In order to better sell games and apps, the masses have to know of your product first. So raising awareness and getting noticed is in order.
Start by identifying your product’s key functions. What makes your product so much better than your competitors? What can audiences get from your game/app that they can’t from others? Once you’ve identified your differentiation, it’s time to highlight it in your marketing. This is a different level of competition. Not only are you competing with your peers in product, but also in advertising, and in the world of advertising, every brand’s product is “the best,” so differentiation is very much needed here as well. While product differentiations are fact and stat based only, you’re allowed more options when it comes to advertising, so definitely take advantage.
You can market through video, image, blogs, and social media updates, but regardless of the medium, your advertising should stray from the pack. Don’t do what your competitors are doing (or if you are, do it a hell of a lot better). You need to stand out, and I don’t mean with subtle differences, but commanding, undeniable differences. How many times has someone passed along an ad to you saying, “Hey, you have to check out how subtle this thing is!” Probably close to never, because subtlety doesn’t get a lot of attention.
Be unexpected and shocking in your advertising, you buffoon! (See what I did there?) Imagine watching the latest Disney movie trailer and half way through the princess drops an F-bomb. How wide-eye would you be? Then imagine how much press and mentions that movie would get for it. Now think about how curious you’d be to see the movie solely for that one scene.
Swearing for Disney would be extreme, but the point is, get out of your comfort zone and shake things up. Keep your marketing consistent across the board for all of your mediums and do it regularly. One-offs are great, but aim for a campaign to best engage with your audience for them to remember you. You can only shock someone so many times before it becomes expected, so shaking things up regularly will do your game/app marketing some good. To gain attention in your game/app marketing, try being LOUD, bold, EcLeCTiC, or colorful.
Having a great ad that makes people want to pass it along is certainly ideal, but you want to make sure it’s reaching the right people. Identify your target demo. Where do they play and hangout online? Be where they are and become part of their conversation. Your strongest advocate is the most loyal fan, because if he or she is into your game/app, and chances are, he or she knows others who will be into your game/app as well. Once your message gets into their community, it’ll branch out to other like-minds.
Now that everyone knows about your product, through your awesome marketing, and is ready to throw their money at you, the last thing you need to do to better sell your product is to make buying easy. Do not make the consumer jump through hoops to get your product.
Make it as easy as possible. You’d think this part would be needless to say, but I’ve seen countless websites that make the buying experience nightmarish. Add a “Purchase” tab on your Facebook, link directly to the sales page in your Twitter bio and first couple of lines in your YouTube video description, and anywhere else your audience is known to be. It doesn’t matter how great your marketing is, or even how unique your product is if it doesn’t lead to a sale.
Execute these tips accordingly and your games/apps will surely sell better.