Game Marketing Tips
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marketing tips
1. Early Access is Your Launch
Treat Early Access as your official launch. The perception of your game is set once it’s available for purchase. If you launch Early Access poorly, recovery is difficult, and it impacts long-term success. Steam and the gaming community judge your game from the moment it goes live.
2. Analyze Your Early Access Reviews
Reviews in the first month of Early Access can determine the trajectory of your game. If you have fewer than 250 reviews in your first month, your chances of success are slim. Strong early reviews are critical to building momentum towards your 1.0 release.
3. Early Access is Not for Feedback
Don’t treat Early Access as a way to gather feedback; it’s too late by then. Instead, use methods like beta tests, remote playtests, or itch.io demos to refine your game. Feedback should be collected before any public release to avoid negative early impressions.
4. Start Marketing Early
Having your Steam page up at least six months before launch significantly improves your game’s chances. Early visibility allows for wishlists to accumulate without the risk of them “going stale.” Gamers don’t forget about games they wishlisted; give your marketing a long runway.
5. Prepare Steam Page Early
Don’t wait until the last minute to prepare your Steam page. Steam’s approval process can take time, and they often find issues that require fixes. Ensure your page is ready well before any major promotions or events.
6. Always Have a Way to Capture Interest
If you’re promoting your game, always have a way to capture interest, even if your Steam page isn’t ready. A mailing list or Discord server is crucial for catching potential players when interest spikes, ensuring you don’t lose out on valuable leads.
7. Update Your Release Date
If you delay your game, update your release date on Steam to avoid appearing in the “popular upcoming” list prematurely. Once your game shows up in this list, you can’t go back, and missing this opportunity can severely impact your launch.
8. Launch with a Trailer
A trailer is essential for your Steam page and marketing efforts. Even if it’s a short, 30-second video, having a trailer at launch boosts your game’s visibility and professionalism, making it more attractive to potential buyers.
9. Include Gameplay in Your Trailer
Steam users are primarily interested in gameplay, not cinematic sequences. Your first trailer should be packed with gameplay footage, removing anything that doesn’t show the core experience of your game.
10. Clearly Define Your Game’s Genre
Make sure players can easily identify your game’s genre from your Steam page. Players like to know what they’re getting into, so ensure your game resembles familiar genres, which can help attract a more specific audience.
11. Show UI in Screenshots
Including UI elements in your screenshots helps players understand your game’s genre and mechanics. While it might not look as visually appealing, it’s more informative for potential buyers who want to know what type of game they’re purchasing.
12. Avoid Excessive Lore in Marketing
While lore can be engaging, it often obscures the core gameplay when used in marketing. Focus your marketing on the genre and mechanics of the game rather than detailed backstory or world-building, which can be reserved for in-game content.
13. Avoid Looking Like an Asset Flip
Using too many similar assets or repeating environments can make your game look shallow. Vary your screenshots to show depth and progression, indicating that your game offers more than just a single, static experience.
14. Keep Your Steam Page Active
Regular updates to your Steam page, such as news posts or events, keep it from going “quiet.” This activity signals to both Valve and potential buyers that your game is actively supported and in development, which can help maintain interest.
15. Cross-Promote Your Games
Use your existing games to drive traffic to your new releases. Cross-promotion can significantly boost visibility and sales by leveraging your established audience, so make sure to link your new game on the Steam pages of your older titles.
16. Leverage Publisher Cross-Promotion
Ensure that your publisher is actively promoting your game across their catalog. This is one of the key benefits of having a publisher, so if you’re not seeing this support, push for it to maximize your game’s exposure.
17. Create Your Developer Page
Your Steam developer page is a valuable asset that should link all your games together. If you’re working with a publisher, make sure that your developer page is highlighted and not overshadowed by the publisher’s own page.
18. Translate Your Steam Page
Translating your Steam page can unlock significant markets and increase your visibility in non-English-speaking regions. Focus on key languages like Chinese, Portuguese, and the FIGS (French, Italian, German, Spanish) languages to broaden your reach.
19. Maintain Accurate Tags
Regularly update your game’s tags to ensure they accurately represent the content. Incorrect or outdated tags can mislead potential buyers and hurt your game’s discoverability on Steam.
20. Hire a Professional for Capsule Art
Your capsule art is one of the most important marketing assets, as it’s often used by streamers and YouTubers for thumbnails. High-quality art increases the likelihood of your game being picked up by influencers, so it’s worth the investment.
21. Include a PSD in Your Press Kit
Streamers and content creators often need to customize your capsule art for their thumbnails. Providing a layered PSD file with transparent elements makes it easier for them to promote your game, which can lead to more coverage.
22. Announce Your Game
Formally announce your game with a trailer, even if it’s just a simple tweet. Announcements tend to generate more buzz and engagement, as they are perceived as newsworthy by your audience and the broader community.
23. Stream During Steam Festivals
Participate in Steam festival streams, even if it’s just a looping video. Streaming during these events is an easy way to gain additional visibility and is often expected by both Valve and potential players.
24. Consistent Content Updates
Post content updates every three weeks to show ongoing development. These updates don’t have to be elaborate; even small insights into your game’s progress keep your audience engaged and your Steam page active.
25. Don’t Quit After One Failure
Many developers fail with their first game. The key to success is releasing more games, learning from each experience, and building a portfolio. Each new game benefits from your growing skills and can leverage the fanbase of your previous titles.
26. Bundle with Other Developers
Bundling your game with others, especially during a launch, can lead to significant additional revenue and visibility. It’s a free and easy way to cross-promote with other developers and share audiences.
27. Discount Wisely
Apply discounts strategically and avoid deep cuts too early. A gradual reduction in price helps maintain perceived value, and offering at least 20% off triggers Steam emails to your wishlisted users, which can boost sales.
28. Don’t Discount Too Deep Too Fast
Avoid heavily discounting your game right out of the gate. Gradually reducing the discount percentage over time ensures you capture sales from players willing to pay more before offering steep discounts.
29. Use Steam’s Daily Deals
If Steam offers you a daily deal, take it. These opportunities bring significant exposure and are worth the required discount, as the increased visibility often leads to a spike in sales.
30. Raise Your Game’s Price
Indie games are often underpriced. Raising your price can signal higher quality to potential buyers, and you should consider adding 20% to the average price of similar games to ensure you’re not underselling your work.