How to Market Your Indie Game

Independent games developers did not, in the past, make much use of marketing for the promotion of their games. Game developers tended to shy away from marketing efforts, but today it is essential you grasp the fundamentals of marketing so your game stands a chance of standing out from the crowd.

Marketing is used for promoting all kinds of online entertainment – for example you can check out tips on choosing an online casino here, or find the latest game for your kids by reading a blog post – so indie games should also be promoted in this manner. Here are a few simple tips for starting off marketing your game to the masses.

Know When to Begin Marketing

You do not have to wait until your game is released to start marketing it. You definitely need to start a marketing campaign before release since most sales come within a very short time of release. You should start marketing for online games as soon as you have the building blocks of what the game will look like and what it will do. Once you have finished the game you can add a mocked up version to your marketing and a demo showing what it does. However, don’t post too much in the early stages that will later be changed as you develop the game, since your pictures will still remain on the internet long after your game has been polished.

Get the Essentials in Place

First, all online games need websites. Your website should be the platform for all your games, not just an individual game. Websites are simple to set up and run. You should also then set up your social media channels. There are dozens you can sign up to, but at the very least you should have Twitter and Facebook. Plus, develop a game blog and produce some trailers you can host on YouTube or another video sharing platform.

Publicize Widely

Setting up all these elements is great, but you really need people to be able to read them and reach them before your game will start to be downloaded. Use Twitter actively in order to build up a following so more people, including influencers, will see what you are saying about your game. Link your website to your social media accounts and make sure that they are all updated. It is worse than anything to have an out of date website or Facebook page, so if you cannot keep them current it is best not to have them at all.