OK quick tips for press/influencers on reaching out for keys when a game is days away from launch.
I already have little patience to deal with vague inquiries, and when we're nearing game launch?? hooOOoo boy
🧵👇
1) My inbox is a wreck.
Games generally get the most hype and requests the closer to launch. Every single day I'm getting at least 10 emails for keys (depends hype of the game.)
I have NO time, so I need you to help me make it as easy as possible to justify giving you a key.
2) Tips on ur outreach email:
- A way to verify your email
- Links
- Sentence about relevancy/why this game is interesting to ur audience/how does this benefit me if I give you a free game?
- STATS. Page views! Concurrent viewers! Community size! Etc!
3) I get a TON of emails that look like this:
"My name is X at Y. Here is a link to my channel. Your game Lucifer Within Us looks cool. Can I get a review key to stream? Thanks."
It isnt THE WORST, but it's not convincing. It sounds like u just dont want to buy a $20 indie game
3.5) Maybe if I weren't super pressed for time I would do the digging on your channel if you sent me the above email. Maybe.
But I'm legit bouncing around doing a million other things and if your email leaves me feeling like you didn't try, I won't try either.
4) When I do press outreach, I think about their bottom line. WHY should they cover our game, how does it benefit them? Because what I'm doing is asking them to do something for me.
So if you're reaching out to devs for keys, think along the same lines. Sell me on you!
5) My main goals are:
- Relevancy
- Engagement
- Impressions (but this is at the bottom)
E.g. An 800k channel asked for a key which I won't be giving, because all they do is play Minecraft
6) And finally, this is not part of the outreach, but to maintain good relations, definitely reply back after you've written your review/done your stream/uploaded a video with a link!
We keep track of these things and what has been covered.
Ok!! Thanks!! 💖
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Based on touting your game's benefits and why it's fun.
Example:
- Pupperazzi: "Take photos of cute dogs and upgrade your camera"
- Mondo Museum: "Put your creativity on display to curate the world's best museum!"
So many cool game marketing peeps have a newsletter and now I want one 😤 Except all it'd be is
1) article links I bookmarked for later, forgot about, and oops never looked at again 2) the 67 GDC talks I've been "meaning" to watch 3) screaming
Anyways here are my recommendations for Fricken Good Game Marketing Newsletters™:
🗻 @AdventureMtn - How To Market a Game
- King of email marketing
- Sooo many interesting, researched, and unique topics
- Taught me the phrase "spaceship ass"
📽️ @Derek_Lieu - Game Trailer Editing
- Learn how to make damn good trailers
- Very good breakdown of how to "look" at trailers and what makes them so appealing
- There's always a cat pic
Okkkk I get this question a lot: how'd you become a CM, how do I get there, etc.
I don't have a marketing degree, so this is my personal experience!
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1. There is no silver bullet resume 🏆
Every studio requires something different, whether indie or AAA.
Look at job posts, see common skills that are required, learn accordingly, but also think about what unique skill you can bring to the table! (Video editing? Streamer? Etc.)
2. Gain experience 📈
Experience > education most of the time. Luckily with CM-ing, it's possible! Mod a forum, volunteer for events, etc.
I got my "experience" from several non-game related marketing jobs as a starving university student.
So one of the things I think deserves attention is the charisma a community dev needs to do their job!!
Charisma is based on 4 main things:
🏋️♀️Authority
🎙️Vision
🔎Focus
💖Kindness
Small thread 👇 [1/7]
All charisma is required, but one of the strengths of a community dev is knowing which to use depending on the situation!
And everyone is stronger/weaker in the different types of charisma, of course.
[2/7]
🏋️♀️ Authority (confidence, power)
You already know we deal with the angry gamers/trolls. We need to appear confident in stressful situaitons to not only get rid of the riff raff, but ensure no one panics/is uncomfortable or feels like it'll happen again.
✨ How do I build my studio's social media following when it's my first game, it isn't out, and I don't have a trailer/haven't technically announced it yet? ✨
HooOOooO boy. Let's dive into that and correct some things!
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1. Ppl need to be excited for *something*
You can't just post random WIP pics and expect it to do much. No amount of hashtags, marketing, or following will get people excited for something they don't have a grasp on.
Especially when there are a ton of other games out there!
1.5. Seriously!!
No one is reading your entire feed to understand what your game is. Barely anyone clicks through. No one likes to read.
You can't build something from nothing, you can't ask ppl to follow if you give them nothing of value.