CEO and founder of the Drope.me platform, Dima Okhrimchuk, participated in the INDIEGAMEIACS stream, where they discussed influencer marketing, game promotion, and the challenges game developers face during product launches. We've selected 5 valuable insights for you to delve into the topic. You can watch the full stream recording HERE.
1. Promotion for different stages of game development
If you are new to game promotion or a self-standing indie developer, it's crucial to understand that different stages of a game's existence require diverse promotional approaches. It's important to differentiate between the pre-launch stage and the launch, prioritizing effectively to achieve desired results and not wasting money on promotions unnecessarily.
2. How to guarantee results in game promotion
Game companies often plan their promotional budgets only approximately, relying on publicly available information or their own experience. However, there are tools, such as Drope.me, that allow payment based on specific actions. For instance, paying for adding your game to the Steam Wish List, for each player who purchases and plays your game for more than two hours, and other actions that directly contribute to the Cost Per Install. This means you can calculate expenses and the resulting outcome down to the cent.
3. How to quickly find influencers for game promotion
Searching for streamers to promote your game can be organized independently, but it involves a considerable amount of work. You search specialized services for lists of streamers that fit your genre and audience size criteria. Then, you need to sort them by languages and watch their streams, which often aren't saved. After deciding whom you'd like to work with, the process of collecting their contacts begins, followed by negotiations and follow-ups - a time-consuming process for a full-time employee, and sometimes even more. With Drope.me, this process can be reduced to just 10 minutes, making life for game developers and marketing departments significantly easier.
4. Artificial intelligence that helps find ideal influencers for game promotions
There is an issue when game developers send keys or request promotions from influencers who may not align with their game. They might need to gain knowledge of the genre or simply not enjoy it. This results in a waste of time from both sides, with no desired outcome. A solution is on the horizon. Drope.me is implementing artificial intelligence to analyze the streamer's performance based on analytics from their stream platform, TwitchTracker, and other services. Using this data, it will assign specific points to the streamer, helping game developers identify the ideal match for promoting their game. Simultaneously, streamers will benefit from a top-notch campaign recommendation system based on their preferences, the games they stream, and behavioral habits. This innovative step will revolutionize the interaction between influencers and game companies, making collaboration even more effective.
5. What is the optimal budget for game promotion
When it comes to promoting a game, you can certainly start with very small amounts, like $150, to test marketing channels or validate hypotheses. However, the optimal budget for promotion starts from $1000, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, your promotional channels at $150 may be effective, but the traffic is so minimal that you won't appreciate the impact and may be disappointed. With larger budgets, spikes in activity from promotions become more noticeable. Another reason involves the interest of larger influencers. If your campaign budget is $150, major streamers are unlikely to promote your game as it quickly depletes the budget for their substantial audience. However, with a campaign budget of $1000 or more, you attract not only micro-streamers but also individuals with significant reach.
To watch the full recording of the INDIEGAMEIACS stream, click HERE. We also recommend exploring other materials:\
User funnel in video game promo
How micro-influencers drive engagement and sales
Indie Game Promotion: Main steps to plan successful promo
