PR in gaming: how to promote games

Recently, we were invited to participate in a tender, which looked something like this: «We have developed a great game, we are confident in its success, we plan to enter the international level. Budget: up to 100 thousand rubles.»

We tell you why you can’t save money on the release of the game and how, at the same time, not to drain budgets into the void. We learn how to formulate goals correctly, a unique sales offer and choosing tools that will work effectively to promote games.

What you need to know about the gaming industry
Promoting the game is not the goal
A unique sales offer, target audience (TA) and a key message
How to promote games: an arsenal of tools
Additional recommendations for the successful promotion of the game

What you need to know about the gaming industry

There are two common opinions about the video game market: the first is that it is an extremely competitive niche in which it is unrealistic to break through to success, the second is that it is a very profitable growing sector, which means you need to create your own product, and you will definitely earn. Both are erroneous, although with a grain of truth. And the truth is this:

1. The games were, are and will be. This market is definitely not going to die in the foreseeable future, and there is really a lot of money in it.
2. The competition is also great, this is a fact. Therefore, in order to succeed, it is important to meet both conditions: a decent level of quality of the game product (uniqueness, in-depth study, absence of bugs) and competent promotion (mass, non-standard, multi-channel, etc.).

Well, let’s figure out what it means to competently promote a gaming product. First of all, you need to set the right goals for this.

Promoting the game is not the goal

The more precisely you formulate the goals, the more likely the campaign is to succeed. Remember that the goal should be quite specific. For example:

• The launch of the game, the formation of recognition;
• Attracting new users, increasing their total number;
• Qualitative change in the gaming audience (for example, when children mostly play, and you need more solvent players who will donate);
• Increasing user engagement;
• Strengthening player loyalty;
• Stimulating purchases (donations);
• Formation of an active community, etc.

Based on the set goals, we will determine the key performance indicators (KPI), which can be:

• Campaign coverage;
• Number of views;
• The volume of traffic to the platform;
• Number of registrations;
• Number of downloads;
• The frequency and amount of donations;
• The level of involvement in the game;
• Activity within the community, etc.

A unique sales offer, target audience (TA) and a key message

Before approving your unique sales offer (and ideally even before creating the game), carefully study your competitors. See who’s in the top right now, play for yourself, fix what the competitors have cool, and what their weaknesses are. Analyze their unique sales offers and promotion methods!

The next step is to describe in detail the portrait of your potential buyer/player. If the target audience is wide, segment it and make profiles for each of the segments. This will help to fine-tune marketing strategies, making the game attractive to various categories of users.

When there is an understanding of «what» and «to whom» we will convey, we can formulate a key message. For effective communication, it is necessary to develop a short, understandable message for gamers.

At the release stage, most likely, the message of the promo campaign will be the slogan of the game itself. Online game marketing expert Jared Jay Tan says that the ideal description should fit into a maximum of four words:

• Alien. Isolation: How Will You Survive
• Call of Duty. Ghosts: We are All We’ve got
• Borderlands 2: Mayhem Awaits. Bring Friends, etc.

Finally, let’s get to the most interesting part: which channels, platforms and mechanics are most effective for promoting gaming industry products.

How to promote games: an arsenal of tools

Landing page. A one–page website about the game is a good base platform that can accumulate all marketing traffic. Don’t forget to set a Metric to analyze the data, and a pixel to be able to launch retargeting campaigns. The design, of course, should convey the atmosphere of the game, and the content on the site should contain all official information, including download or registration links, technical support contacts, coordinates of chats and communities on social networks.

Bloggers. In the field of gaming marketing, the importance of influencers is beyond doubt. Moreover, smaller audiences of microinfluencers demonstrate higher returns. This is due to the fact that their audience is more loyal and actively responds to recommendations, making the cost of attracting one user more profitable compared to large bloggers, whose number of subscribers reaches millions.

Crops in social networks. Posting announcements in specialized communities, blogs, and places where gamers gather works well for promoting games. Here, the most important thing is to choose sites by analyzing their audience, spam, community involvement, and, of course, a good creative of the advertising message itself.

Community. It is not easy to develop a powerful community, but its value is great. If you focus on this tool, then you should start working long before the project is released. You can start with a closed club or pre-registration, create some kind of intrigue, promise bonuses to the first participants.

Activities related to computer entertainment. To make the game famous, you can prove yourself not only on the Internet, but also in real life by visiting game exhibitions. A very lively, engaged audience gathers at such events. However, in order for investments not to be wasted, the development of the campaign needs to be approached creatively. If you go to an offline event, it is important to make an impression and be remembered. As it was, for example, in the framework of the Acer campaign on Igromir.

Gamification. When it comes to standard advertising distribution channels, remember that your target group is gamers. The introduction of interactivity and game mechanics can dramatically increase the attractiveness of your advertising. You can interest them in participating in surveys, finding differences in a set of similar images, solving puzzles with winning promo codes to receive initial bonuses in the game and other gamification elements.

Platforms for gamers. Platforms for gamers. Steam, VK Play and other similar platforms are obvious advertising tools to promote games, but there are risks. Users of these services usually come with a clear task: to log into their games that they have already bought, or to find a specific novelty. Based on this, it is not necessary to focus on advertising in these services, as the main one, and even more so, as the only promotion channel.

Cooperation with manufacturers of hardware or gaming accessories can significantly increase the reach of the audience. For example, we had a HyperX collaboration project with the Rage 2 game, from which both brands benefited.

With a competent approach, you can get cool coverage for free».

Guerrilla marketing. One of the most interesting and native ways to get in touch with the target audience. Involve professionals in this field to launch a discussion of your product on social networks and sow lively interest.

Press releases. It may seem trivial, but it’s still a working tool for launching a product or a major update. Another thing is that if you are not a leading developer, you will have to try to attract the attention of journalists. A strong brand partner, an authoritative person, or even an unusual way of transmitting a release can increase the chances (for example, physical delivery of text to media offices by a courier dressed as a hero from the game).

Additional recommendations for the successful promotion of the game

• Start as early as possible. It is advisable to announce your project before the release. The later you start advertising, the lower the probability of success of the project. Provide support that is understandable and useful. 
• Follow the trends. This will help you create more inclusive content and creatives.
• Don’t go crazy about KPIs. Indicators are necessary, but excessive focus on numbers can distract from the overall goal.
• Remember about the theory of 7 touches. The consumer needs about seven contacts with the product to make the final choice.
• Consider the mentality. Adapting computer entertainment, as well as the content that you use to promote, to the peculiarities of perception, lifestyle, and local humor increases the likelihood of success in a particular market.
• To enter foreign markets, it is worth hiring moderators who are native speakers of the target audience.
• Improve your product and listen to your audience. Constantly collect and analyze feedback, develop the game taking into account the opinions of users.

Let’s add a few words about ourselves. Since the company was founded in 2002, we, the 2L agency, have specialized in working with IT and Tech brands, including gaming projects. If you need a reliable partner to promote a gaming product, leave a request using the button below or email us: sales@2l-pr.ru