Game marketing in 2023: 5 effective ways to reach gamers

The video game industry is colossal and thriving, with a projected value surpassing $500 billion by 2027. The primary segment, mobile gaming, reached an impressive $116.43 billion in 2022. This offers significant opportunities to penetrate the market, provided you possess the knowledge, ideally through a robust game marketing strategy.

Additionally, there are other video game market segments that saw revenue surges between 2020 and 2022. Integrated video gaming and advertising alone reported a spike from over $196 billion in revenue in 2020 to over $235 billion in 2022.

Moreover, with more than 3 billion active gamers globally, that is approximately 40.75% of the world's population, the magnitude or the potential this industry offers is immense.

Who are these gamers?

In the past, the average gamer was once stereotyped as a male around 35 years old, however, this is now changed, with at least 48% of women making up the gaming market.

According to a 2021 Statista report, 10.9% of women and 11.9% of men play video games for more than 20 hours weekly. Impressively, 75% of all US households have at least one gamer.

Meanwhile, China leads the gamer count, followed by the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Germany. These locations offer prime opportunities for tailoring your video game marketing strategy.

5 effective ways to reach gamers

In recent times, the rise of online platforms opened up avenues to better reach the gaming community. Whether you're a major game studio, indie developer, or game marketing agency, below are the five effective ways to reach gamers in 2023:

1. Twitch marketing 

• What is it: Leveraging Twitch's streaming platform, utilizing influencer partnerships for brand promotion.
• Where it runs: Twitch TV, gaming influencers' streams.
• Why it works: Twitch has a dedicated gamer audience, and influencer partnerships offer authentic engagement and exposure.
• Cost: Varies, may involve influencer payments or sponsorship deals.
• Time to market: Relatively quick campaign launches, however, building a dedicated community will take time.

2. Discord marketing 

• What is it: Establishing a Discord server to create and nurture a gaming community around your brand.
• Where it runs: Discord server, community interactions.
• Why it works: Discord provides a platform for community engagement and loyalty-building.
• Cost: Minimal for server setup, potential costs for community management and events.
• Time to market: There's considerable time required to build and grow an engaged community.

3. YouTube marketing

• What is it: Utilizing YouTube's video platform through influencer collaborations or creating your own channel.
• Where it runs: YouTube, influencer videos, your YouTube channel.
• Why it works: YouTube's extensive user base and video content effectively help showcase games.
• Cost: Varies, may involve influencer payments or investment in content creation.
• Time to market: Building a substantial subscriber base and high-quality content can take time. 

4. In-game marketing features

• What is it: Integrating your brand into the gaming experience through in-game marketing, such as personalized mobile ads and digital billboards.
• Where it runs: Within different video games, mobile apps, virtual environments.
• Why it works: Targets gamers directly while they are actively gaming, enhancing brand visibility.
• Cost: Varies based on chosen approach and game popularity.
• Time to market: Depends on game development and integration processes.

5. Game influencers

• What is it: Collaborating with prominent gaming influencers to tap into their extensive subscriber base and industry standing.
• Where it runs: Twitch, Discord, YouTube, X (Twitter), Instagram.
• Why it works: Influencers possess established credibility, providing direct access to the target audience.
• Cost: Substantial investment required to onboard top-tier influencers.
• Time to market: Depends on influencer availability and campaign preparation.

Examples of successful game marketing:

When competing against a big game developer, an indie developer may struggle to stand out. However, this dynamic has undergone significant change and a well-crafted game marketing strategy, coupled with an effective game marketing campaign, can lead to a certain level of success.

In the 21st century, indie games have harnessed the online gaming realm to achieve success for their brands. When a game gains popularity among gaming YouTubers or Twitch streamers, their subscribers or followers are likely to show interest in buying the game. Here are some examples of video games that achieved significant success through influencer engagement:

Among Us:

Although the indie hit "Among Us" debuted in the summer of 2018, its remarkable surge in popularity came two years later in 2020. Many attribute the game's increased player base to Twitch streamer Sodapoppin, whose streams contributed to the increase in the game’s player base.

This initial momentum led to a snowball effect, with other Twitch streamers and gaming YouTubers producing streams and videos featuring the game. This sustained growth empowered the developer of "Among Us" to release more updates and content expansions.

Minecraft:

Despite its self-sustained acclaim, Minecraft has always experienced popularity due to online gaming content. Community engagement was vital for Minecraft's success, evident in its YouTube popularity as the most-viewed game.

A significant 41% of fan-generated video views on YouTube are attributed to Minecraft. Players seek inspiration and ideas from videos, while others create their channels to share their gameplay and creations.

Source: Steam

Minecraft periodically returns to viral prominence, sustaining its status and driving player creativity in a cyclical fashion.

Mass Effect 3:

Electronic Arts and BioWare turned to viral marketing for the highly anticipated 2012 role-playing game Mass Effect 3. The anticipation was meticulously built through weekly video uploads, social media updates, plot-revealing blog content, and merchandise.

Moreover, a demo launched on Valentine's Day 2012, accompanied by an impressive campaign involving weather balloons carrying game copies that fans could retrieve upon landing.

A strategically timed TV spot from global ad agency FCB, complementing a cinematic trailer, further fueled excitement. With a focus on third-person shooting and a concentrated effort in marketing, packaging, and design, Mass Effect 3 was successfully generated $200 million in two months.

Final thoughts

To reach gamers and expand your reach, you can utilise five methods in your game marketing strategy. These methods involve Twitch marketing, gaming influencers, Discord marketing, YouTube marketing, and in-game marketing, which offer impressive results and dedicated gaming communities that gamers, developers, and game marketing agencies can leverage.

If you want a video game marketing strategy that can drive brand awareness and maximise conversions, reach out to BetFiery: O Epicentro da Emoção today. With our team of experts, including marketing managers, campaign strategists, and content creators, we ensure that your game is the success it set out to be.