Game Marketing
Introduction
Ok so you have a game that you've been working on and you now want to share it with the world. You've spent countless hours designing, developing, and polishing your creation. The gameplay mechanics are solid, the graphics look great, and you've fixed all the major bugs.
Now comes one of the most challenging parts of game development - getting your game in front of potential players. Marketing your game effectively can be just as important as making a great game in the first place. Let's explore some strategies to help you promote your game and build an audience.
It's really hard to sell something that doesn't exist yet. Especially when you're an unknown developer. You can share you idea with family and friends. But that's not enough.
It's hard to gain visibility when you're an unknown developer.
So here are some ideas you can implement to help get the word out about your game.
Game Design
First start off with the game design. Before you can effectively market your game, you need to have a clear vision of what your game is and what makes it unique. Take time to define your core mechanics, gameplay loop, target audience, and unique selling points.
Having a solid game design foundation will make it much easier to communicate the value of your game to potential players. Your game design document will become an invaluable resource for creating marketing materials and pitching your game to others.
Check out my article on Game Design here:
Start posting on social media and everywhere about the idea and design of your game. You might not gain as much traction at the start but at least your putting the idea out there.
Screenshots
Once you have a good working prototype or demo of your game, start posting screenshots of the game in action. Screenshots are a powerful way to showcase your game's visual style, environments, characters, and key gameplay moments.
Try to capture interesting and dynamic moments that will catch people's attention. Make sure your screenshots are high quality and well-composed. You can share these on social media, your game's website, or development blog to give potential players a glimpse into your game world.
Consider creating a consistent visual style for your screenshots to help build your game's brand identity.
Gameplay Videos
Once you have a beta version of your game ready to play and test, start recording gameplay videos. These can be used to showcase your game's mechanics, gameplay, and unique features.
Make sure to record high-quality gameplay footage with good audio. You can share these on social media, your game's website, or development blog to give potential players a taste of your game.
Start posting these gameplay videos on social media and everywhere else you can think of. You still might not gain traction but at least people can see the game in action.
Marketing Plan
When you're first starting out, you need to be strategic about how you're going to market your game.
- Know your audience and what they like.
- Know your competition and what they're doing.
- Know your budget and what you can afford to spend.
- Know your timeline and what you need to do to launch your game.
If your game takes too long to make and people lose interest then that could be a minus towards your marketing efforts.
If you don't know what your game is or what the core game loop and mechanics are then no one else will either.
Social Media
It's hard to get noticed when you are first starting out. You are a new developer, a new artist, a new programmer. You don't have a following yet. What are some ways to get noticed?
- Post about your ideas
- Post screenshots of your progress
- Post a short gameplay demo
- Ask for feedback
- Share links to your game, wishlists, youtube channels, etc.
Forums
Forums are a great place to connect with other developers and potential players. You can share your progress, get feedback, and build a community around your game. Many forums have specific sections for game development and indie games.
Some tips for forum marketing:
- Be active and engage with the community
- Share meaningful updates about your game
- Respond to feedback and questions
- Follow forum rules about self-promotion
- Build genuine relationships, don't just spam links
Remember that different forums have different cultures and expectations. What works on one forum might not work on another. Take time to understand each community before posting.
Links
Youtube
YouTube is a powerful platform for marketing your game and building an audience. Here are some key content types to consider:
Gameplay Videos
Showcase your game in action with engaging gameplay footage. This gives potential players a clear view of what your game looks like and how it plays. Focus on highlighting unique features, exciting moments, and polished mechanics.
Tutorials
Share your knowledge and expertise by creating tutorial videos. These can cover game development topics, specific techniques you used in your game, or how-to guides for players. Tutorials help establish you as an authority while providing value to the community.
Devlogs
Document your game development journey through regular devlog videos. Show behind-the-scenes footage, discuss challenges and solutions, and share your decision-making process. This helps create a personal connection with your audience and builds anticipation for your game.
Development Updates
Keep your community informed with regular update videos. Announce new features, show off improvements, and preview upcoming content. This maintains engagement and demonstrates active development of your game.
Remember to optimize your videos with good titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and tags to help them reach your target audience. Consistency in posting and quality production values will help grow your channel over time.
Twitch
Twitch is a great platform for streaming your game and building a community around it. You can stream your game, interact with your audience, and build a community around your game.
Some tips for Twitch marketing:
- Be active and engage with the community
- Share meaningful updates about your game
- Respond to feedback and questions
- Follow forum rules about self-promotion
- Build genuine relationships, don't just spam links
What games do I notice?
When I scour the internet for games to play, I look for a few key things.
- Does the post have a gameplay video that shows the fun mechanics of the game?
- Does it showcase the unique parts of the game that appeal to me?
- Is it quick and to the point?
- Does the thumbnail grab my attention?
If the answer is no to any of these, then I probably won't click on the post.
Hashtags
- #marketingmonday
- #trailertuesday
- #TurnBasedThursday
- #wishlishwednesday
- #wipwednesday
- #throwbackthursday
- #showcasethursday
- #adventuregamefriday
- #FollowFriday
- #FeedbackFriday
- #screenshotsaturdays
Be strategic about the hashtags you use. Don't just use random hashtags. Use the ones that are most relevant to your game.
Start with #screenshotsaturdays when your game is being developed. Then when you have a demo or beta version of your game, start using #wipwednesday and #wishlishwednesday.
Mutuals
Find other developers and indie game developers to help you market your game. You can make friends and help each other out. Post on each others socials and make high value content.
Ads
If all else fails in the free sector and you want to try some paid ads, then you can try out some of the following platforms:
Conclusion
Marketing is a crucial part of getting your game noticed. It's hard to get noticed when you're an unknown developer. But if you're persistent and you put in the work, you will get noticed.
