An In-depth Guide 10 Steps to Successfully Market Your Indie Game

We lacked an article specifically addressing game marketing strategies. Presented below are 10 essential steps to effectively market your premium Steam Game.

Create a Game That Aligns With the Preferences of Steam Players

Typically, these lists commence with the advice to ‘Get on social media and tweet about your game!’ However, such recommendations often overlook a crucial aspect: understanding the desired game type of your target audience. I would venture to estimate (albeit with some imprecision) that approximately 90% of your game’s success hinges on its genre and visual appeal. Seriously. Even if you diligently tweet about a hyper-casual match-3 game on Steam, the unfortunate reality remains that you will struggle to sell any copies. Your game’s genre and visual style hold paramount significance in determining its financial prosperity.

The Steam audience exhibits affinity towards certain genres (such as RPGs, City Builders, Crafting Games, 4X, and Strategy) while showing less enthusiasm for others (like Puzzle Games, Platformers, and Match 3). Opting for an unpopular genre entails not just a slightly more challenging marketing endeavor, but a significantly arduous one. No matter how engaging your tweets may be, you cannot market your way out of a game that the Steam audience simply does not desire.

Gain a Comprehensive Understanding of Your Game’s Intricacies

Once you have conducted market research and developed your game, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the type of game you have created. While you may believe you already possess this knowledge, it is essential to recognize that many developers I have spoken to lack awareness of the market landscape surrounding their game‘s genre.

To gain clarity, it is imperative to address the following questions:

• What is the most prominent and popular game within your game’s genre?
• Which three games follow as the best-selling titles in your game’s genre?
• What are some examples of failed games in your genre, and what were the reasons for their failure?
• What unique features does your game possess that differentiate it from the aforementioned games? (This is often referred to as your ‘hook.’)
• What are the genre expectations held by passionate fans of the genre?

To answer these questions effectively, you will need to engage in game playing for research purposes (yes, playing games can be part of your job!). Additionally, it is crucial to communicate with game designers who have experience in your genre and interact with real-life fans of the genre.

Understanding the preferences, likes, dislikes, and distinctive aspects of your game is of utmost importance when you begin promoting your game through tweets and other marketing activities.

Master the Art of Describing Your Game

Having already identified the desires of the Steam audience, assessed competition, and recognized the distinctive qualities of your game, the next crucial step is effectively conveying its genre and unique features among the sea of other games. Although seemingly obvious, this task can be incredibly challenging. Often, developers become so immersed in their creation that they forget others lack their level of knowledge.

For instance, it is not uncommon to encounter developers claiming their game is a city-building experience, while their screenshots, descriptions, and social media posts inadvertently portray it as a farming simulator. Choosing the right words becomes paramount in ensuring that fans of your game’s genre can recognize it as a game tailored to their interests. If you are developing an FPS, showcase screenshots featuring formidable weaponry front and center. If it’s a visual novel, highlight engaging dialogue choices and visually appealing characters.

Test your messaging on individuals who are unfamiliar with your game. Present them with your marketing materials and inquire, “Which games does this remind you of?” Do their responses correspond with the genre you had in mind? Vague or incorrect answers indicate a problem with how you describe your game.

When it comes to Steam, proper tagging is essential. Failing to tag your game with the correct genre will prevent Steam from surfacing it to the right audience. Conversely, if your screenshots and descriptions do not match the type of game your target audience prefers, potential fans will overlook your game, assuming it doesn’t align with their tastes.

Crafting Your Marketing Funnel: From Awareness to Conversion

Rarely does a game capture someone’s attention and immediately lead to a purchase. Shoppers typically hear about your game and require regular updates to gradually develop an affection for it. After multiple engagements, they hopefully become excited enough to make a day-one purchase. This gradual process of falling in love with your game is known as the marketing funnel—a deliberate arrangement of marketing channels designed to guide individuals towards buying your game.

A typical funnel follows this progression: A fan discovers your game on Reddit, becomes intrigued, and visits your Steam Page to wishlist it. Weeks later, you announce the creation of a Discord server, prompting interested individuals to join. They receive notifications on Discord about an upcoming beta, sign up, play the game, and enjoy it. Finally, upon your game’s release, they make a day-one purchase.

