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INSIGHT/
How to Choose the Right Platforms for Your Game Community
28/10/2024 Written by The Game Marketer
Building a thriving game community is essential for the success of any game, whether you're an indie developer or an established game studio. A vibrant community fosters engagement, loyalty, and long-term interest in your game. However, one critical decision that developers often face is choosing the right platforms for their game community. With so many options available, finding the perfect fit can be challenging. This blog will walk you through how to choose the ideal platforms for your game community, considering important factors and optimising it for future success.
1. Understanding Your Audience
Before diving into specific platforms, it’s essential to understand your game's audience. Not all gamers are the same, and different demographics gravitate toward specific platforms. For instance:
Casual Gamers tend to gravitate to platforms like Facebook or Instagram, where social interaction is simple with an already built-in audience.
Hardcore Gamers are likely to lean toward Discord or Reddit, where they can engage in deep discussion threads, share strategies, and connect with like-minded players.
By identifying your audience's preferences, habits, and online behavior, you’ll be better positioned to select a platform that aligns with their expectations.
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2. Types of Game Community Platforms
Each platform offers unique advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular platforms for building and maintaining your game’s community:
Discord
Discord is one of the most popular platforms for game communities. Its flexibility allows for the creation of multiple channels under one server, facilitating discussions, events, and announcements in an organised and creative manner. Some key advantages include:
Real-time Communication: Discord supports voice, text, and video communication, making it ideal for fostering real-time engagement.
Customisation: Developers can create custom bots to automate tasks, moderate the community, or even run in-game events.
Gamer-Centric: Discord is widely recognised within the gaming community, making it a natural fit for game-related discussions.
Reddit is another platform suited for fostering and engaging game communities, particularly because of its upvote/downvote system that promotes quality content. Reddit's subreddits (community-specific forums) allow for focused discussions around a particular game. Its strengths include:
Threaded Conversations: Reddit is ideal for in-depth conversations and discussions, perfect for theory crafting or strategy sharing.
Visibility: Posts that receive upvotes are pushed to the top, ensuring that the most popular or valuable content is always visible.
Dedicated Communities: Once a subreddit gains traction, it can turn into a dedicated fan base that continuously drives interest.
Facebook Groups
While Facebook’s popularity has declined among younger audiences, it’s still a useful platform for casual gamers and mobile game developers. Facebook Groups offer a space where players can interact, share tips, and stay updated on game news. Benefits include:
Accessibility: Facebook is already a social hub for millions of users, making it an easy place to gather a community.
Cross-Posting: Facebook allows users to share content across multiple groups and pages, extending the reach of your community.
Easy Updates: It’s simple to keep your community updated on game news, events, and patches with Facebook’s group features.
X
Though Twitter (now rebranded as X) isn’t typically seen as a traditional community-building platform, it’s a powerful tool for connecting with your game’s fan base. Here’s why it works:
Real-Time Interaction: The fast-paced nature of Twitter/X means you can interact with fans and followers in real-time, sharing updates or responding to feedback instantly.
Discoverability: Hashtags and trending topics make it easier for your game to gain visibility among larger audiences.
Short Updates: Twitter/X is perfect for quick, digestible updates, ensuring that your community stays informed without overwhelming them.
Twitch
Twitch is the platform of choice for live-streaming and engaging directly with your audience. Hosting live streams on Twitch can help grow your game’s community organically, especially if the game is well-suited for live content. Key aspects of Twitch include:
Engagement: The live chat feature allows for real-time interaction between the streamer and the audience, creating a sense of community.
Influencer Collaboration: Partnering with popular streamers can help expose your game to a larger audience, driving both player engagement and community growth.
YouTube
Though primarily known for video content, YouTube can serve as a solid community-building platform, especially if your game has visually engaging or highly strategic elements that players enjoy watching. Here’s how YouTube can work for you:
Content Longevity: Videos posted on YouTube can be accessed anytime, providing long-term engagement and discussion opportunities.
Diverse Content: From tutorials to live streams and highlights, YouTube offers a range of content formats to engage different types of gamers.
3. Key Considerations When Choosing a Platform
When determining the best platforms for your game community, there are several factors to keep in mind:
Platform Fit
Not all platforms will align with the type of content your community prefers. For instance, a complex MMORPG might benefit more from Discord’s extensive organisational capabilities, while a casual mobile game could thrive in a Facebook group setting.
Community Management
Consider how easy it will be to moderate your community on each platform. For example, Reddit’s upvote system can help self-moderate content, while Discord requires more hands-on moderation, especially in larger communities.
Engagement Opportunities
What kind of engagement do you want with your community? If you're looking for in-depth discussions, Reddit or Discord might be the best options. For broader, more casual interactions, platforms like Facebook or Twitter/X might be a better fit.
Monetisation Potential
Certain platforms offer monetisation opportunities that could benefit your community in the long run. For instance, Twitch and YouTube allow creators to monetise content through ads, donations, and sponsorships, which could be beneficial for both the developer and influencers within your game’s community.
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4. Combining Platforms for a Holistic Strategy
Relying on a single platform might limit the growth and engagement potential of your game community. Each platform has its own unique strengths that cater to different types of interactions and player preferences. By combining multiple gaming community platforms, you can create a more engaging and inclusive experience that meets the needs of a broader audience. Here’s why this approach works:
Discord excels at real-time communication, offering a space where players can engage in voice or text chats, join discussions, and receive instant updates. It's perfect for creating a tight-knit community that thrives on immediate interaction.
Reddit is great for in-depth discussions and long-form content. It allows users to post strategies, guides, and game-related content that can be easily accessed and voted on by the community. This fosters a sense of contribution and expertise among players.
Twitch or YouTube serve as live-streaming and video content hubs, enabling you to connect with players through live gameplay, tutorials, or Q&A sessions. These platforms are particularly effective for showcasing updates, game strategies, and directly engaging with your audience.
By leveraging the strengths of different platforms, you allow players to interact in ways that suit their preferences—whether they prefer real-time discussions, long-form content, or video engagement. This holistic strategy ensures that no matter how your audience prefers to engage, there’s a platform for them, ultimately fostering a more vibrant and well-rounded community.
5. Measuring Success and Adapting
Once you've set up your game community across various platforms, the next step is to track its performance to ensure your strategy is effective. Measuring success allows you to identify what’s working well and where improvements are needed. Here are key metrics to monitor:
Engagement Rates: This includes how often members are interacting with the content, joining discussions, attending events, or reacting to posts. High engagement means your community is active and invested.
Community Growth: Track the number of new users joining your community across different platforms. Consistent growth shows that your platforms are attracting more players and that your community-building efforts are paying off.
Content Interaction: Measure the level of interaction with posts, such as likes, comments, shares, or upvotes. This will give you insight into which types of content resonate most with your audience and what keeps them engaged.
Sentiment: Understanding the overall tone of your community is essential. Are players excited and positive, or do you notice frustration or complaints? Positive sentiment indicates a healthy community, while negative feedback can highlight issues that need attention.
Based on these metrics, you can adjust your strategy to better suit your audience and the platforms you're using.
Conclusion
Choosing the right platforms for your game community is a critical step toward long-term success. By understanding your audience, evaluating platform features, and continuously measuring engagement, you can create a thriving community that not only enhances the player experience but also contributes to the overall success of your game. Whether you're building a community for a mobile game or a large-scale MMORPG, selecting the right mix of platforms will ensure that your players stay connected and engaged.
At The Game Marketer, we specialise in helping game developers choose the right platforms to build and grow their communities. Our team of experts ensures that your game reaches the right audience and fosters meaningful engagement. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your game marketing needs!
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