Case Studies Posts

A Press Release Example to Inspire Your Own Game’s Press Release

A Press Release Example to Inspire Your Own Game’s Press Release

Have you been scouring the Web for a great press release example to inspire your own indie game’s press release? Search no more! Get your creative juices flowing by reading my favorite indie game press release: Dejobaan Games’ press release for its title “AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! — A Reckless Disregard for Gravity.” After you’re done taking in the awesomeness, continue onto my analysis of what makes this an excellent press release example.

How to Pitch the Game Press if You Waited Till the Last Minute [QUICK TIP]

How to Pitch the Game Press if You Waited Till the Last Minute [QUICK TIP]

It’s one week till your game’s launch and you have yet to contact the game press. From the research you’ve done, you know waiting till the last minute to begin press outreach is a no, no. Yet, here you are. You’re angry with yourself for letting time slip by and are considering forgoing the game press altogether. While it’s not an ideal situation, don’t give up! There’s still time to make an impact…you just need a different strategy. Instead of relying on relationships you’ve established with writers (a.k.a., the suggested method you didn’t follow), you’ll need to focus on appealing to their readerships’ interests.

Landing Page Design and How to Use it to Sell Your Indie Game

Landing Page Design and How to Use it to Sell Your Indie Game

If you’re like most indie developers, your website’s landing pages are your sales team. I.e., you drive traffic (or leads) to these pages, hoping they’ll convert to customers. Trouble is, without stellar landing page design, most landing pages convert only 5%-15% of traffic. Not too good for the bottom line…but there’s hope. By following these landing page design techniques, you can boost your conversion rate upwards of 50%.

How Much Time Does Blogging Take?

How Much Time Does Blogging Take?

If you’re an IGG fan, you understand the importance of blogging in indie game marketing and have included it in your own promotional calendar. But have you answered the question: “how much time does blogging take?” If not, you risk underestimating what you need to devote to this channel–a mistake that could (1) blow your launch date or (2) result in a not-so-active blog.

While blogging may seem easy enough, keeping an active blog is a serious time commitment–one you must fully understand to plan an accurate marketing calendar. To help you in this planning, I have provided what I spend blogging for Indie Game Girl below. My hope is that you can use this as a guide to more accurately budget your blogging time and achieve greater marketing success.

How to Market Your App to Get 1K Downloads on Launch Day [CASE STUDY]

How to Market Your App to Get 1K Downloads on Launch Day [CASE STUDY]

Knowing how to market your app to get a meaningful amount of downloads is difficult. Especially if you’ve never done app marketing before and don’t have a marketing budget. This is the exact situation Ryan Martin of Ensomniac Studios was in when he and his team launched their first title, Glint, on the App Store. Unlike most indies who won’t break 1,000 downloads in their app’s lifetime, Ensomniac scored over 1,000 on launch day. Below is the app marketing process Ryan and his team followed to beat the odds.

App Review Sites Comparison Tool [UPDATED]

App Review Sites Comparison Tool [UPDATED]

With so may app review sites out there, it’s hard to know where to focus your energy as a developer looking for a review. You want the right mix of exposure, credibility and influence. But with no easy way to compare sites, how do you know what’s worth your time? Enter the App Review Sites Comparison Tool.

Show Your Support for Ethical Game Marketing [FREE BADGE]

Show Your Support for Ethical Game Marketing [FREE BADGE]

Last week I blogged on a topic I’m incredibly passionate about: unethical marketing on the App Store and how we as indies and indie supporters must do our part to stop it. In my post I reference five ways all indies/indie supporters can help bring awareness to unethical marketing, identify agencies that employee unethical tactics and support those that don’t. However, I realize that some of these methods are time consuming, which is why I’ve created the “Indie Developer for Ethical Marketing Badge.”

Gaming the App Store: The Start of an Indie Ice Age

Gaming the App Store: The Start of an Indie Ice Age

As an indie supporter and marketing professional, nothing outrages me more than developers who pay their way into the App Store’s charts with shady acquisition practices. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against paid acquisition. (I don’t think you’ll find a respectable marketer who does.) What I am against are acquisition methods that simulate or incentivize real user activity–like downloads or positive reviews–to trick the App Store’s charting algorithm. If left unchecked, these practices will turn the App Store from a place to discover quality games into a banner farm for subpar apps backed by deep pockets, forcing indie games into extinction.

How to Successfully Market Your Indie Game on a $0 Budget [VIDEO TUTORIAL]

Last October I spoke at Konsoll, a conference dedicated to the advancement of the Norwegian independent game development community. My lecture, “How to Successfully Market Your Indie Game on a $0 Budget,” provided affordable, yet effective marketing tactics. Since then, several new followers have requested similar tips. Instead of continuing to copy and paste the link to my lecture on YouTube, I figure why not make it easy and embed it in a post? After all, accessibility is what effective marketing is all about! Enjoy.

How to Identify a Good Marketing Consultant from His/Her Website

How to Identify a Good Marketing Consultant from His/Her Website

As a developer, marketing may not be your strength. However, it’s a critical component of your success. That’s why blogs like mine exist–to help you become a strong marketer or encourage you to find a strong marketing consultant. Unfortunately, many who claim they can market your game may not know any more about marketing than you do. And if you sign with one of these phonies, you’ll end up with nothing more than a thinner wallet.