketresearchfuture data, in 2023, the global mechanical keyboard market was valued at $1.65 billion. It is projected to maintain steady growth at a compound annual growth rate of 10.90% from 2024 to 2032. By 2032, the global mechanical keyboard market size is expected to reach $6.2 billion, showing strong momentum.
Image source: marketresearchfuture
Meanwhile, consumer demand for keyboards is no longer limited to basic functions. Features such as customizable switches, personalized keycaps, and intelligent interaction have become new consumption trends.
Faced with upgraded functional requirements and rapid market expansion, some Chinese brands have begun to venture overseas, seeking new opportunities in underdeveloped foreign markets.
Shenzhen brand Epomaker is one of them. By keenly grasping personalized needs, it has started to explore its own approach in overseas markets.
Reportedly, in 2024, Epomaker achieved its goal of 350 million yuan in annual revenue, successfully entered the TOP 3 in Amazon's keyboard category, and ranked 53rd in the "Top 100 Chinese Cross-border E-commerce Brand Influence List" in Q4 2024.
Its overseas path may provide some reference for domestic hardware brands.
Image source: Epomaker
A brand born from player needs
It is understood that Epomaker is a brand under Shenzhen Changyun Technology, founded in 2019.
Its founding team has a diverse background, bringing together experienced gamers, software engineers, and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts. Driven by their passion for keyboards and unique insights, they were determined to create their own keyboard product line and bring it to overseas markets.
In its early days, Epomaker faced many challenges. The high-end market was dominated by international giants like Germany's Cherry and America's Razer, while the mid- and low-end markets were fiercely competitive.
Through in-depth research, the team discovered a clear gap in the mid-range segment. Consumers sought high-quality, personalized keyboards but were also price-sensitive. Thus, Epomaker decided to focus on high cost-performance and personalized customization, taking a differentiated development route.
To achieve this goal, the team invested heavily in product R&D to enhance technology and emphasized cooperation with global suppliers. For example, they collaborated with Japanese keycap designers to launch uniquely styled keycaps and customized Gateron co-branded switches with German switch factories, improving product quality and uniqueness at every stage.
It is precisely this extreme focus on user experience and relentless effort in product development that has enabled Epomaker to grow from an obscure small brand to a well-known brand with a firm foothold in mature overseas markets in just a few years.
Image source: Epomaker
Social media marketing: Touching potential users with real-life scenarios
In social media operations, Epomaker focuses on value delivery. Instead of deliberately pursuing fan growth, it concentrates on creating high-quality content that accurately connects with target users.
TikTok:
Epomaker's official TikTok account @epomaker_keyboard currently has 78,700 followers and 232,500 likes.
Image source: TikTok
Although the account doesn't have a huge following and is still growing, many of its short videos perform well. Among them, 15 videos have tens of thousands of views; 2 videos have exceeded one million views. The highest single video has reached 9.1 million views.
Image source: TikTok
The style of short videos posted on the account is clear: focusing on presenting the product in real-life usage scenarios.
For example, in one video, the user demonstrates the RGB lighting effects and mini interactive screen features of the Epomaker keyboard in daily scenarios, closely aligning with users' everyday needs and naturally showcasing the product's features, practical applications, and usage effects.
Feedback from the comments section shows that this promotional approach is clearly effective. Many users expressed their love for the keyboard: "I want this keyboard so much, I need it!" "It's so cute, I want it now!" Some even asked directly about purchasing channels: "Where can I buy it??"
Image source: TikTok
Besides focusing on its own content creation, Epomaker actively expands cooperation channels, collaborating with many niche influencers in design, creativity, and e-sports gaming. Leveraging these influencers' impact, it enhances brand awareness and recognition.
TikTok gaming keyboard influencer @pinkxxiny, with 219,900 followers, shot a creative short video for Epomaker's cypher 96 product.
Image source: TikTok
In the video, @pinkxxiny first gives users a comprehensive look at the appearance of the Epomaker cypher 96, then simulates typing to let users intuitively feel the keyboard's smooth and comfortable operation. She then highlights the creative function area on the right side of the keyboard, which serves as both a numeric keypad and a smart calculator for digital operations. This video ultimately garnered over 100,000 views and 42,400 likes.
Many users in the comments showed great interest and strong demand for this product:
"Oh my god, a calculator keyboard?! I'm crying, I need this!!!"
"I need it, I need it, I need it."
"I have a keyboard, but now I need a calculator!"
Image source: TikTok
YouTube:
On YouTube, Epomaker prefers to collaborate with professional tech influencers to release product unboxing and reviews. By leveraging influencer reviews, the brand reaches its target audience from a professional perspective.
Tech influencer ShortCircuit, with 2.45 million subscribers, is one of Epomaker's partners. He filmed an unboxing and review video for the Epomaker RT100 smart keyboard, which has reached 520,000 views so far.
In the video, ShortCircuit first shows the unboxing process and explains product details. He then conducts a usage review, introducing several smart features: Bluetooth music playback, a top-right button to adjust volume and change keyboard lighting color, and a built-in display to show time, date, and temperature. Through such professional reviews, users can better understand the product's performance.
Image source: YouTube
In the comments, besides many new users expressing their love for the Epomaker RT100, a large number of existing users joined in, discussing the product's performance based on real experience:
"I bought it as soon as it was released. I really like it. It's worth it for me because it's quieter than my laptop!"
"I love the soft feel at the bottom, because the mute switch usually uses a silicone-like damper at the bottom of the stem, which dampens the sound from the bottom. So it's very comfortable to use when the mute switch is on."
Image source: YouTube
Independent site + e-commerce platform: Driving brand development together
Regarding channel layout, Epomaker did not limit itself to a single sales channel but built a comprehensive sales network system.
On e-commerce platforms, Epomaker chose to enter mainstream cross-border platforms such as Amazon and AliExpress, as well as vertical platforms like Etsy and Newegg, expanding market coverage through multi-platform deployment.
Image source: Amazon
For its own channels, Epomaker has successfully built a fully functional independent brand website, with differentiated content modules for different user groups. For keyboard enthusiasts, it offers professional technical parameter comparisons and personalized modification solutions; for ordinary users, it provides an intuitive product filtering system and cost-performance recommendation lists.
This multi-channel collaborative development strategy has helped Epomaker diversify its sales channels, complementing each other and jointly driving the brand's rapid growth in overseas markets.
Image source: Epomaker
Inspiration for domestic brands
Epomaker's overseas case proves that opportunities in foreign markets often lie in segmented needs. For domestic hardware brands looking to go abroad, three key elements should be focused on:
First, accurately identify market gaps; second, focus social media content on scenarios rather than hard selling; third, utilize multi-channel layouts.
Currently, global consumer demand for high cost-performance, customizable hardware products continues to rise, providing huge opportunities for domestic brands to go overseas.
Instead of competing in the red ocean, it's better to look to the broader overseas blue ocean, using the product strength and innovation of Chinese manufacturing to win the recognition of overseas consumers and start a new journey of brand development.
