If there is an industry that is on a never-ending upward trajectory, then it has to be the gaming industry. In recent years, gaming has become a multi-billion dollar market, currently worth more than 120 billion US dollars – so the leaders in this sector must know what they’re doing in terms of growth, development, and most importantly, marketing. If you are looking for some fresh inspiration, which you should always be doing, to revitalize and revamp your marketing strategy, then look no further than the gaming companies that are racking up quite a revenue from developing awesome products and even better marketing strategies. 

To make a bigger impact on the gaming community and promote gaming itself to a global audience, developers and publishes in the gaming sector have to combine powerful tactics and brand-building methods to make their products and brands stand out from the crowd in the hopes of snagging as much funding and creating as much hype as possible. If you want to achieve all of this and more, you first need to understand that digital marketing is essential, and then be sure to take a closer look at these five marketing lessons from the video game industry and the leaders that shape the market. 

Branding sets companies and products apart

There are many reasons why the big companies are able to push triple-A games on to the market every year while the smaller, less-known brands struggle to publish a single game in five years – one of the crucial reasons being their lack of quality branding. Popular brands are not popular just because their games are fun, engaging, or because they have some never before seen gameplay mechanics, they are popular because the brand itself stands out in the competitive market and is able to capture the attention of the gaming community. 

And let’s be honest, most of the triple-A games you see today get modest and slightly above average reviews, so it’s important to note just how branding impacts the success of a game and the franchise. What this means for you is that you might have the best products in the world, but if you don’t have an amazing brand, these products might never be able to perform the way you imagined. 

With that in mind, you need to lay the foundation of your every marketing strategy by building a brand on the pillars of company values, personality, tone of voice and visual identity. Make sure that your values speak to the hearts and minds of your audience, and create a unique personality and tone of voice to allow them to connect with you on a more personal level. Lastly, your visual identity will make your brand and your products more memorable, so be sure to follow the latest trends but put your unique twist on them.

Focusing on storytelling and building a compelling narrative

A video game can have the best mechanics and the most polished gameplay in the world, but if it lacks in storytelling, you can expect that it will receive more mixed reviews and deliver subpar results. Modern customers love a functional product, but they also crave to know more about it and immerse themselves in the entire experience, which is why the most popular and beloved games in the world tend to have some of the best stories and plot lines ever written. 

This means that if you want your products, services, and your brand as a whole to perform on a completely different level than before, you have to create better content using storytelling, creativity, and imagination along with those winning SEO tactics. Weaving a compelling narrative into your website copy, your blogs, and every product description will not only make it more memorable but it will take your customers on a journey that will inspire them to buy, and become your loyal brand advocates. 

Emphasize video marketing in your strategy

Digital marketing encompasses many tactics, tools, and methods, all of which work towards a common goal of getting your brand on the digital map and helping you succeed on numerous fronts – sales, recognition, long-term growth, and more. That said, of all the tactics you could employ, many leaders will stick to what they know best, such as writing SEO-driven blog posts. While there’s nothing wrong with that, the gaming industry teaches us that video marketing is on the rise and that we should exploit its potential if we want to take our marketing forward as a whole.

The leading brands and YouTube gaming channels make a killing with professionally-edited, engaging videos, and so should you. You should also brand your videos using the best intro maker in terms of functionality and the level of customization it offers so that you can make your videos, your products, and your brand more memorable on every platform. Whether you’re posting videos on your site, YouTube, social media, be sure to emphasize quality and branding to capture the attention of your audience. 

Influencers can build some serious hype

To make their products successful years before they hit the market, video game companies not only need to build some serious hype, but they also need to maintain that hype up until release to inspire pre-purchases and get as many people onboard as possible. This is also a great way to gain the support of the community and the investors. 

The primary way gaming companies achieve this is by investing in gaming channels of YouTube and social media, specifically influencers that can promote their brand and the preliminary versions of their products. These are the people you need to get in touch with in your industry in order to boost word of mouth and enhance your brand’s visibility and reach – after all, people are much more likely to listen to the influencers they know and love than the company. 

Engage and interact with your community 

Last but certainly not least, always remember that the gaming industry thrives on its passionate and devoted community. These are the people that the keep the market growing through their constant support, so it’s important keep your community engaged at all times. There are many ways you can do this, but aside from creating amazing videos and content in general, you have to manage your online reputation on a daily basis by answering reviews, fixing negative reviews, responding to comments and keeping the conversation going, and using gamification and quizzes to keep your online audience interested. 

Wrapping up

The video game industry is on the rise around the world, and there is a lot that business leaders from other sectors can learn from the leading brands. Be sure to use these insights to enhance your own marketing strategy and take your business to new heights of success.