Whenever I read about an indie game studio closing its doors due to financial troubles, my stomach knots. Witnessing such talented people pursue their dreams and be met by failure is heartbreaking. I understand the allure of becoming the next Rovio, but for most of us, it’s a siren’s call.
With so many horrible examples to use as reference, it’s amazing anyone knows how to make a video game trailer that effectively promotes his or her game. Yet…some do, which begs the question: what makes a video game trailer effective? To find out, I reviewed video game trailers for the top 10 indie games of 2012 (based on IndieGames.com’s list) and searched for commonalities. I discovered that while there is no exact recipe for how to make a video game trailer successful, there are certain ingredients that help in a major way.
When it comes to app submissions, several review sites say marketing strategy has nothing to do with passing the prescreen and moving into review consideration. I say rubbish! Of course review sites won’t publish reviews for junk games, however, to say marketing strategy plays no part is just not true. An app submission is like any other marketing material: if executed correctly, it will turn heads, if not, it will die without a shot. Here are four marketing tips to help your app submission make it past the prescreen for review consideration. (After that, it’s on the quality of your game.)
Last month I was interviewed by Tap for Tap, a tap exchange that allows app developers to generate taps for one another via mobile advertising. In the interview, Co-Founder Eric Dyck and I discussed a variety of marketing topics ranging from landing pages to Kickstarter campaigns to call-to-action button testing and beyond. Tap for Tap recently posted the video interview, which I embedded below for your viewing pleasure.
App reviews are a fantastic way to to attract the right kind of traffic to your app, i.e., visitors who are likely to convert to paying customers. The problem is, app reviews can be tough to land. Often times, top review sites have long backlogs and steep competition. Here are three ways to help you break through the clutter and score app reviews.
If you’re promoting your game or app via a landing page, AB testing your call-to-action (CTA) button is a must. Why? Your CTA button is arguably the most important element on your lander. It’s what converts visitors to customers and because of it, determines your page’s effectiveness. The only way to ensure your CTA button is performing at its very best is with AB testing.
The first step to effectively promoting your game in a page or post is knowing how to find keywords. Choosing the right keywords determines the type of and how much traffic your page or post gets, as well as its rank in search results. Because of the impact keywords have, don’t leave them to chance. Maximize your page or post’s potential by following the steps below on how to find keywords.
When you launched your Kickstarter campaign, it was like someone blew open the flood gates. A waterfall of donations rushed your way and made you think, “man, what a cake walk meeting my funding goal will be.” Then something happened. That beautiful, gushing waterfall quickly turned into a sad trickle and left you fretting whether you’d lose everything after 30 or 60 days. The key to keeping your fundraising momentum strong is continued marketing. Here are four tips to avoid a Kickstarter fundraising slump.
If you’re ready for your Kickstarter launch, hopefully you’ve completed Phases 1 and 2 of your Kickstarter campaign timeline. This means you’ve been promoting your game/company for a few months and have amassed a sizable and engaged audience. In addition, you’ve spent the past three to four weeks teasing your upcoming Kickstarter launch to generate buzz. If this is where you’re at, congratulations and please continue reading. If you’re a little behind, consider delaying your launch until you’ve caught up.
For the past three months, you’ve been working hard to build an audience to start your teaser campaign. You’ve blogged like crazy, tweeted hardcore and everyone in the forums is on a first name basis with you. As a result of your efforts, you’ve amassed a sizable following of active and engaged fans. Now is the perfect time to start your Kickstarter teaser campaign.
Emmy Jonassen is an independent video game marketing consultant, freelance writer and speaker helping indie developers build adoring fan bases for their games. Read more.
