Video gaming has a wide reach, making it a valuable opportunity to promote your business. With content creators on YouTube and Twitch garnering the same level of attention as celebrities, gaming has taken influencer marketing to the next level.
Gamers are a diverse group of individuals with varying genders, ages, interests, incomes, and so forth. Even if your brand doesn’t create video games, you can still leverage gaming for business and find new ways to promote your products. Here are a few ways you can use gaming to increase your brand awareness:
Try In-Game Ads
If your target audience plays games on their mobile devices, you can take advantage of in-game marketing opportunities. Many free versions of games are free because they allow advertisers to promote their brands to users rather than asking users to pay to play.
The ads that pop up in video games are typically display ads, allowing you to include a video or image of your product or service.
Native ads can be as simple as complex as you want with an image or video and a call to action (CTA). These ads are similar to any other ad for mobile devices; you don’t want to oversell. Instead, you should consider where you’re advertising and who the target audience of the game is. Your mobile ad game can be simple yet effective.
You can also try less obvious forms of advertising. For instance, you can create in-game ads that don’t interrupt gameplay. Your brand can appear on digital billboards or items within the game that don’t disrupt the experience and instead make it look more realistic.
You can purchase in-game advertising directly from ad networks or game publishers, depending on how targeted you want your ads to be. For instance, you can target specific games or types of games. Working directly with publishers offers better integration into the game. However, many businesses typically choose in-game ad networks or programmatic ad platforms because they allow them to connect with multiple brands and networks while using data to automate the ad-buying process.
Remember, in-game ads can be distracting and annoying for users. Many free game users may even become so annoyed they delete the game from their mobile devices. You want your ad to be effective, but you don’t want it to appear too many times. Seeing the same ad over and over again isn’t engaging, so you should consider refreshing your creative content regularly.
Sponsorship Opportunities
There are several sponsorship opportunities available in gaming, ranging from in-game to team sponsorships. In-game sponsorships allow you to get exposure without disrupting the experience. For instance, you can sponsor rewards for winning different games or completing tasks within the game. In addition, you can sponsor real events like gaming tournaments and teams.
Work With Influencers
Working directly with influencers can give any brand the opportunity to increase exposure and brand awareness. Developing an influencer marketing strategy allows you to collaborate with content creators who are industry thought leaders and experts. They have a dedicated fan base and have taken the time to build relationships and trust with their followers, allowing you to leverage these networks to increase your reach online.
Working with influencers gives you the unique opportunity to partner with other brands, including the best content creators in the market. In addition, partnering with a gaming influencer allows you to promote your products or services directly to your target audience.
There are many different types of gamers, and most of them have a niche; rather than playing multiple games, they focus on one more community or niche. Understanding where you fit in the niche is crucial. For instance, are you trying to attract individuals who play creative or strategic games? Does your target audience like adventure or puzzle games? Knowing the answer to these questions can help you find the right influencers to work with.
Try Interactive Ads
Interactive mobile ads within free games can help you attract more customers because they’re more engaging. Instead of being a static image, they allow users to begin playing the game or interact with it in some way, making them more likely to remember it because of the unique experience.
During these ads, the user is prompted to play another type of game for a short period of time. These playable experiences allow them to interact with various types of content before giving them a CTA. Many gaming companies use these types of in-game interactive ads to make them want to play other games.
However, it also works for brands that don’t develop video games. Keep in mind, you want the ad to be interactive and engaging, without it coming across as buggy or possibly spammy, which may mean creating a short game of your own to promote your products, services, and deals.
Research Your Target Audience
Before you determine which type of promotional strategy to use, you should learn as much as possible about your target audience. Focusing on research can help you find the right gaming marketing strategy. First, it tells you whether gaming is the right opportunity for your brand.
For instance, does it make sense to develop a gaming strategy for individuals who download those mobile games or prefer to play games on consoles? Then, you must determine whether they follow gaming competitions or content creators regularly.
Learning about your target audience can help you determine which gaming strategy is best for your brand while ensuring you can create a campaign that generates interest.
Promoting Your Brand With Gaming
The gaming industry can help you increase brand awareness by learning about your target audience’s interests. One of the most important aspects of marketing is looking for customers where they spend their time. This may be on social media or playing games on their mobile devices.
Believe it or not, you don’t have to sell products or services within the gaming niche to successfully market to gamers. Instead, by learning about your customer’s interests and developing buyer personas, you can create an effective gaming marketing strategy to attract and convert gamers into customers.
