Mobile Game Influencer Marketing: Strategies for Long-Term Engagement

Short-term influencer promotions can generate bursts of downloads, but if you want players to stick around, it’s essential to develop a long-term strategy. Here are the steps to ensure your campaign has a lasting impact.

1. Find the Right Influencers

The success of your campaign depends on finding influencers who are genuinely interested in your game. Don’t just focus on the number of followers—look for influencers whose audience aligns with your target players. For instance, if you have a strategy-based mobile game, it makes more sense to partner with influencers who specialise in strategy games rather than general gamers.

You can use tools like App Radar or Influencity to discover influencers who fit your game’s style. The key is to look at engagement rates, types of content they produce, and their relationship with followers.

2. Focus on Long-Term Partnerships

Instead of doing one-off promotions, invest in long-term collaborations with influencers. These partnerships feel more natural and give influencers time to truly integrate your game into their content. You could offer them early access to updates, collaborate on in-game events, or even co-create exclusive content. When influencers feel like they are part of your game’s journey, they are more likely to stay involved, and their followers will see this authenticity.

3. Allow Creative Freedom

Influencers know what works best for their audience, so don’t try to dictate exactly how they should promote your game. Let them integrate your game into their content in a way that feels natural. Some might want to do live streams, while others prefer short video clips or social media posts. Giving influencers creative freedom makes the content more engaging and genuine.

4. Target Engagement, Not Just Exposure

While it might be tempting to work with influencers with millions of followers, engagement is often more important than reach. A smaller influencer with a loyal, highly engaged, and curious community may deliver better results. Look for influencers whose followers actively comment, share, and interact with their content. These micro-influencers can create more personal connections with their audience, leading to stronger interest in your game.

5. Reward the Audience

Offer special incentives for the influencer’s audience to encourage them to try the game. Whether it’s exclusive in-game items, bonus levels, or special discounts, these perks can motivate viewers to download the game. For example, if an influencer promotes your game during a stream, they could offer viewers a unique promo code for in-game rewards. This gives the audience a reason to engage with your game immediately.

6. Measure Success and Adapt

Tracking the success of your influencer campaign is crucial. Look beyond just the number of downloads and focus on metrics like player retention, engagement, and user reviews after an influencer promotion. If certain influencers generate higher-quality players who stay engaged with the game long-term, it’s worth continuing the partnership. On the other hand, if an influencer’s campaign leads to a spike in downloads but a quick drop-off in players, it might be a sign to reconsider your strategy.

As you build your campaign, keep these best practices in mind to ensure your mobile game influencer marketing strategy stays on track:

1. Stay Authentic

Players can easily tell when influencers are promoting something they don’t care about. Make sure your partnerships are based on genuine interest from the influencers. The more authentic the promotion feels, the better the engagement will be. Avoid over-scripting influencer content—let them share their true thoughts about the game.

2. Incorporate Cross-Platform Promotion

While influencer content might primarily live on YouTube, Twitch, or social media, make sure to amplify the content across your own platforms as well. Share the influencer’s gameplay videos on your social media, or feature their reviews in your game’s community. This not only boosts visibility but also creates a sense of community between your brand, the influencer, and their audience.

3. Utilise Different Types of Influencers

Don’t just stick to high-profile influencers. Micro-influencers, who may have smaller but highly engaged audiences, can often be more effective. Consider working with a mix of large influencers for broader visibility and micro-influencers for targeted engagement. Diversifying your influencer portfolio helps you reach various segments of your target audience.