Top 4 Effective Social Media Strategies for Video Game Marketing

Currently, entertainment options are expanding rapidly, with video games gaining recognition as the “ninth art” among the public. This growth is fueled by new media, blurring the lines between online and offline spaces and allowing for greater self-expression. With billions of people playing, watching, and streaming games, the gaming industry is booming like never before. In this interconnected digital age, mastering effective social media strategies is crucial for video game marketers looking to engage this vast global audience.

Overview of Video Game Marketing

The video game industry is expected to approach $268.8 billion by 2025, showcasing rapid expansion alongside a growing player base. With PC game development costs averaging between $20,000 and $5 million, effective marketing strategies are indispensable for video game companies.

Having dedicated marketing and PR teams, along with collaborating with specialized external video game marketing agencies, allows game studios to leverage a diverse range of marketing methods. Digital marketing, in particular, has evolved significantly, offering avenues like influencer marketing, social media marketing, paid user acquisition, and online PR to reach and engage with gaming audiences effectively. This diversification helps studios tailor their strategies to fit different game genres, platforms, and target demographics.

Importance of Social Media in the Gaming Industry

Social media has become an indispensable tool in the gaming industry’s marketing arsenal. It offers a direct line of communication with players, fosters community building, and provides a platform for real-time feedback and engagement. The interactive nature of social media allows for dynamic marketing campaigns that can adapt and respond to the audience’s preferences and behaviors. With billions of active users across various platforms, social media enables game developers to reach a global audience, create viral content, and drive game downloads and sales.

Various social media platforms offer distinct features and cater to diverse audiences, making them valuable for tailored marketing strategies. YouTube and Twitch excel in video content and live streaming, crucial for demonstrating gameplay and engaging with audiences in real-time. Discord serves as a robust platform for fostering gaming communities, facilitating direct communication and feedback. Reddit, with its diverse subreddits, fosters deep discussions, community engagement, and viral marketing opportunities. Meanwhile, Twitter enables real-time updates, engagement with trends, and direct interaction with the gaming community. Each platform presents unique opportunities for reaching and engaging with audiences effectively in the gaming industry.

Influencer Marketing on YouTube & Twitch

Influencer marketing has proven to be highly effective in the gaming industry. Gamers often trust and value the opinions of influencers they follow. According to a TubularLabs report, gaming viewers on YouTube demonstrate over 50% more loyalty compared to the average audience, highlighting their strong dedication to the creators they enjoy and follow. Partnering with the right influencers on YouTube and Twitch can significantly boost a game’s visibility and credibility.

Here’s how to run successful gaming influencer campaigns on YouTube and Twitch:

Finding the Right Influencers

Identifying and partnering with the right influencers is crucial for the success of your marketing campaigns. Here’s how you can find influencers that align with your goals.

Identifying Influencers with the Right Audience Demographics:

• Analyze the Influencer’s Follower Base: Ensure that the influencer’s audience aligns with your target demographic. Social media analytics tools and influencer marketing platforms can provide detailed insights into the demographics of an influencer’s followers, including age, gender, location, and interests.
• Genre and Game Relevance: Choose influencers who play similar games or belong to the same genre as your game. For example, if you are marketing a strategy game, partnering with influencers known for their strategy game content will ensure that your game reaches an interested audience.

Evaluating Influencer Engagement and Authenticity:

• Reach: Instead of just looking at follower count, focus on average video views and true reach, which is the percentage of active users calculated as the ratio of average views to follower count. This provides a more accurate picture of the influencer’s active audience. When it comes to Twitch influencer marketing, analyzing metrics such as concurrent viewers, average watch time, and viewer interaction during live streams can provide deeper insights into an influencer’s impact and engagement levels. 
• Engagement Rates: Assess the number of likes, comments, and shares relative to their follower count. High engagement rates indicate that the influencer’s followers are genuinely interested in their content.
• Past Collaborations: Review their previous partnerships and feedback to gauge authenticity and influence. Check if past campaigns were successful and if the influencer’s audience responded positively.
• Communication: Additionally, looking at how influencers interact with their community, such as responding to comments and participating in discussions, can give you a better idea of their authenticity and connection with their audience.

