Hyperspace Pinball Pre-Release Marketing blog - Gamieon

With Apple having approved it and Hyperspace Pinball to be released August 26th, it's important for us to generate as much buzz as possible in the next two weeks. 

Gamieon is still in the "learn as much as possible" phase. This means going all over the web looking for insightful articles and blogs on how to do it, and networking with other developers, news aggregators; basically anyone you think who can help. Some would say "isn't it a bit late to be doing all that?" To them I say: Maybe...but the learning never stops. I'd like to share with you a list of helpful articles I've found so far and what I've gained from them.

Disclaimer: Reading my summaries is NOT a substitute for reading the articles! Go out and read them!

Appgamer.net
Continuous marketing over social networking from day 1, have app approved, and in between approval/release, get "PR Partner" and coordinate reviews to appear on release day. Supplement exposure with competitive banners.

Triplepointpr.com
Ads may be cost-ineffective, when working with others be prompt and professional, includes template on writing a good review request, use social media, use PR partners if you have money.

Touch-code-magazine.com
Indies may not get reviews, so work with PR so they can work with reviewers on your behalf.

Gamasutra.com a website, a developer blog, a trailer, a twittescor account. Includes template for review request.

Devmag.org.za
Be friendly with the media; give them copies and previews. Enter as many competitions as possible. Become active in developer forums. Don't be afraid to be fun. Expect criticism. 

Blog.wolfire.com
Don't count on other sites to cover you. "Social" sites like ModDB and Facebook are king. Video is easy and important. Keep making high quality, original content. Don't give up.

Gamasutra.com
You need passion to drive you through the process of making the game. Set up a blog and a website; update it as if millions are reading. Set goals. Track everything. Includes good indie press release prototype. Make videos. Get out and meet people. If you're pushy enough, magazines and websites will do previews of your game...but be creatively pushy. Have an open beta. Reviews. Release day campaign. Do a post-release campaign.

Rampantgames.com
Take Responsibility; nobody cares about your game but you. Define your target market; it is not 'everybody'. Have a unique gimmick. Create a media packet  that contains screenshots, game logos, title screens, banner ad - style banners, lists of features, and lists of reviews / press comments / quotes. Be a part of the community. Do SEO - Search Engine Optimization. Have a Killer Demo. Get Good Media Coverage. Take Advantage of the Indie Game Lifecycle.

Gameproducer.net
Set monetary goals, decide on the optimal distribution method, offer free demos, measure sales and web traffic, maintain your market and keep the players happy, refine plans as needed.

Gameproducer.net
Self publishing, shareware/indie/casual publishers, big publishers, retail stores, game portals, content delivery systems (Steam)

Gillen.cream.org
Send reviewers a copy of your game. Actually read the press. Know why your game is interesting. Court advocates. Lead followers; militarize your fan base. Image counts.

Reddit.com posts work awesomely. Buy up ad space on relevant sites. Don't screw around with marketing. Be sure your product catch is informative. Hold contests or offers that drive interest. Use FB, Twitter, Blogs, and Podcasts. Avoid marketing that isn't completely traceable (always pay attention to ROI). Pay attention to just your target market - avoid scams like Free-app-a-day. 

Christophermpark.blogspot.com
If you're a one-man team, hold marketing as important as development.

Indiepubgames.com
Know Your Audience, Know Thyself

Indiepubgames.com
Stay Focused, come up with a punch line, spread the word, get out and around, release a demo.

Mindjuice.net
Excellent checklist: Include Social Media Features to connect people, have direct feedback features, Prompt User to Rate Your App on iTunes, Create a Twitter Account & a Facebook Page, write a blog, Organize Beta Testers and use a beta test site like iBetaTest, submit apps to reviewers, Post a “Coming Soon” Preview Thread to App Review Site Forums, Choose Your App’s Keywords, Category, Icon, Description, Screenshots carefully. Do a lot of post-approval pre-release forum posting.

Pocketgamer.biz
Have a catchy name, icon, have a free version of the app, use in-app advertising, do a lot of tweeting during development so people can get to know the people behind the product, give out free apps for review, have as much social networking in your game as possible (and include SDK's like OpenFeint), don't beat a dead horse if your release fails. 
 
Majicjungle.com
Word of mouth is king. Do all your marketing at once, the very best you can.

Karelia.com
Most people are not hanging out on iPhone app websites. Market your Website, not your App Store Page. Put rich content, custom app store links on your website. *** This site includes links to free marketing contacts ***. Build and Contact Your Email List. Make news and integrate your app with social networking. Think outside the box, and get some help.

Imediaconnection.com
Score higher in App Store searches by having large amounts of downloads. Ratings don't matter as much. Neither do descriptions. Make every keyword count and be creative with your title. Review text is ignored.

Toucharcade.com
Get feedback early, rapidly and continually. Icons are important. Testing is extremely important. Cross promote, utilize forums, post frequent updates...and move on when you're done.

Blog.appstorehq.com
Make frequent updates, go through paid PR, have a lite version, submit to review blogs, solicit user reviews. Cross promotion (having other apps link to yours and vice-versa). Promo codes. Games are better at selling themselves than you are. 

148apps.biz your app's unique value and message it. Deliver your message to your target audience. Price effectively for maximum success; don't be afraid to go higher than 99 cents if your app is that good. Implement a brief marketing plan.

148apps.biz Look at how similar apps are priced (including free ones). What features do they have that you don't, and vice versa? How much would it cost another company to develop? How much did it cost you to develop?

Positech.co.uk 
Use Google Analytics: Measure your traffic sources. Set goals for visitor flow. Watch your bounce rate. Not all referring sites are equal. Look at traffic from other countries, outgoing links, and in-site navigation for trends.

Onlinemarketingrant.com
Build a great app. Have a full and lite version. Spend money on mobile ads, but also work for free exposure on review sites. Test and track changes. Solicit user feedback and update your app frequently. 

Onlineaspect.com
Have an in-app "Submit Feedback" button!

Forums.tigsource.com
Take advice in context. Income = Game Quality * Exposure. Buy ads. Keep something back in your demo version. Make several games.

So after all that reading, and weighing what I've done, strengths and weakness against them, here's the message I'm getting as it applies to marketing:

Take control of your project, or else the market will do it for you. You don't want that to happen. If you're a real do-it-yourselfer, get out of your cave. Get out there and network with people. Find mentors to help you fix your weaknesses, if you can. Make friends with other development teams, publishers, marketing folk, and gamers. See what they're up to, let them see what you're up to. Help people promote and advance their projects, and they will be willing to help you.