When it comes to promoting games, a lot of attention is often given to the methods and platforms used for the promotion. However, the results obtained from the promotion campaign should be addressed and analyzed correctly. In this article, we will discuss how to check the results of a game promotion campaign (although the principles can be applied to other promoted goods and services) and how to set KPIs that will help you exceed your expected results.
How to set goals for a promotion campaign correctly?
In order to be satisfied with the results, it is crucial to define your goals clearly. Simply stating that you want more people to learn about, love and buy your game is too vague. Therefore, it is important to distinguish the different spheres and determine what exactly constitutes their achievement. You should consider at what stage your product is and how to attract users at each stage of the funnel.
If you want to increase your community, you need to identify key places to engage with potential users, such as social media platforms or Discord servers. If you want your game to be added to Steam wishlists before release, then influencers, social media posts, and videos about your game should contain a call to action to encourage potential players to add it to their wishlist.
In terms of sales, it is important to encourage players to buy the game without overloading them with requests to perform multiple actions. Make the process of adding the game to the cart as simple and straightforward as possible.
It is important to ensure that you can access the necessary data and have control over it. Additionally, your KPIs should be clearly defined and measurable. Secondly, you should establish specific time frames to achieve your set objectives.
How to check the results of promotions?
When it comes to promoting a game, there are several tools that can be used to track performance and determine the effectiveness of different strategies.
1. These include standard advertising tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, as well as analytics of advertising accounts on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. However, it's important to note that these tools may not provide a complete picture, so it's recommended to combine them with others to get a more comprehensive understanding of your game's performance.
2. Referral links and promo codes are also effective tools for tracking performance. Referral links can help you determine which influencers or partners are most effective in promoting your game, while promo codes can motivate players with discounts or in-game rewards. It's important to set time limits for promo codes to track where the user came from.
3. There are many specialized tools available for game promotion, such as Keymailer and Lurkit. However, Drope.me stands out for its performance marketing model, where you only pay for results. This means that you can achieve your goals within a predictable time frame and for a predetermined amount. Additionally, you will receive complete analytics on the campaign conducted.
4. It is worth considering segmenting promotions by time intervals, even if you already have referral links or specialized tools for precise analytics. This method allows you to better detect spikes and determine where low-affinity unattached traffic came from. Not all users make a direct transition to your product at the moment they learn about it, and may seek a path to purchase on their own. By segmenting promotions among different influencers or between influencers and social media advertising at different time intervals, you can track where traffic is coming from.
It is important to note that long-term influence is a factor that cannot be discounted. Influencer content may be viewed months after collaboration, and outdoor or social media advertising may leave a lasting impression on a user's memory. This may not lead to an instant conversion, but it will catch up later. The more a user hears about your game, the higher the chance they will become a customer now or in the future. Therefore, do not be afraid to constantly take different steps in promotion and try different strategies to reach a larger audience.
We also suggest you to familiarize yourself with other articles on this topic that will be useful for game promotion.
Indie Game Promotion: Main steps to plan successful promo
How to promote your game with influencers and creators
How to create brief for influencers?
