Marketing a game today can be a tough task to overcome due to the thousands of titles being released every year. As a game marketing agency we have seen developers fall into various pitfalls. One mistake can transform an opportunity into a challenge. But with the right strategy, any game, indie or AAA, can stand out. To help you navigate the vast landscape of game marketing, here are some of the top game marketing mistakes you can avoid to ensure your campaign reaches a high score.
1. Neglecting a Comprehensive Video Game Marketing Strategy
Why it’s a mistake:
While focusing on game development is important, leaving marketing as an afterthought is a big mistake. This can lead to a disorganised launch, lack of exposure, and lack of interest.
Solution:
Start by planning your marketing strategy as EARLY as possible. Identify your target audience, set your objectives, reach out to journalists, share on social media, the whole shebang. A well planned strategy helps you stay organised and aligned, making sure that all aspects of your marketing are effective.
Example:
While Among Us is known for its massive success, it launched to empty lobbies because it lacked a marketing strategy. As Among Us artist and game designer Marcus Bromander told Kotaku, “We’re really bad at marketing.” It was only 2020 where Among Us found success thanks to a small community and a few streamers. According to data from industry experts, games that fail to build momentum before launch have less than 0.2% chance of recovering post-launch.
2. Overlooking the Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Why it’s a mistake:
There are thousands upon thousands of games launched every year. One of the most common indie game marketing mistakes is ignoring your Unique Selling Point (USP). Otherwise, your game will just become another generic title that no one cares about.
Solution:
What makes your game unique? Is it its storyline, mechanic, or maybe its art style? Your USP is your game’s unique fingerprint. Highlight your USP in all your marketing materials to get attention.
Example:
For a great example of a great USP, look no further than Papetura, a point-and-click adventure game. Tomasz Ostafin, one of the creators of Papetura, took 6 years sculpting a game from 5,000 pieces of paper. What came out was a distinctive style that became its core USP, making it stand out among thousands of titles [1].
3. Underutilising Social Media
Why it’s a mistake:
It’s hard to find an individual who doesn’t have at least one social media platform. That’s why social media is a powerful tool for connecting with people and potential players. Neglecting this means you miss out on opportunities in building a community and engaging with your audience.
Solution:
Regularly post engaging content such as gameplay footages, development updates, screenshots, wallpapers, and other means of interactivity. You may also respond to comments and questions on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, which are invaluable in building a community around your game.
Example:
To help their client, Ntooitive Digital focused on social channels and behaviorally targeted display and pre-roll video for the first three months of their campaign. Then for the DLC release, they switched to conversion through display, social, paid search, and console direct buys to push DLC and standard game sales. Because of their efforts on social media, the campaign yielded 2,500,000 social engagements and 37,189,208 impressions. They were even able to increase their daily users on their Discord by 200%.
4. Neglecting Community Engagement
Why it’s a mistake:
A game without a community is a dead game no matter how many downloads it gets. That’s why ignoring this can lead to disengagement, missed opportunities, and a general loss in many aspects. Building a community around your game can foster a loyal fanbase, and in the long run, encourage word of mouth.
Solution:
Regularly interacting with your community will result in an enthusiastic playerbase. Listen to feedback, communicate, and make your players feel valued. Maybe even consider hosting contests, giveaways, and other events to keep your community engaged and excited.
Example:
Back in 2017, a reddit user posted on the Star Wars Battlefront 2 reddit about how much it cost just to unlock a character. EA responded with a tone-deaf response talking about how they wanted players to feel “a sense of pride and accomplishment.” That comment has become the most downvoted comment in history. This just shows that if you do not listen to your community and do not understand them, not only will your comment get downvoted, players will also turn away from your game and even earn you a bad reputation.
5. Ignoring Influencer Marketing
Why it’s a mistake:
Influencers have the ability to reach audiences far and wide, and ignoring influencer marketing can limit your game’s visibility and growth potential.
