Opinion Posts

5 Free Internet Marketing Tools ALL Indie Devs Should Use [UPDATED]

5 Free Internet Marketing Tools ALL Indie Devs Should Use [UPDATED]

Free Internet marketing tools are in no short supply. The challenge is finding a good one. Sadly, most free Internet marketing tools aren’t even worth their nonexistent price tag. Either they’re junk, or they’re amazing…after you upgrade to a paid subscription. But fear not fellow cheapskates. Here are five free Internet marketing tools that are just as great as they are free.

5 Marketing Blogs ALL Indies Should Read [UPDATED]

5 Marketing Blogs ALL Indies Should Read [UPDATED]

Great marketing blogs are akin to finding pots of gold…especially for an indie developer. Why? Because great marketing blogs provide clear and actionable advice. And for an indie who may not be as strong a marketer as he or she is a developer, designer, etc., actionable advice is priceless. Here are five marketing blogs all indies should read and can benefit from.

Data-Driven Marketing for Effective Indie Game Promotion [KEYNOTE VIDEO]

Last month, I delivered a keynote on how to apply data-driven marketing to indie game promotion. The keynote was titled “It’s Not About You: A Scientific Approach to Effective Indie Game Marketing” and focused on target market research. In the keynote I provided step-by-step instruction on how to use data to identify your game’s primary target market(s), understand its needs and effectively communicate how your game fulfills those needs in marketing. The organizers of Konsoll 2014 (the conference in Bergen, Norway where I gave this keynote) recently made my lecture available on YouTube. So, I thought I would share it, along with my slides, with all of you by posting it on Indie Game Girl. Enjoy!

Watch Konsoll 2014 (and My Keynote) for Free

Watch Konsoll 2014 (and My Keynote) for Free

The lovely organizers of Konsoll have invited me back to keynote Konsoll 2014 and I couldn’t be more honored. Like last year, the event will be held in beautiful Bergen, Norway amidst the backdrop of majestic fjords…and…a slew of independent game developers! Also like last year, Konsoll 2014 will be streaming all its presentations, including my Keynote. This is an incredible opportunity to watch some seriously talented industry folk for free, like: Anna Marsh from Lady Shotgun, James Portnow from Extra Credits, Lee Petty from Double Fine and so much more. If you have time to spare this week on Thursday and Friday, I encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity and watch some (or all) of Konsoll 2014.

Exhibit at PAX East from Overseas for $500 [CASE STUDY]

Exhibit at PAX East from Overseas for $500 [CASE STUDY]

For indie studios based out of countries whose local shows don’t provide the kind of media exposure one is looking for, exhibiting at PAX East is a dream. It’s also a HUGE expense. International flights, hotel stays, rental fees and so forth add up. But Henchman & Goon, an indie studio based out of Bergen, Norway, was determined to get to PAX East and promote its upcoming retro, 2D platformer, Flem. Below is the strategy the studio employed to make its determination a reality for just $500 out of pocket.

Packing a Booth at the Game Developers Conference [CASE STUDY]

Packing a Booth at the Game Developers Conference [CASE STUDY]

If you’re paying for a 20′ x 30′ booth at the Game Developers Conference, you better make sure that baby is packed during all show hours. If you don’t, you might as well throw the tens of thousands of dollars it cost to rent the space down the drain! A packed booth not only helps with brand building, generating consumer interest, etc., it piques the interest of the press walking the show floor.

Budget Game Promotion at the E3 Conference [CASE STUDY]

Budget Game Promotion at the E3 Conference [CASE STUDY]

As an indie with limited marketing budget, exhibiting at the E3 conference might seem crazy. Space for a booth alone can cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. Tack on food, transportation and lodging and you’re looking at a small fortune. But, what if you scratch the booth, get a general admittance ticket and bargain hunt for the rest of your expenses? Then is it possible to successfully market your game at E3 on a budget? Rob Stamper from Diametric Games sure thinks so…because that’s exactly what he did at E3 2014 to promote GAS, a slap-stick, 2D side scroller about making it to a bathroom after eating an exotic meal that isn’t sitting too well.

Trade Show Planning Case Study Series

Trade Show Planning Case Study Series

Trade shows can be an excellent opportunity to generate awareness for your game. They provide a format to promote to potential fans, network with the press, build partnerships and more all under one roof. Trouble is, trade shows can just as easily become an expensive waste of time. Whether you’re exhibiting or attending, good trade show planning is a key to a successful event. And as we approach trade show season, what better way to learn good trade show planning tactics than with real-world examples!

Use Social Media Monitoring on Competitor Sites to Improve Your Marketing

Use Social Media Monitoring on Competitor Sites to Improve Your Marketing

Using social media monitoring to track the effectiveness of a competitor’s content marketing strategy is smart for any indie to do. Why? Because knowing the number of shares your competitors’ pages get helps you understand your own content marketing’s strength. Comparing your numbers of likes, Tweets, etc. is a good way to learn what works and doesn’t, as well as how to improve. Problem is, getting these numbers isn’t always easy. Especially when competitors don’t use social sharing buttons that tally and display shares. For those scenarios, here’s how to use social media monitoring to track competitors’ content marketing effectiveness and improve your own.

A Press Release Template Perfect for the Indie Game Developer

A Press Release Template Perfect for the Indie Game Developer

If you’ve never written a press release before, finding a press release template is a great place to start. Just like schematics instruct engineers, a good press release template will instruct you to execute a solid press release. Below is such a press release template, but tailored to fit the needs of indie game developers.