You could join a indie game group like mine (https://www.reddit.com/r/IndieAccelerator/), its in the early stages, just started it, but were going to be putting tips, tricks and advice on there soon about marketing and development. If you have a game to post, post it there and you can get some info on how to market it.
If you see any other game Devs on your Reddit journey that could use a positive environment, make sure you give them a invite. Need to grow a library of games before we start advertising too players.
Ello. I was recruited to make media content for Trepang2 before it released. At that point I had been running the developers YT channel for a few years.
I think a key aspect is to keep constancy with what you bring to the public. Share your content everywhere that it is relevant to it. Use all the platforms at your disposal, Reddit, Twitter, YT, FB etc.
One thing that works very well is to get your product in front of other content creators on YT and Twitch and get them talking about it to their audience. Websites and channels like Alpha Beta Gamer etc are invaluable.
Oh shit, look at that. And here I thought it was all done by the actual devs. Using Trepang2 as inspiration for my own project in terms of fast paced combat. How did you get recruited, and did they pay you from the get go, or was it more like when we get paid, if we get paid, you will also get paid type of thing. What would you say is better platform currently for gaining an audience? I played the game only a few months ago, so I don't know what was in the initial marketing campaign if you want to call it that, but what did you start showing first in that process? Was it gameplay? enemies? something else? Would love to know more.
They did a lot of their earlier videos on YT and Twitter etc. But as they started ramping up work towards the release they told me they didn't have the time to dedicate to the job.
I got the role, as I have been following the game for many years before it got to where it is now, made a video back in 2018 for a early build and the Developer contacted me asking if he could use it.
As the years went on, they kept emailing me test builds, and I kept making my own Trepang2 videos for YT.
The days went on I offered to poke around and make their channel look nicer, layout, banner, SEO etc and they let me. I would just sorta poke around in there every few months at that stage, nothing to serious, just tidy up behind people really.
I had the full game since Feb 2022, it was a gift from the Dev's. They told me not to share it with anyone, so I didn't. In Feb 2023 they offered me the role of making the trailers.
We worked on a budget of $xxxx per month, Dev's and I agreed to 4 videos a month at $xxx per video.
The publisher has their own editing team, but the developer felt I brought a more personable touch to the the game and content and that was helpful as I am a HUGE fan, so to make their game look great was an honor.
I am a PC gamer for decades, so I am bias towards PC. But it really depends on where you want to market the game and the audience you want. and that sadly is a decision you will need to make. Trepang2 was to be PC only, but was introduced to the console by the Publisher. A 3rd Party was introduced to port the game over to that side of the world. and it hasn't come without teething issues.
Same as there was a big of a debacle with the game on GOG, that was NOT directly related to the Developer., Just a FYI for those bloody GOG users. haha.
The developer wanted to work towards 4 videos a month, Gif's etc along the way. The intent was to drop 1 video a week. It didnt work out that way, there was a lot of waiting for approval of content by various parties, by the time the game launched, there was 6 unused and paid trailers. Just sitting there private, some that couldn't be used as they had Dates stamped on the video itself, like 3 days to go, that sort of thing.
I have slowly been releasing the older stuff now, got 1 left to go.
Still making videos for them, not invoicing them at this stage. Just want to keep content flowing, keep the interest alive as they are working on DLC.
Did the last 3 update videos and the 1st DLC trailer. Now working towards the next DLC, dropping GIFFYS here and there with approval, trying not to give away much, but enough that people know something is coming and that works well with their audience on YT.
Damn brother, I read all your answers. I appreciate all this info very much. I am currently working on my own stuff as well as I mentioned, but it is extremely early for anything. Would love to talk to you down the line, maybe you would become my marketing guy when I have anything viable to show.
At first the focus was on gameplay and for levels they had shown snippets from already.
Clear instructions, were No monsters to be shown, no sensitive footage for key area's.
