After weeks or months of hard work, you have finally developed and Beta-tested your game. So, the hard part is over, right? After all, all that’s left to do is release your project into the world.
But, not so fast! Lacking a robust marketing campaign and misjudging the costs related to game promotion are the two main reasons why the majority of mobile games end up being commercial failures – even those with brilliant gameplay and cutting-edge graphics!
So, what can you do to boost your project’s chances of success if marketing isn’t your strong suit? Start with the simple strategies below.
Dive Deep Into Competition and Market Insights
A quick look at recent mobile game statistics will tell you that the industry is thriving. Today, there are over 2.2 billion mobile gamers worldwide, and the sector is expected to continue growing at a whopping CAGR of 12.3% over the next 8 years, reaching a global market value of $338 billion by 2030.
But while the market undoubtedly offers unprecedented opportunities, the competition is fiercer than ever, and the mobile gaming universe is quickly becoming overcrowded.
So, it’s important to analyze both the market and the competition, identify profitable market gaps, and keep in mind the trends that are shaping the industry throughout each step of your game’s development, testing, launch, and post-production.
Outline Your Monetization Strategy
Game monetization is a pain point for most developers: you know that you need to make money to keep the project sustainable, but ads and paid services can have a detrimental effect on your user experience.
So, what balance should you strive for?
If you are looking to build your user base, a free-to-play (F2P) model for your indie project can entice users to download the app and continue playing without a financial commitment. But make no mistake: these are also the games that have earned their developers over $41 billion in user spending in the first half of 2022!
Some of the monetization strategies you might consider using include:
- In-app purchases through a native store
- Consumable items such as in-game currencies
- Permanent in-game items that can be purchased
- In-app ads such as interstitial, banner, rewarded, and playable ads
- Mobile game subscriptions (i.e.: remove ads subscriptions)
- A combination of the above
Since your monetization strategy will have an impact on your UX, it is crucial to define how you wish to make money out of your game from the start.
You Are Not Alone in This – Partner With a Specialized Marketing Agency
You might be a brilliant developer, but this doesn’t necessarily make you a great marketer!
If marketing and promotion isn’t your forte, partnering with a marketing agency that specializes in web3 and mobile game marketing, such as Upptic, can offer otherwise-inaccessible benefits.
These include access to premium promotion tools and material, targeted marketing efforts, and insights into important metrics, such as Cost per Instal, Daily Active Users, Churn Rate, Lifetime Value, and Average Revenue Per User.
Spend Time Crafting Your Promotional Material
Your game’s graphics and gameplay quality are what will keep players engaged. But, the promotional material you’ll use to attract those players is just as important.
Some multimedia materials you’ll need to have ready to boost your social media accounts, app store profiles, and pitch deck include:
- Promotional videos of the game and trailers
- Real gameplay screenshots
- Game music
- Behind-the-scenes of the game development
Since this media is what will grab the attention of prospective users, consider investing in the best video editing tools for creating marketing videos or partner with a specialized promo video producer.
ASO It’s More Critical to Success Than You Think – Focus on It!
Your play store profile will represent your game’s storefront – something that is proven to be critical to any mobile game’s success. According to a survey by Think with Google, mobile app users report app store browsing and feature recommendations as two of the main game discovery methods.
And, a robust App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy is what will increase the visibility of your app and drive organic traffic.
Some of the key elements of ASO include:
- Researching low-competition, accessible keywords
- Optimizing the game’s title and description in accordance with your chosen keywords
- Boosting the app store page with screenshots and promo videos
- Creating an enticing, recognizable, and descriptive icon
- Collecting and evaluating reviews
- Adapting the game to each market through app localization
While you might not get your ASO strategy the first time around, A\B testing your options can put you on the right track. Just remember to evaluate your Key Performance Indicators every time you twist your app store page to determine what works and what doesn’t.
Know Your App Stores
Hints that mobile is the future of gaming are everywhere, including in the increasing number of traditional and alternative app stores, platforms, and directories.
With over 5.5 million apps available on iOS App Store and the Google Play Store, these are the most common platforms to promote your game. But, they are also the ones with the highest competition!
Instead, consider emerging marketplaces such as the Amazon AppStore, Huawei App Gallery, and GetJar. While these stores’ audiences might be smaller compared to their major counterparts, they can work as an efficient launch pad for your game by boosting its visibility.
Indie Developer? Make the Most of Free Marketing Tools
For indie developers launching a bootstrapped mobile game, building a suitable marketing budget is often a major challenge.
However, you don’t need to have endless funds to pour into your marketing efforts to create a buzz around your game’s launch! Thanks to free and affordable tools, you can start building a robust online presence for your game and boost its discoverability.
Some valid alternatives include growing a social media community, establishing a landing package, and creating a website for your project. Don’t forget to take advantage of the most popular social networks for gamers, which include Reddit, Twitch, and Discord.
… or, Consider Pitching to a Publisher
If launching a game as an independent developer feels like a daunting task or an insurmountable challenge, you might consider pitching your project to a game publisher.
Signing up with a publisher can take non-core tasks (such as game promotion) off your hands, but you’ll have to be ready to give up creative control over your game and a percentage of the profits.
Be aware of all the pros and cons of partnering with a publisher before building your pitch deck!
Tap Into Your Creative Mind and Try Unconventional Marketing Strategies
Social media marketing, influencer partnerships, ASO, and SEO are just some of the many facets of a well-rounded marketing strategy. And, while you shouldn’t miss out on the opportunities that each of these tools will provide, you might also consider thinking outside of the box and trying unconventional marketing strategies.
From using flyers and stickers to designing an urban marketing campaign or investing in experiential marketing, there are endless solutions to start spreading the word about your game. And, don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth – after all, the number one way in which users discover apps is through recommendations from family and friends!