How do you plan to market your game?

butterbean

Just wanted to take a survey on how people plan to market their game, and get the word out there?

Twitter? Facebook? 1up?

I myself will probably create a Facebook page dedicated to gaming, and post screenshots and samples of my game once it's near complete

JGary321

You forgot YouTube. Make a video of you playing the game & then post it on Youtube. That would probably get some hits. Twitter would be good. I figured once I get a few games out I will actually create a webpage for all my games.

Another great one would be to sign up for Touch Arcade forums. Post info & screenshots about your game there. ALOT of people look there for games/tips on games.

beatrage

JGary321

That´s the bestplace you could possibly ever try to make your marketing " YOUTUBE "

but you could develop a blog...a website...show some pictures at iphone gaming forums...make some banners and release them to specific iphone game sites...buy gift cards and give them to some reviewers at famous game sites like IGN...gamespot...1up...so they could buy our games at the favor of simply make some good reviews!

Also EBAY is a good place to release some marketing....Newsgroup is another one....and etc...etc...

The thing is if you wanna sell a lot you´ll have to make your own marketing...and the internet is our most valuable friend so LET´S GO FOR IT!!

Kamazar

Touch Arcade and Slide to Play are two of the biggest. Send them a request for a review along with a promo code and a link to the video. If they game's good, the forums'll be all a buzzin'.

ktfright

i'llalso use toucharcade. they always help a young dev out. = )

POM

can anyone please explain how to do all the layout of the app page in Touch Arcade?
slideshow and add videos and stuff? how can you guys do it? didnt figure it out yet..

i didnt want to start a new thread so i ask it here cause its relevant to this post..

Vmlweb

best thing I see at the moment is to have a free weekend, and advertise that on forums and facebook, twitter

butterbean

@ POM

To display your app on toucharcade, obtain the link and copy and paste it within these:

[appinfo=all]ituneslinkhere[/appinfo]

Don't use spaces, and it should display your app with the pic and all

Riffel

website, twitter, facebook (all social online), press releases, good appstore icon, good description, good game, mailing. I do a website but have not to show before development is over. I get few subscribes for now. but it is a star and necessary. Marketing consumes time and money.

butterbean

I find that having a good icon, and name for your app is the 1st step, and can really make or break a title. If you have a crappy icon, noone will take a gander at your app, and move on.

Having a good icon and title for your game that describes what it's about, or gives the buyer an idea of what they'll be getting is the very first step, then begins the marketing.

I've done no marketing on some apps, and marketed others, and to be quite honest, for me (my experience may differ from others) it didn't make much of a difference in sales.

I've marketed the heck out of 7 Second Arcade giving away itunes cards, having people do youtube videos, press releases, etc etc, but the game still tanked. I believe, and I can't be 100% sure, is that the name tanked the game.

Of course I didn't expect outrageously high sales, but I expected it to do a bit better than let's say, some of my other kids apps that have done much better.

People didn't know what they were getting, and the term "7 Second" gave people the idea that it was a short game, when it was anything but.

Also, the icon was cool, but I think again, it was hard to depict a Wario Ware type game with the icon.

So really picking the right icon can make or break a first impression.

Then having a good, polished game helps too

I've had games with good icons and no marketing that are polished kids apps do better than apps with less than desirable icons and names with all the marketing in the world.

TouchArcade is a great way to promote your app too. Give away as many promos as you can and it will temporarily boost rankings, and really does help with sales.

It's also a double edged sword with toucharcade, because you'll get people that will rate your game 1 star for no reason if it wasn't to their liking. It could be a really well polished app, but since they got a free promo, and they don't like it, they don't bat an eyelash to rate it one star.

But I find in the end, Toucharcade really works well, and if I release a kids app, I tell them in the thread to post a review based on the child's experience with the app, not the adults (since most of my apps are geared towards the younger ones)

Adults expect fancy, shmancy title screens, but what they don't realize is kids don't need that, and simplicity works best for them. The less screens they have to navigate, the more it will keep their attention. I try to keep it linear and seamless, which doesn't always appeal to adults because they want bells and whistles. So I remind them, review based on kid's experience! Unless the adults are learning colors and numbers

So all in all, I find that:

*** Gorgeous, Bright Icons Help
** Having a Good name that isn't ambiguous, and defines what the game is really about.
* Toucharcade is great, use the promo section, and new release section to promote your app, it's amazing how many people love free promos

AND

A little luck helps in getting featured, if that happens, that is all the marketing you'll need in the world

Good luck!

POM

butterbean thanks a lot! Realy helped me !