Creating Engaging Content

Engaging content is the cornerstone of any successful influencer marketing campaign. Collaborations with gaming influencers can take various forms, each offering unique benefits.

Most Popular Types of Gaming Content

Let’s Play Videos: Partner with influencers to create Let’s Play videos where they play your game, providing live commentary and reactions. These videos can showcase the gameplay, highlight unique features, and generate excitement among viewers. 

Playthroughs: Arrange for influencers to upload pure gameplay videos with minimal or no commentary.

“These videos allow viewers to experience the game as if they were playing it themselves, providing a raw look at game mechanics and visuals, whether it’s a simple Solitaire game or a detailed strategy title.

Walkthroughs: Collaborate with influencers to produce detailed walkthroughs explaining how to play or beat the game. These guides can help players overcome challenging levels and understand the game’s nuances, increasing their engagement and satisfaction

Live Stream: Engage influencers to live stream your game, allowing real-time interaction with viewers. Live streams can generate buzz and immediate feedback, creating a dynamic and interactive marketing experience.

Ad Placements: Incorporate short 60-0 sec advertisements within the influencer’s regular content to reach a broader audience. Pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, and end-rolls ads can be effective ways to promote your game to the influencer’s followers.

For example, Owlcat Games engaged more than 20 gaming YouTubers and Twitch streamers for the launch of their latest release of Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. This collaboration resulted in the game achieving a peak of nearly 30,000 concurrent players, making it the second top-selling title on Steam during the promotional period.

Tracking and Measuring Success

Monitoring the effectiveness of influencer marketing campaigns is crucial to understanding their impact and ROI.

Metrics to Monitor: 

• Engagement Metrics: Track video views, likes, shares, and comments to measure engagement. High engagement rates indicate that the content is resonating with the audience.
• Viewer Retention Rates: Analyze how long viewers stay engaged with the content. Longer retention rates suggest that the content is compelling and holds the viewer’s attention.
• Overall Reach: Measure the total number of people reached. A larger reach increases the likelihood of attracting new players.

• Actions: Use tracking links and promo codes to assess the traffic and sales generated by influencer campaigns, attributing sales conversions directly to specific influencers.
• Brand Sentiment: Monitor sentiment to gauge the overall impact of the campaign. Positive mentions and a boost in brand sentiment indicate that the campaign is well-received.

By strategically partnering with influencers, creating compelling content, and continuously monitoring performance, you can effectively harness the power of influencer marketing to enhance your game’s presence and success on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

Video Game Marketing on Discord

Discord is a social platform initially designed for gamers that has taken the internet by storm. With its user-friendly design, wide range of features, and commitment to security, Discord has become a go-to chat app for millions worldwide. With over 200 million active monthly users, Discord offers an effective avenue to launch your campaign. However, Discord marketing is distinct from other social media strategies; what works on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok will not necessarily work on Discord. 

How to Use Discord Effectively:

Create a Brand-Owned Server: Establish a server dedicated to your brand and organize it into channels, topics, and categories. Create server roles to manage members and maintain order.

Develop a Strategic Engagement Plan: Develop a plan for continually engaging server members, even with content not strictly brand-related, to maintain long-term interest. Keeping the community engaged requires a steady stream of interesting and interactive content. Here are some effective strategies:

• Engage with Valuable Content: Host regular events, contests, and giveaways to keep the community engaged. Share exclusive announcements, updates, and sneak peeks with your Discord community before they are made public.
• Run Video Game PR: Use Discord to run public relations campaigns, keeping your fanbase updated on the latest developments. Offer early access to new features or beta versions to your most active members.
• Leverage User Feedback: Discuss the game development process and engage with the community beyond just hyping your game. Actively seek and respond to player feedback to improve the game and build loyalty

Host Live Events and Activities:

• Game Nights: Organize regular game nights where community members can play together. This not only keeps the community active but also fosters camaraderie among players, creating a stronger sense of belonging and enthusiasm.
• AMA Sessions: Arrange Ask Me Anything sessions with game developers to answer player questions and provide insights into the game’s development. Use these sessions to gather valuable feedback and suggestions from the community.
• Q&A Sessions: Host live Q&A sessions with developers or prominent community figures. These sessions provide a platform for direct interaction, allowing members to ask questions and feel more involved in the development process and community decisions.

