After months or even years of development you have finally created your very first game. Congratulations! Having worked in the industry for years, I know how much time and work goes into developing and releasing a game. But where do you go from here? You have done your initial reach out to all the major news sites and you may have gotten some bites to do reviews of your game once it hits a beta or final stage. But although these reviews will help you get your name out into the world of gamers, you will also need to do additional marketing.
You don't have the kind of budget that big publishers and established paid games have, but that isn't always a bad thing. It helps you get more creative in the way you interact with your audience. But before you just jump in and flood your social media channels with game promotion posts, there are a few points you should consider.
Make Social Media Work for You
Social media is one of the best ways to build consumer engagement. Although social media marketing is low cost or free, it does take time to set up and get rolling. Posts about your stages of development, game updates, videos and in-development pictures help engage your audience. Social media is ideal for word of mouth marketing.
Keep Your Fans Up to Date with Newsletters
Something that is lacking in the marketing strategy of many big game publishers is a lack of email newsletters providing content highlights for their upcoming game. Newsletters are an interesting part of marketing. They give businesses a chance to add a bit of personal content such as concept art, new content announcements or some behind the scenes videos. Email newsletters can also be used as part of an incentive program. For example, pre-order customers can get exclusive information and coupons through the newsletter before the game comes out. Newsletters can be scheduled and sent out at specific times. Creating your content in advance saves time, and analyzing your email reports after each send helps you optimize future newsletters.
Survey Your Fans to Learn More
We all know that no matter how strong your marketing is, sometimes it just doesn't seem to hit the mark. It is always wise to add surveys to your marketing strategy. Surveys enable you to learn what your fans think about your social media and newsletter campaigns, what they want more information about, and what features of your game they are most excited about. This can be one of the best ways to not only engage your fans but also to gain invaluable information for future marketing.
Manage Your Information Effectively
It is essential to be able to capture and use fan information effectively. This information will help you identify hot leads and market your game more effectively. Tracking your fans' and customers' interactions with your messages helps you learn what they are interested in. You can also fully monitor their online interactions with your social media posts and your website. Tracking helps you send personally targeted marketing messages to each fan, increasing engagement and excitement. A comprehensive customer relationship management solution (CRM) helps you monitor and better market to the different types of fans and customers you are sure to encounter.
Automating parts of your marketing process can help you go above and beyond what other indie game developers are considering, all while saving time and effort. The extra time you gain gives you valuable time to connect with your audience through social media and social streaming. With SimplyCast 360, an all-in-one marketing automation tool, you can create campaigns that work better for you and keep all your information organized in one place. With great packages that won't break your bank account, you save on time and money.
Sign up for a free trial to see what marketing automation can do for you and your upcoming game release.