Solution:
Try to consider influencers as modern-day town criers that go “Here ye! Here ye!” They can provide reviews, live streams, and social media posts about your game. That’s why finding the right one can help boost your game’s reach and credibility.
Example:
Lethal Company owes its success to influencer and word of mouth-centric virality, where organic shorts were the main driver. Many attribute its proximity chat and unpredictable moments as its come on. The game generated over 2.4 Billion views on Tiktok alone.
6. Skimping on Promotional Materials
Why it’s a mistake:
The quality of your promotional materials reflects the quality of your game. Low-res images, poorly optimised demos, and lack of updates can turn potential players away.
Solution:
First impressions matter. Investing in a well-made trailer, high-resolution screenshots, artworks, and other promotional materials can generate excitement from the playerbase and even attract more.
Example:
Cyberpunk 2077 had the trailers, the graphics, the music, and Keanu Reeves. It was hype city! But then, the game released. It was buggy, it would crash, and some characters were t-posing – in other words, it was poorly optimised. This just goes to show how powerful good promotional materials can be. It will raise the expectations of people and depending on the state of your game on release, it can either meet it or just end with disappointment.
7. Skipping Beta Testing and Early Access
Why it’s a mistake:
Skipping beta testing and early access can result in a less-than-polished product that’ll be prone to crashes, glitches, and other bugs.
Solution:
This is your dress rehearsal. Early access and beta testing allows you to improve and address issues in your game through valuable feedback, as well as build up anticipation.
Example:
Baldur’s Gate spent around 3 years in early access where it was found to be buggy and not worth purchasing at the time. But Larian Studios kept at it, updating the UI, the game balance, added new character classes, and even made adjustments to the script, having the actors and voice actors make frequent returns to the studio. When it was finally released in 2023, it was a far cry from how it looked during early access. It is now considered one of the greatest games of all time.
8. Failing to Optimise Your Game’s Store Page
Why it’s a mistake:
As the first point of contact for potential players, a poorly optimised page can lead to low visibility and generate disinterest in your game before they even learn what it has to offer.
Solution:
Don’t just rely on your trailer. Optimise your store page by including a well written description, high-res visuals, and other USPs. Your store page should be able to communicate your game’s value and entice players to make a purchase.
Example:
Optimised vs unoptimised? It shouldn’t even be a question. Indie game Echoes was shadowdropped on Steam. No bells and whistles, no marketing, used unpopular Steam tags, gameplay video was 40 mins and “boring”. It was only getting 60 visits a day and 300 impressions.
9. Overlooking SEO
Why it’s a mistake:
Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is vital in helping potential players find your game. Plain and simple. The goal is for your game to appear as one of the top choices on Google or any other search engine when potential players type in specific words. Ignoring this can lead to low visibility and fewer downloads.
Solution:
Proper use of SEO helps keep your game’s website fresh, optimised, and always ready for potential players to download. Using relevant keywords and regularly updating your content is the best practice here.
Example:
A developer approached a digital marketing agency to help them market their game to an international audience. While the game had a following in India, it was relatively unknown internationally. Thanks to SEO and other digital marketing efforts, the game achieved around 65,000 downloads on the Google App Store.
10. Neglecting Email Marketing
Why it’s a mistake:
Neglecting this marketing strategy will lead to missed opportunities when it comes to communicating with potential players. This is one of the most cost-effective ways in reaching your audience.
Solution:
Use email marketing as a means to regularly update your community about your game. Share news, exclusive content, and maybe even offer special discounts as a way to stay engaged with your audience.
Example:
Kitfox, the developer of Boyfriend Dungeon, hired a marketing consultant that suggested that they use their email as a tool for storytelling, rather than the usual business email. The emails were designed to be written like love letters from the dateable weapons in-game. The strategy led to more people subscribing and trusting their emails, opening them with interest and a heart full of love for their potential “date.”
11. Ignoring Data and Analytics
Why it’s a mistake:
Data and analytics help you keep track of your marketing efforts, letting you know what’s working and what’s not. Ignoring this can leave you guessing instead of making the right decisions.
