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[fluffrabbit]

Thanks for being available. TIGsource has been a resource for me in the past. This is my first time registering an account.

I have been working on a game for 5 months in private, and I expect it to be ready in about a year. It is not my first game, but it is my largest C++ project so far. Development is fairly straightforward since it's 2D (or 2.5D), but the marketing stuff presents challenges.

Thanks for this thread about sending out 8000 emails to press, and for recommending a webhost that makes sense for my needs, so getting a site running won't be an issue.

Part A: social media

The only remaining marketing obstacle is social media, which I have always despised using. I have noticed that the federated options are very FLOSS-centric, Facebook and Twitter are passe, and Instagram is "a complete waste of time" (not my words). I have also seen mention of forums (including TIG and gamedev.net). I feel like a lightbulb isn't turning on in my head that should be turning on.

Part B: timing

What stage is the best at which to start promoting a game on social media, and what stage for the press? Prototype (early weeks), pre-alpha (some gameplay), alpha (feature-complete), or beta (pre-release)? There may be contention on what terms mean what, but timetables and roadmaps can be helpful.

Thanks!

[Taniya]

Gaming is a very competitive industry. If you have a free app, I would strongly recommend that you don’t spend much budget on marketing activities as it’s difficult to compete with big names. Instead go for free and organic methods to market your app. some of them are:-

1. Reach out to influencers that are interested in your app and ask them to share your app on social media or their blog.
2.Reach out to app review website and ask them to review your app.
3. App Store Optimization can be a great way to improve your app downloads for free. You can start with this free crash course on ASO.
4. Submit your app in high quality directories and app downloads site.
5. Interact with people on twitter who are talking about your similar apps or category of apps.

[fluffrabbit]

Thanks, Taniya!

I am avoiding the mobile market and ad/microtransaction-based monetization models. My experience with monetization APIs is very limited and I would prefer to sell at a budget price on Steam and other PC distribution platforms. Do you feel I have made the wrong decision there?

* Influencers - Yes, good idea.
* App review websites - Game review sites; sounds good to me.
* ASO - I think you meant to post a link. A quick search reveals this checklist, which I assume would also apply to Steam.
* Twitter - Okay, sounds like a good platform.

I will keep TIGSource in the loop on my progress, thusly feeling things out as things progress.

[planbgamedev]

Thanks for sharing this informations here, its something new for me ;-)
I already have good experiences with Facebook Marketing but i recomend before you spend money for Facebook Ads ( FREE Game with earning money with promotions ) you have to be sure you have a good performing game.
I mean it is a game that the people like it to play it again and again, not only to download and delete it again.

The biggest benefit in this mobile gaming business is, you are not sedentary, you have not a shop and you dont need to find people close to you.
That means you can promote your game in a country where the Facebook ads are very cheap.
I'm from germany and when i make an FB ad in Germany, thats really expensive only to promote a FREE game, it is hard.I have to spend 10,- or more EUR every day.
I prefer to promote my games in Indonesia, because the FB ads there are 10x cheaper than germany.
Of course the people in indonesia have not too much money to buying products, but to download a FREE game?
That works ;-)
I spend only 1,-EUR daily for Facebook Ads in Indonesia and the average of downloads i have is 50 after 1 week.

But like i already told you, make FB Ads only then when you be sure, that the people like to play your game and not deinstall it directly.

[risen28]

Social media marketing for apps and especially games is incredibly competitive with low yielding results for most.
You arent going to win in a traditional ( todays ) Marketing wold unless you have very deep pockets ...like corporate deep.
There is a bit of a gap in YouTube ive seen when it comes to games its not so over saturated people feature clips of their games and drop a demo link judging by the views and subscriptions i think this works.
Influences are definitely something you would like to use on social media or YouTube ( i kinda see both platforms as sm ).
As for you tubers there are quite a few quys doing game reviews ... giving them a free link to a demo is something theyl love because of the incentive it gives their users to subscribe to their own channel.
ASO app store optimisation can work. Though the problem with this it not like traditional seo whereby you can fake it till you make it. One of the biggest ranking factors on the app store is rate of instillation and secondly how long that app stays installed. You need people t make that work so its a bit of a egg or chicken situation ( it means that somewhere you will have ot be driving people to the app store from a outside source before you can think of organic traffic unless you go paid. )

I feel for game devs im a web dev and i think what you guys do is so passion driven compared to what we do plus much harder and your market is really hard. I hope ive given you atleast one thing to pick at here for an idea....all the best