How do you market a game like Galactic Racer? Without the budgets of the big studios and publishers, and 500,000 iOS apps how do you market an app? We've spoken to a few people and done a bit of research, and we've uncovered 10 key points:

Top 10 Tips, so far!

1. Learn from others, you've one launch and little money - make the most of both. No one's going to market the game for you...

2. Spend time, engage with players/buyers - giving them something they can't get easily elsewhere. Allowing players to talk to developers, learn more about the background and with the potential to influence future updates is something the big publishers can't do

3. Everyone says "Social Media", but be realistic about what you can manage and how effective it is as a forum

4. If paying for adverts, pay for targeted gamer audience, and animate your ad (also know about and compare metrics/analytics/site statistics & audience before buying)

5. When contacting reviewers, if you don't know them already consider third party applications that allow you to contact multiple reviewers. If you do know reveiwers, before releasing consider offering exclusives that will encourage them to feature you (can't do it afterwards)

6. Use all your contacts, if you've used sound, animation, 3rd party software providers ask them to help show off your game (they'll be helping to show off their own work as well!), call in all the favours.

7. Realise that your game/app can remain on the app-store for a long time, and it may take time for you to get a lucky break or mention, keep at it!

8. Consider working with third parties (e.g. publishers, entertainment companies, other app-stores, promo sites), approach them first. Also talk to marketing/ad companies, they may be able to help and if not you might get 1 or 2 ideas off them and at least they'll know about you after

9. Consider putting app on various app-stores, porting it to different platforms or licencing it to third parties, you have the content, maximise it

10. Price - you have the opportunity to change the price, offer promo codes, make it free and use ads, consider freemium, you have an awful lot of power as a developer

 

Some great links, especially the last one!

We've also come across some great links:

Three key factors when marketing an app

Want to work with other Self-Publishers (Over 350)

How to tell the world about your game (HogRocket)

Quick tips (ignore book, scan to bottom of page)

Brilliant 5-Step Guide to Marketing an App/Game (Must Read!)

 

Help us out... let us know your thoughts and experience

Our marketing plan will be finalised soon, we'll know a lot more - good and bad - after Galactic Racer has been released for 2 months. We've made a few mistakes to date, but we promise to keep you posted. We'd love your feedback and any tips, thoughts or links you may have. Give us a shout via the blog or contact us details

 

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