Solution:
Regularly reviewing your data helps you adjust your strategy accordingly, making sure that all your efforts are on track.
Example:
Kevin Verre, the developer of Starcom: Nexus, used the data he gathered to answer questions such as “What framerates were players getting, how long did it take for players to finish the game, etc. He then updated the game with help from those who participated in the closed beta. It now sits with a positive 91% from over 1000 players.
12. Not Setting a Realistic Budget
Why it’s a mistake:
Not setting a realistic budget can be costly, leading to overspending, underspending, or not spending at all especially during critical moments.
Solution:
Allocating your funds wisely and monitoring your expenses will help you make sure that your campaign is well-funded and getting the most out of your marketing activities.
Example:
Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning sold over a million copies and is a highly rated game. Unfortunately, the developer 38 Studios was not able to budget properly, and because of external and internal problems, declared bankruptcy later in the year [1].
13. Overlooking the Importance of a Press Kit
Why it’s a mistake:
Press Kits contain all the information journalists and media need to quickly understand and write about your game, including but not limited to screenshots, trailers, logo, etc. Not having one can make it hard for you to gain traction.
Solution:
Make your press kits easily accessible to journalists and influencers through your website or email them directly. A well-prepared press kit equals a well-received game.
Example:
Focus Entertainment has been making video games for more than 30 years. Some of their most famous games include Space Marine 1 and 2, A Plague Tale, and Evil West. With a number of high quality games under their belt, it is no surprise that their press kits are also high quality, containing screenshots, trailers, and a press info, so that the media has an easier time talking about their games.
14. Failing to Adapt to Market Trends
Why it’s a mistake:
Gaming is a dynamic industry and not being able to adapt to market trends can make your game feel outdated and downgraded.
Solution:
Follow the news, attend conferences, conventions, and interact with your community. You may be surprised at what you may hear, and you may be surprised by the expectations you will meet and exceed. All you have to do is stop, look, and listen.
Example:
LawBreakers failed to find an audience when it was released in 2017. Unfortunately, Overwatch and other hero-shooters that were released months before were still dominating the charts, and at the same time, the battle royale genre was picking up with the release of PUBG: Battlegrounds and Fortnite, both being free-to-play. In the end, LawBreakers also went free-to-play after having a $30 price tag, and was eventually pulled out of Steam the following year.
15. Ignoring Post-Launch Marketing
Why it’s a mistake:
Focusing solely on pre-launch marketing can result in a loss of momentum, making it hard to retain players and attract new ones.
Solution:
Don’t neglect your game post-launch. Keep your audiences interested by posting updates, new content, and other marketing materials. You should also monitor player feedback so you can address any issues immediately.
Example:
Considered one of the greatest redemption in video history, No Man’s Sky is an example of why post-launch marketing is important . After launching in 2016, many players were disappointed to see that the game lacked what they were promised. The developers remained quiet at first but later on said that they were listening and were planning to make sure that the game becomes what was promised. Up till now, No Man’s Sky is still receiving updates, with each update being treated as a brand new launch.
16. Not Collaborating with a Professional Game Marketing Agency
Why it’s a mistake:
Trying to handle all marketing in-house can result in a chaotic environment and less-than-optimal results.
Solution:
Find a co-op. In this case, look for a professional game marketing agency (ahem The Game Marketer ahem). We can help you come up with a comprehensive marketing strategy that meets your needs. With our help and resources, we can enhance your marketing efforts and ensure that your game reaches the top level.
Example:
The Game Marketer’s creative team handled everything from content ideation and copywriting to asset creation and trailer production. Shantytown surpassed 100,000 wishlists, generated over 1.5 million Steam page visits, and achieved more than 70,000 demo downloads.
In short
Mistakes can be fixed, but it can be costly. By developing a well-rounded strategy, regularly interacting and updating your community, utilising the right tools and platforms, and hiring the right assistance, your game will earn the victory it deserves.
