- How to level up your mobile game with influencer marketing
- How to level up your mobile game with influencer marketing
- Published 17/04/2023
- 9 min Read
- Written by Julia Shandrokha
Table of contents
Millions of people play games on their mobile devices every day. And millions of dollars are generated by the mobile gaming industry. Last year, the size of the market was valued as $118.34 billion, and this year, it’s projected to grow to $138.63 billion.
Not only do the App Store and Google Play offer a combined total of 773,674 mobile gaming apps, with Google Play having almost twice as many gaming apps compared to the App Store, but mobile gaming is also growing at a faster pace than the overall gaming market.
With the growing popularity of mobile games, the market has become increasingly crowded, making it more difficult for developers to stand out and attract players. This is where marketing plays a crucial role. Effective marketing can help developers promote their games and reach a wider audience, leading to increased downloads and revenue.
BEST MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR MOBILE GAMES
App Store Optimization (ASO): optimizing app store listings to improve visibility and attract downloads.
Social Media Marketing: using social media platforms to promote games and engage with potential players.
- Paid advertising: using targeted ads on social media, search engines, and other platforms to reach potential players.
- Community building: creating a community of dedicated players who can help promote the game through word-of-mouth and online reviews.
- Influencer Marketing: partnering with popular influencers and content creators to promote games to their followers
In the following sections, we’ll explain what it is, how to pick the right influencer, and how to use influencer marketing to take your mobile game marketing to the next level.
WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?
Influencer marketing is a marketing strategy that involves partnering with influential individuals or content creators to promote a product or service to their audience. Influencers can be celebrities, social media personalities, bloggers, vloggers, or other content creators who have a significant following and are seen as experts or authorities in their niche. In the context of mobile game development, influencer marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching potential players and generating buzz around a game.
Many video game companies are turning to game influencer marketing as a way to reach a wider audience and generate buzz for their latest releases. Here are a few reasons why influencer marketing is effective for mobile games:
- Reach a wider audience. Mobile game influencer typically has large and engaged followings on social media platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Instagram. By partnering with the right influencer, mobile game developers can reach a wider audience than they might be able to on their own.
- Boost credibility. Influencers often have strong relationships with their followers, who trust their opinions and recommendations. By partnering with an influencer, mobile game developers can tap into that credibility and gain more trust from potential players.
- Provide valuable feedback. Influencers who play a mobile game before its release can provide valuable feedback on gameplay, graphics, and overall user experience. This feedback can help developers make improvements and address any issues before the game is released to the public.
- Better ROI. Due to the targeted and engaged audience of influencers, the ROI of influencer marketing campaign can be higher than traditional advertising methods. This means that game developers can get more value for their marketing budget by working with influencers.
- Demonstrates gameplay and features. Influencers can showcase gameplay and features of the mobile game through their content, providing a better understanding of the game and its value proposition. This can be especially helpful for mobile games that are less well-known or have unique gameplay mechanics.
EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION WITH INFLUENCERS
There have been several successful mobile games that have used influencer marketing to promote their games. Here are a few examples:
Pokemon Go: They used influencer marketing to generate buzz around the game’s release. They partnered with popular YouTubers, such as MatPat and Ali-A, which has helped generate excitement and anticipation for the game’s release, leading to record-breaking downloads and revenue.
Fortnite: They have worked with popular streamers on Twitch, such as Ninja and Tfue, to create gameplay videos and promote the game to their followers. They are both known as the top content creators on various platforms. They had a huge beef that started way back in Fortnite Chapter 1 on who is better in the game. This strategy has helped Fortnite become one of the most-watched games on Twitch and has contributed to its continued success.
Among Us: This popular multiplayer game also used influencer marketing to promote the game to a wider audience. They worked with PewDiePie and Pokimane, which helped Among Us become one of the most popular games of 2020, despite being released in 2018.
WHAT ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFLUENCERS?