Run Contests & Giveaways: 

Running contests on Discord is an excellent way to boost community engagement and interaction. Start by defining clear contest goals and rules, such as eligibility and entry requirements. Set up dedicated channels for contest submissions and announcements, and use bots GiveawayBot to automate entry collection and winner selection. Promote the contest through announcements and reminders, and engage with participants by hosting Q&A sessions and providing live updates. For judging, either form a panel or allow community voting. Announce winners publicly and ensure they receive their prizes promptly. Post-contest, thank participants, share highlights, and gather feedback to improve future contests. For example, a Fortnite Crown Discord Quest required players to play Fortnite Reload for 15 minutes while Discord was active, with bots tracking participation and winners announced in the dedicated channels:

Promote User-Generated Content:

• Fan Art and Creations: Set up dedicated channels for members to display user-generated content like fan art, stories, and other creative works related to your game. This not only highlights their talents but also builds a sense of pride and community involvement.
• Community Collaborations: Encourage members to work together on projects such as fan websites, wikis, or game guides. Recognize and feature these collaborative efforts to demonstrate your appreciation and foster a collaborative spirit within the community.

Engage with Other Discord Communities

• Join other servers to interact and promote your game, ensuring the servers allow advertising. Engage with members to build rapport and advertise your server or game.
• Partner with influencers who run large servers with your target market to host exclusive drops related to your game.

As a marketer, staying ahead by leveraging the latest trends on every platform is essential to reaching your target audience. With Discord’s ongoing evolution, game marketers must continually refine their strategies to stay effective. The most successful methods focus on direct community engagement, fostering a sense of belonging and excitement.

Video Game Marketing on Reddit

Reddit is a widely-used “social news aggregation” and discussion website with over 138,000 communities, known as subreddits, focusing on a diverse range of topics. As of 2024, the platform boasts more than half a billion users. Many of the top-rated subreddits are dedicated to gaming. With 63.6% of Reddit users being male and 44% between the ages of 18 and 29, even the most reputable gaming brands utilize Reddit to market their games and maintain connections with their target audience.

How to Use Reddit Effectively:

Identify Relevant Subreddits: Since gaming is a prominent topic on Reddit, there are many gaming subreddits you can subscribe to. Be sure to take part in discussions, give feedback to others, and talk about games or gaming-related subjects that interest you. Popular subreddits include:

• r/gamedev: A community of over 1.6M members, ideal for game developers seeking help and sharing their work.
• r/IndieDev: Perfect for indie game developers and enthusiasts, providing a platform to showcase projects and seek advice.
• r/pcgaming: A large community for discussing PC gaming news and hosting giveaways.
• r/GirlGamers: A space for women gamers, offering discussions on general gaming topics and personal experiences.
• r/Gaming4Gamers: A middle ground subreddit promoting open-minded discussions about video games.

Understand Subreddit Rules and Culture: Familiarize yourself with the rules and guidelines of each subreddit and adapt your content and engagement style to fit the culture of the subreddit.

Create Value-Driven, Educational Posts: High-quality, value-driven posts can help build credibility and drive engagement on Reddit.  Reddit thrives on community interaction, where users assist each other, exchange ideas, and solve problems together. The most attention-grabbing informative posts include lists, in-depth articles, and short videos.

Avoid Being Overly Promotional: While Reddit is an excellent platform to raise awareness about your game and engage with gamers, direct link sharing and blatant promotion are discouraged. Instead, focus on contributing valuable content and building genuine relationships within the community.

Engage in Discussions: Engage in meaningful discussions and respond to user comments to build relationships with the community. Address questions, concerns, and feedback to show that you value the community’s input.

Reddit offers a unique and effective platform for marketing video games. By identifying relevant subreddits, creating value-driven posts, and engaging with the community, game developers can harness the power of Reddit to build strong, engaged communities and drive organic growth.

