Gaming marketing has to constantly change to fit the new needs of customers and the new ways in which they interact with games. Marketers have to find ways to reach players where they are and set their brands apart from the competition. Gamers also tend to be very loyal to certain types of games or supports, and developers are trying to bring players from other niches to their side. This is why they’re using increasingly creative means to get as close to potential customers as possible. Let’s take a look at a few marketing trends that will help shape the future of the gaming industry in the years to come.
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More Power to Influencers
Gaming companies are realising how powerful influencers can be as a tool and how valuable the social proof they provide is. Very few people know this, but one of the most mentioned brands is Steam, and we can thank influencers for that. Gaming is a very personality-driven niche and attaching yourself to the right influencer at the time on the right channel can be one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to build a brand. Many of the most popular games in history have benefited from major influencer push too, like Angry Birds and Among Us. Influencer marketing and gaming are a match made in heaven and influencers should continue to have a major impact on the industry for many years.
Freebies and Bonuses
We can also expect to see more platforms using freebies and special offers to attract new players. This was already common in the online casino industry with casinos like Spin Palace offering up to $1000 in bonuses to new players and many platforms have moved to a free trial model lately. This allows brands to get players from other platforms or new players through the door and sell them on premium games. Freemium games should continue to be front and centre as well.
eSports Partnerships and Sponsorships
We can also expect to see gaming brands trying to associate themselves with eSports players, teams, and events more aggressively in the next few years. There is little that separates eSports from traditional sports, and there is still a lot of space for advertising in eSports when we consider how much space it occupies in traditional sports.
More Focus on Female Gamers
While women have been playing video games for as long as men have, they never seemed to be a priority for gaming companies, but this is about to change. Companies first tried to create games based on their idea of what female gamers would like only to find out that they are much more likely to play mainstream games that are popular at that moment. It’s estimated that about 45% of all gamers right now are women, and gaming companies will have no choice but to start paying more attention to female gamers if they want to stay relevant.
These trends should have a profound impact on the relationship between gaming companies and players. Anyone who’s in the space or thinking of entering it would be wise to take notes to take advantage and adapt to new realities.
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