kickstarter tips and more

Tip:

Use your game title as a hashtag on every post example: Would you look at that...we've got two lonely # [game name] Steam keys just begging for a home on the sixth day of our # Christmas countdown. Tag a friend who hasn't played the game yet, and we'll DM two lucky winners with some keys!

Use Notepad to draft your written post, with hashtags, and copy-paste from Notepad every time and paste it on socials, this way your copied hashtags will not get hyperlink ,and look awful.

You can make a newsletter on Socials, even Linkedin, for the Game Page, or even your profile, you can use a CRM tool to do a form, to get sign up, for a pre-campaign, or even as a newsletter, and can be shared as QR code, embed Link or embed code into your website.

use scheduling post, if you don’t have time to post like sprout, or the backend of every social media platform

Or simply search for collaborators on Instagram and Tiktok etc, even with a business account or not, and contact them privately, they will post your video/cover announcement with your text, link, and mention, and boom you gain 100.000-1m views, for 15$ per post.

Adds are very poor in views, wishlist etc, also for a trailer you can contact some influencers to post your trailer on YouTube etc. The press will do it too, before the demo goes live, also Xsolla has a rev-share basis with influencer campaigns, you will add their email to invite them into the program, and again boom you have success.

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Playtesting needs to be made ahead within 1 year before launching the game, can be closed alpha,closed beta ,as private playtesting and more. Gamification it is a strong key.

Demo share include the demo only in an email when you start contacting influencers: gaming press, streamers.

Seo optimization before contacting influencers

Register your game title through platforms API and get verified by them,also write articles,backlinks,blogs

kickstarter limited-time only + press kit

Seek funding on investors platforms,seek angels, VC's first, grants,incubators,accelerator, all the resources that you need

FOLLOW ME for more tips about how to market your game

Steam Key Request SPY see who is the reseller, flagged by another dev

Social Media Platforms

Facebook

Join Facebook groups related to your game’s genre and actively participate in discussions. This will help you understand your target audience better. Create a Facebook page for your game and regularly post updates, behind-the-scenes content, and teasers.

Utilize Facebook Ads to reach a wider audience. With Meta, you can schedule posts for times when your audience is most active, ensuring maximum reach.

Twitter

Twitter is a great platform for game marketing. Use relevant hashtags like #PitchYaGame to increase visibility. Engage with your followers and participate in relevant discussions.

GameJolt

Create a page for your game on GameJolt. This can be done even without a demo or game, similar to Steam. Consider live streaming on GameJolt to engage with your audience in real time.

Create Engaging Content

Trailer

Create a captivating trailer for your game. Including licensed music can make your trailer more appealing and memorable. don’t use a black screen,from beginning,or an animated logo, don’t use transitions with a black screen, make a royal revenue with a popular singer. Give to the influencers first your trailer.

Memes

Create memes related to your game and share them on meme websites and social media platforms. This can be a fun and engaging way to promote your game.

GIFs

Create a GIF featuring a “coming soon” message along with the game’s name/cover or a short gameplay snippet. This can be used for ads

and on platforms like Kickstarter.

Utilize Other Marketing Strategies

Incubators/Accelerators

Consider joining incubators or accelerators for your game project before you launch the game. They can provide valuable resources and guidance.

Blogs/Forums

Participate in blogs and forums based on your game’s genre. Share insights, answer questions, and subtly promote your game.

Newsletter

Start a newsletter from day one of your social media campaign for the game. It’s a great way to keep your audience updated about the game’s progress.

Merchandise

Consider creating merchandise like pins, stickers, and QR codes for your game. This can generate excitement and anticipation before the game’s launch.

Influencers

Collaborate with influencers on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Provide them with your game’s trailer to market it to their followers.

9GAG

9GAG is a popular platform for sharing funny content. Consider using it to market your game’s trailer cover.

You can “publish” a product make making a PDF and posting it on your website.

You can submit your PDF to one of the existing RPG online marketplaces. You’ll need to set up an account, but it’s pretty easy. I believe that some of them offer print-on-demand, but this requires additional formatting.

You can convert it to a Kindle format and submit it to Amazon. This requires setting yourself up in Amazon’s system, but is pretty easy.

You can hire a printing company to print your book. This requires money up front and setting it up in a professional layout program.

Once you have physical books you would need to contact a distributor to get them into most game stores. Or go to each game store individually.

This is the bare minimum. To be successful is a different matter. You need both luck and hard work for that.

First, you need to promote it on all of your social media and have a place for people to give feedback and questions. When the developer is responsive, that helps people out when they have issues while playing.

Give free copies to people who make gaming videos, podcasts and blogs. If you’ve followed the creators and interacted with them, you’ll have an advantage. I suggest presenting it as gift in thanks for all of their work. Don’t beg for a review. If they like it, they will probably mention it. A lot of them will be too busy to read it.

Kickstarter and crowdfunding is a huge beast. If you don’t have several successful projects out there, you shouldn’t start this until you have complete quickstart rules and some good art at the minimum. A video of play would be good as well. Note: this doesn’t have to be actual play. If you can get people who can act well and script out parts it will likely come off better. On top of this you need to learn all of the ins and outs of Kickstarter.

