In a world where gaming exists as one of the most prominent and lucrative industries in all of history, the process of breaking into it and creating a successful product can be overwhelming. Developing, testing, and launching a brand new video game is really only the starter quest in a long chain; your next task is figuring out how to effectively and successfully market it.
1- Start Building a Social Media Presence
These days, social media is one of the most important aspects of online marketing. In order to successfully begin your social media marketing efforts, you’ll want to create accounts on all major social networks including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. Each of these has a back-end marketing toolset for businesses that can help you get started with getting the word out about your new video game.
It’s also important to remember Reddit when you’re looking to get new products and ideas in front of many sets of eyes. There are plenty of subreddits that host great discussions about game development, and many of them also allow you to promote your game for free. Consider joining communities such as GameDev, IndieDev, Apps, and MobileGameDev.
2- Live Streaming
Live streaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Live are great ways to create rapid interest in your new video game. In 2020, Twitch netted a whopping 18.6 billion hours watched among all users, so there’s likely no confusion about why these platforms play such a large role in video game marketing.
Consider starting a channel to live stream gameplay from your new video game, and work on climbing your way to a decent following and Twitch Partner status. If you’re new to streaming, watch other big names to find out how they entertain and engage with viewers while playing.
3- Create and Sell Branded Apparel
A key component of a successful video game marketing strategy is selling apparel that showcases your video game. Merchandise and apparel not only unlock extra marketing potential for your brand but also introduces a new revenue source that can become quite substantial if executed and cultivated correctly. Consider creating or outsourcing work for apparel design as early as possible in the marketing process.
4- Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Influencers
Influencers are incredibly important for getting the word out about an up-and-coming video game. They generally already have large followings, and some can even provide exposure to very specific niches that would otherwise be difficult to access.
Influencers will typically hype up your game and even post gameplay (or live stream themselves playing it) to bring attention and interest to your title. If you don’t already know of an influencer you’d like to employ for marketing your new video game, social media is a great starting point for locating and selecting one. It’s important to keep in mind that influencers generally charge flat or hourly rates to advertise video games. Influencers with bigger or more relevant followings also might charge an increased amount.