Observe that this funnel encompasses various marketing channels: Reddit, Steam Page, Discord, Beta, and the ultimate purchase. Each stage necessitates different actions from shoppers.

In order to achieve this, it is crucial to maintain clarity no matter where potential players come across your game. If you make posts on platforms like Twitter or Reddit, be prepared with your Steam page readily accessible, enabling you to guide interested individuals with a clear call-to-action such as “wishlist my game on Steam.” Furthermore, ensure that your Steam page includes a link to your Discord server or mailing list, providing a means for highly interested individuals to join and receive regular updates.

Establish Connections: Collaborate with Platform Holders and Fellow Developers

Relying solely on personal tweets to generate wishlists and visibility for your game is unlikely to yield significant results. The most successful games often achieve widespread attention by partnering with prominent companies and popular websites.

Building a broad network of individuals who can inform you about opportunities and introduce you to helpful contacts is crucial. To secure featuring on platforms like Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo, it is essential to establish connections with the developer partner teams on those platforms.

The majority of your exposure will come from collaborating with individuals or organizations with larger audiences who are willing to share your game. However, it’s important to demonstrate your integrity and build relationships based on trust before they will endorse your work.

In fact, one of the primary reasons why major publishers enjoy tremendous success is their extensive industry experience. They possess comprehensive knowledge of the professionals working within console companies and storefronts. They maintain connections with editors, journalists at renowned websites, and even have relationships with popular streamers’ agents. Having established connections within the industry is the top advantage publishers can offer.

Here are some networking tips to enhance your connections:

• Join local IGDA chapters or developer communities associated with your development tools (e.g., UE developers).
• Write blog posts discussing challenges you’ve overcome; industry experts frequently read these and may reach out to you.
• Introduce yourself to developers who have recently released or are currently developing games in your genre. Remember, they are not your competitors but potential sources who can connect you with individuals who assisted them.
• Leverage LinkedIn to locate content teams within prominent development studios and establish connections with them.

Maximize Your Funnel’s Efficiency

The process of refining your marketing assets, such as your Steam page, Twitter account, Reddit posts, and website, should never cease. It’s important to note that newcomers to marketing might mistakenly believe that successful indie developers achieve instant visibility and viral success with every post.

In reality, marketing involves experimenting with numerous strategies, where only a fraction of them yield desirable outcomes. The failed attempts, which receive zero visibility, often remain unseen, creating the impression that successful marketing is effortless. However, marketing is a constant process of trial and error, requiring the exploration of different messaging approaches. Understanding why one headline performs better than another is often challenging. Adopting a scientific mindset becomes crucial, where hypotheses are formulated, tests are conducted, and experiments are adjusted based on acquired insights. It’s essential to embrace the reality that most marketing campaigns will not achieve the desired results. The key lies in resilience, getting back on track, and persistently attempting new approaches.

Throughout the lifespan of your game, it is normal to iterate on your Steam page multiple times. This iterative process is common even among prominent developers.

Remember, the journey of enhancing your marketing assets is a continuous one, necessitating adaptability, resilience, and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures.

Acquire Wishlists through Festivals, Press, Streamers, and Social Media Engagement

When preparing to launch your game on Steam, it is crucial to prioritize wishlist collection. Aim to accumulate as many wishlists as possible before your official release. Ideally, your Steam page should be live for at least six months prior to launch. Wishlists play a pivotal role as they represent stored potential energy. Upon your game’s release, Steam sends an email notification to everyone who has wishlisted your game, informing them of its availability. These wishlist conversion emails have a remarkably high conversion rate, making them a valuable asset for driving day-one sales. The more wishlists you have, the greater the potential for a surge in purchases on launch day.

It’s important to note that, for the most part, the Steam algorithm does not provide visibility based solely on the number of wishlists you accumulate. However, it is crucial not to confuse this—Steam is primarily concerned with the revenue generated within a short period of time. Wishlists serve as the fuse, while sales represent the explosive outcome. The Steam algorithm prioritizes the magnitude of your sales “explosion” rather than the sheer number of wishlists.

The number of wishlists you need will depend on the scale of your game. Typically, wishlists convert at a rate of 10% to 20% during the first week of launch. To establish a favorable standing with the Steam Algorithm, it is recommended to aim for a minimum of 10,000 wishlists. Games that accumulate fewer wishlists may face reduced visibility as they do not generate enough revenue upon release, according to Steam’s ranking mechanisms.