Video Game Marketing on Twitter

Twitter has rapidly evolved from a simple thought-sharing platform to a powerful marketing channel. With over 396 million monthly active users worldwide, it’s an ideal space for gaming brands to build awareness and gain traction. However, Twitter isn’t just popular among gamers; it’s also frequented by developers, journalists, and influencers searching for brand stories, fan engagement, and company news. Ensuring your studio appears in their searches is crucial. 

How to Use Twitter Effectively:

Optimize Twitter Profile: Success on Twitter requires a well-optimized profile. Start by crafting a compelling bio, which is a 160-character snapshot of your company. A bio enriched with keywords can boost your visibility in Twitter search results and enhance brand recognition. Make sure to incorporate relevant keywords and hashtags to increase discoverability, and include a brief call-to-action along with any branded hashtags. Next, focus on your header image. This should effectively communicate your brand’s identity and value proposition. It’s also a prime space for announcing new game launches or marketing campaigns, so update it regularly to reflect your latest initiatives.

Leverage Twitter Trends: Brainstorm every topic related to your game, including its setting, art style, and pop-culture influences. Follow relevant topics on Twitter to see them when they start trending. Regularly check the “What’s Happening” section and click “Show More” to explore the “For You” and “Trending” tabs for popular trends. You can also utilize tools like Hootsuite, or Sprout Social to keep track of trending hashtags and topics that align with your brand. Once you’ve identified trending topics, craft content that ties these trends to your game. Ensure the content is engaging, informative, and adds value.

Build Relationships: Think of Twitter as the LinkedIn of video games—a continuous, 24/7 Game Developer’s Conference (GDC). Your main objective is to capture the attention of influential people who can amplify your marketing efforts. Twitch streamers are always on the lookout for new games to play, so identify who they follow and the hashtags they use, then engage with their content and share relevant posts to draw their attention. Similarly, journalists who cover your game’s genre are frequent Twitter users; follow them and actively engage with their content, as they often seek game recommendations, providing a prime opportunity to promote your game. 

Using Hashtags: Leveraging hashtags effectively on Twitter can significantly enhance your marketing efforts. Start by researching relevant hashtags, including industry-specific ones like #gamedev, #indiegames, #screenshotsaturday, and #gaming, and regularly check trending hashtags using tools like Twitter’s “Trending” section or Hashtagify. Create unique branded hashtags to build a community around your content and make it easily discoverable. Engage with community hashtags by participating in events and discussions like #indiedevhour or #pitchyagame to gain visibility. Balance your hashtag usage by using 1-2 hashtags per tweet and integrating them naturally within your content. 

Use Twitter in Addition to Streaming: Brands can reach more gamers by using Twitter alongside a streaming service rather than relying on a streaming service alone. This is because Twitter serves as a complementary platform to most major streaming services. According to surveys, 73% of gamers admit to checking Twitter while streaming esports and gaming content to see what other gamers are saying about the latest gaming news. This behavior makes Twitter an inherent part of the overall gaming experience. By leveraging Twitter, brands can engage with their audience in real-time, enhance their streaming content with live interactions, and tap into the ongoing conversations within the gaming community. 

Paid Advertising on Twitter: Using Twitter paid ads effectively can significantly boost your video game marketing efforts. Start by setting clear objectives, such as increasing brand awareness or driving game sales. Choose the right ad format, like Promoted Tweets or Promoted Trends, and target your audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. Create compelling ad content with high-quality visuals, clear messaging, and strong calls-to-action, incorporating relevant hashtags and keywords for better discoverability. Monitor ad performance using Twitter Analytics, conduct A/B testing, and adjust your strategy based on data insights. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and promoting special offers or launch announcements to maximize engagement and conversions.

By integrating these strategies, you can effectively utilize Twitter to market your video game, enhance brand recognition, and drive meaningful interactions within the gaming community.

Conclusion

Social media has revolutionized video game marketing, providing powerful tools for engaging with players, building communities, and driving game sales. By leveraging platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Discord, Reddit, and Twitter, game developers can create dynamic marketing campaigns that resonate with a global audience. Whether through influencer collaborations, community building, or real-time engagement, effective social media strategies are essential for success in the competitive gaming industry.