Making the appropriate sacrifices to the appropriate dark gods may be necessary. Once again, this is outside of the scope of this answer.


Alpha/Beta Testers Before Launching

Before launching, pre-release a demo or game for alpha/beta testers. You can use platforms like Gleam, Attract.io, Global Top Round,

Newgrounds, and Xsolla for this purpose.

Get Journalists to Play Your Demo

Get as many journalists as you can to play your demo. Alpha/beta gamers are a good target audience for this. You can use platforms like

Alpha Beta Gamer for this purpose.

Build hype at the events

A traditional way, is a bad way. Not talking, and just staying and waiting. Bringing a laptop only . To showcase the demo. Needs extra. Extra laptops, projector,tablet for investors, QR for press kit, QR for Pitch deck ,a cap table can be presented on the tablet for investors to see numbers

Do you have a projector also, to bring at the event ? You can highlight the trailer with it, catching some "fish” don't forget to add some design to it. Not only a QR and that's all.

If is in you're country you're lucky. If not .. it is a huge achievement to arrive with it in good stealth and also I saw at some events has already displays some don't

The QR must be down, and not posting the website as a text, instead, I recommend, the email address as @ domain .com on business card, the QR code can be landing to website, or a LINKTREE link. Linkedin QR code from your profile.

Even having them on business cards,at events. On flyers also, distribute them globally not only in your country.

Can be also in Instagram posts,or any socials. Who will scroll on social from PC, will scan them with a mobile

Include All Main Features in the Demo

Ensure that your demo includes all the main features of your game. This gives players a good idea of what to expect in the full version.

Public Testing

Check the demo with public testing. You can use alpha/beta testers and a Google form or doc for feedback and download links.

Put the Demo on Various Platforms

Put the demo on platforms like ITCH.IO, Indie Expo, Steam Next Festival, and Gaminite.com.

Pre-release the demo on Steam and go through the Festival playtest on Steam. Don’t forget to do regular live streams on the Steam platform for the game.

Finish Your Game

Finally, finish your game. This is the most important step. Once your game is complete, you can start selling it to the public.

Register for Kickstarter

Register for Kickstarter, but first, create your mailing list. Take all emails from the Google form when you’ve done the alpha/beta testers for the demo, or CRM tool.

Please do it again for the Kickstarter campaign before you launch it.
Register to multiple online events, like steam events, curated ones, can be this one too

- You need to connect the Google analysis tool, with the crowdfunding Page.

- use Trello, Asana or Jira tool, to get a timeline, and collaborators for everything.

- backlinks, **Content Marketing Platform

Publish articles in 30 languages for example

Just ensure you craft a copywritten article, including a linktree that includes Kickstarter and 🍾 do follow the link, and use GUEST POSTING. Do-follow links, and anchor links.

• website- content creation-localization

• influencer collaboration- [ streamers that stream 24-48-72h your kickstarter campaign, in the first minute of the LAUNCH, be sure, to do it too, use any weapon, to set up your stream, engage with streamers groups to ask setup questions, then invite them to RAID your stream, even streaming or be a GUEST in your stream

• Use as a reward in a pre-launching campaign, a giveaway, tickets for a famous concert. use adds ,even gleam to host your event and press

• QR codes, about kickstarter are used them into a flyer, business cards even online, to get backed more quiqly, use the concert or another strategy.

• press release needs to be made with that concert or a good news , including all the details about your upcoming game, example you put a goal less than 2500$ and you get funded in less than 24h, submit the news then, and you’ll pop up your numbers and unlock another milestone.
  
  - use the demo, as early playtesting on kickstarter campaign, for a limited time.

  - cross-promotion , can be anyone, as devs, gamers, streamers like “raid” guest, do a podcast with different subjects, even crowdfunds, and stream in loop, even livestreaming on multiple platforms.

  - don’t keep only 1 month, keep it 3/4/5/6 months long.

  - the flyers needs to be distributed globally, you can use train stations and malls to get more people.

  - using the merchandise, get a wonderful lady to wear the merchandise and use them as a reward.

  - use the same technique for stream.

  - use canva or similar for art for a coverbook etc, just to get a reward, depends on the audiance, not all genre has a book.

  - importance of the weight package
  
  - ads price, and platforms, don’t use X .Use Instagram, Facebook, thumblr, reddit, gamejolt, and more

  - shipping is very important to get a fast and cheap distribuitor, because your backers will be from all countries.

  - make a plan about manufacturing and future expenses.

  - Goal less than 5000$ in this way, your crowdfunding will get funded, and faster, and will want to be funded, and make the rewards as unlocked extra goal, please use an artist

  - advertising with jellop, backer kit, Diy.

  - influencers will stream it as a charity, then split the rewards.
  
  You can use this
  
  they have a form too, an accelerator and will streamline your crowdfund to succeed, cross-promotion, hosting. the form

  
  - use Spring Fund Investors, Golden Goose, or any other investor, to sell equity in exchange for backing your campaign

  - ads & target audience to be also, outside of your audience too.

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