By diligently collecting wishlists and fostering anticipation for your game’s launch, you can significantly enhance your chances of a successful release on Steam.

Effective Strategies to Accumulate Wishlists:

Participate in Festivals: Secure a spot in prominent gaming festivals like Steam Next Fest, Pax Online, Wholesome Direct, Gamescom, and others. These events provide excellent visibility and opportunities to engage with a wide audience. You can refer to Akupara Games’ list of festivals for more information.

Seek Viral Exposure on Reddit: While challenging, a viral post on Reddit has the potential to attract thousands of wishlists. Crafting compelling content that resonates with the Reddit community can significantly boost your game’s visibility.

Collaborate with Streamers: Partnering with influential streamers and content creators can help generate interest and exposure for your game. Their coverage and endorsements can attract viewers who may convert into wishlists and eventual sales.

Secure Website Articles: Aim to secure articles about your game on reputable gaming websites. Positive coverage and reviews from trusted sources can attract attention and drive wishlists.

Leverage Viral Posts on Imgur: Capturing the attention of the Imgur community through viral posts can lead to significant visibility and wishlist growth for your game.

Utilize Twitter Effectively: While tweeting about your game may not be the most effective strategy for wishlist accumulation, it still serves as a valuable platform for engaging with your existing audience and providing updates. Maintaining an active and engaging presence on Twitter can contribute to overall marketing efforts.

Start Your Game

This is the pivotal moment when your game becomes available for actual purchase, allowing people to exchange their money for your game.

It’s crucial to understand the following:

In the eyes of Steam, you only have one launch.

Initiating Early Access on Steam is equivalent to conducting a full-scale launch. Many developers have approached me seeking advice for their full launch after previously entering early access. Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do because they have already utilized their most powerful tool during Early Access.

If you’re new to Steam, I strongly discourage opting for an Early Access Launch.

Why are launches so vital?

They serve as an opportunity to generate extensive coverage. Streamers, the press, and even individuals on your social media platforms are more likely to react and provide coverage when you announce it as your official launch.

Moreover, Steam offers additional visibility during this period. Therefore, exercise caution and employ it wisely. Reach out to everyone who has covered your game, expressed interest, shared, wishlisted, and joined your mailing list. Notify them about your upcoming game release and hold on tight.

Enhance Your Game With Updates and Offer it at a Discounted Price

The advent of digital distribution, Games as a Service, and free-to-play games has instilled in consumers the expectation that games will receive updates after their initial release. The notion that a game is considered “complete” upon launch is a vestige of the past retail era.

Fans truly appreciate game patches, and each update presents an opportunity for marketing. If the update is significant enough, you can reach out to streamers, the press, and your own followers once again.

Make use of “visibility” rounds after implementing updates, granting you an additional month of visibility to those who have wishlisted your game.

If your game has generated a substantial amount of revenue, you can inquire with Valve about featuring your game in a “Daily Deal.” While I’m unsure of the exact threshold for eligibility, it typically involves hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue. These daily deals, curated by Valve, are where substantial profits can be made on Steam.

Even if you don’t have the fortune of being selected for a prominent Steam feature, it’s always wise to offer discounts for your game post-launch. Never miss an opportunity to do so. Participate in seasonal sales such as the Winter and Summer Festivals.

Once you launch, you’ll likely observe a sizable backlog of wishlists. What are these potential customers waiting for? Discounts and updates. Engage them by making your game even more enticing after the initial release.

Begin Your Preparations For Your Next Game

If your game launch fell short of expectations and subsequent updates and discounts haven’t significantly impacted your revenue, it may be time to shift your focus to your next project. Despite your attachment to your first game, there comes a point where the effort invested in the current project begins to impede the potential of your next endeavor.

Please resist the urge to quit, even if your initial game didn’t sell well. Building a reputation and a portfolio of games is essential for success in this industry. Unfortunately, a large number of developers release just one game and then exit the industry. However, you have come a long way and acquired valuable knowledge and experience. Creating your second, third, or tenth game will be easier.

When you create the Steam page for your second game, make sure to cross-promote everyone who showed support for your first game, including those who liked, purchased, wishlisted, reviewed, or commented on it.