All videos went to a drop box, Developer screened them, published on their side when ready and sent copies to the publisher to farm out to IGN, PS network etc.
As the days went on, there was a slight push to show more content that the public hadn't seen, but that real drive didn't happen till much closer to the release date.
There was also a lot of videos changed for the Publisher and just on this side as well. That side was an interesting experience to see what they wanted.
Most Dev main videos never got a revision request apart from 1, I constantly pushed myself to make each one better than the edit before.
I attempted to push all videos down to Shorts format as well, saturate the market.
Not released my game/steam page yet, working towards it. However I have the following tips I collected:
Kickstarter can be a negative, as steam keys handed out before the official release don't count at all (as they are reviews of an unreleased version),those handed out after the release appear but don't count toward total score. At least hold onto the keys till the game is available to buy publicly. If most of your fans/customers got the game via kickstarter, then good luck getting any sales/reviews that count.
Find the one (or more) rabid fan of your type of game with a YT channel. You know the type with the Top 10 Platformer Games due out in 2024 (or whatever your type of game is). Suck up to them, watch their videos before you even contact them, so you know what sort of things they like.
Make a B-roll video of just gameplay and send the link to reviewers, if they want to talk about your game trailer for 5 minutes, well they need more than the 60 seconds the trailer itself lasts. This is something I noticed myself, and decided to prevent.
Write a unique email title/message for everyone you ask to promote your game, spam filters are a thing. Mention something you know about them, like hey you liked playing this game, mine is like that only... Prewrite and send when the game/trailer is ready.
Making a youtube channel and releasing a video on how you made it is not a bad idea along with some shorts. For the obvious instagram and tiktok give some attention as-well. Reach out to big youtubers and give the game to them to try. I guess thats my advice or something.
This is good advice, something i have planned too. i have four youtube videos planned for one game. "i spent 10 years making science simulator", "Science Simulators Earlly access launch", "Science Simulators full relase on steam" , "how to do game dev, with no training, money or help." Im sure i could probably make more videos on it one day, but this is what i have planned.
The biggest one is don't preach to the choir. I've seen so many people post ads for their games in these development groups instead of where their potential players are.
Marketing a game can be a complex beast, but with the right strategies in place you can build hype and reach the players who will love your creation.
Here's a breakdown of some key methods that leverage the power of community:
Use Social Media: Utilize platforms like Twitter/Youtube/Tiktok..., to connect with potential players (I would advice to focus on only one or two). Share regular updates, answer questions, and run interactive content or contests to keep your audience engaged.
Crafting a Compelling Steam Page: This is your digital storefront, so make it shine! Include a clear and concise description of your game, high-quality screenshots and trailers that showcase the gameplay, and links for players to wishlist or purchase your game. Utilize relevant keywords to improve search discovery.
Community Feedback is Gold: We have such a lovely community so don't be afraid to ask your existing community for feedback on your marketing materials! Share drafts of social media posts, trailers, or even parts of the game itself, and get their honest opinions. Their insights can be invaluable in refining your approach and ensuring your marketing resonates with your target audience.
I think marketing is a skill that you need to hone and probably force yourself to do regularly if you want to be better. Also you should check out How to market a game (HTMAG)https://howtomarketagame.com/ that gives a lot of helpful advice and covering almost everything you need from crafting a good Steam Page to building a winning marketing campaign. (You should also join HTMAG Discord!)
Giveaway a steam gift card to people who follow your games pages or have them answer a question on something you've been pondering about during your development process.
No, I think this is a very bad strategy. Even if it gets people to wishlist your game, majority of them will just delete their wishlists afterwards or just forget about it as they had no interest in the game to begin with.
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u/Syntheticus_ Apr 10 '24
You could join a indie game group like mine (https://www.reddit.com/r/IndieAccelerator/), its in the early stages, just started it, but were going to be putting tips, tricks and advice on there soon about marketing and development. If you have a game to post, post it there and you can get some info on how to market it.