Influencers come in different sizes and categories, ranging from those with smaller but more engaged followings to those with massive reach but potentially lower engagement rates. Here are the four main categories of influencers and their respective reach:
| Type | Number of followers, K | Good because of |
| Nano-influencers | 1-10 | More niche audience; can be effective for businesses with a very specific target audience or a small budget |
| Micro-influencers | 10-100 | More defined target audience compared to macro- or mega-influencers |
| Macro-influencers | 100-1M | Large reach |
| Mega-influencers | >1M | Large following and broader appeal |
Businesses can choose from different types of influencers depending on their marketing goals, budget, and target audience. Nano and micro-influencers can provide a more targeted and engaged audience, while macro and mega influencers can provide wider reach and brand recognition. However, it is important to choose influencers whose values and interests align with the brand’s, to ensure authenticity and credibility in the campaign.
Now when you know the basics of influencer marketing, let’s figure out the process that can help you create successful marketing campaigns that will promote your game.
GETTING STARTED WITH INFLUENCER MARKETING: 5 ESSENTIAL STEPS + 2 TIPS
Getting started with influencer marketing can seem daunting, but it can be broken down into a few key steps.
Step 1: Define your goals
Before you start looking for influencers to work with, you need to define your goals for the campaign. Do you want to increase downloads, build brand awareness, or generate social media engagement? Having clear goals will help you identify the right influencer to work with and measure the success of the campaign.
Step 2: Identify relevant gaming influencers
Or simply collaborate with the agency to find the best fit. According to Businesswire, finding influencers is difficult for 67% of marketers. And no wonder: the mobile gaming industry is incredibly diverse, and different games appeal to different audiences; the influencer landscape is constantly evolving, new influencers can emerge at any time and it is difficult for marketers to keep up with this ever-changing landscape and identify the most relevant and impactful influencers.
However, partnering with an experienced game influencer marketing agency like Famesters can make a significant difference in achieving your goals. We can leverage our knowledge, experience, and industry connections to help you identify the most relevant and impactful influencers for your campaign.
Step 3: Plan the campaign with the agency
Once you have identified potential influencers, reach out to them with a clear pitch that outlines what you are offering and what you expect from them. Or, if you’re working with an agency, it will manage all the communications for you. Together with Famesters, you can even create a guideline that outlines the type of content you are looking for, the messaging you want to convey, and any restrictions or requirements for the campaign. This guideline will help ensure that the campaign aligns with your campaign’s goals and objectives.
While planning campaigns, marketing managers need to keep in mind multiple factors such as marketing budget, documentation, calendar planning etc. And imagine having multiple ongoing campaigns, which is often the reality of marketers that work in game publishers and agencies… To streamline this process and make sure that your influencer marketing campaigns are successful, it is recommended to work with an experienced influencer marketing agency. Our team of experts can help you every step of the way, from identifying the right influencers to creating and executing your campaign. Also, we keep our working processes transparent for our clients and partners, so you can check what’s going on any stage of your campaign.
Working with Famesters can also help you save time and money. We have established relationships with influencers and can negotiate better rates for your campaign. We can also handle all the paperwork, including contracts and payments, and ensure that your campaign complies with all legal and ethical guidelines.
In addition, an experienced agency like Famesters can provide valuable insights and advice based on their industry knowledge and expertise. They can help you identify new trends and opportunities in the influencer marketing landscape and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Step 5: Track and measure results
Finally, track and measure the results of the influencer campaign to determine its success. Look at performance indicators such as downloads, social media engagement, and website traffic to evaluate the impact of the campaign. The more data you have, the more evidence-based and informed decisions you can take while managing your future influencer marketing campaigns.
However, rough data is nothing without the ability to interpret it. At Famesters, we understand the value of it and generate real-time reports on campaign performance, including the most crucial metrics and their analytics. This gives you and us the flexibility and freedom to make adjustments to our influencer marketing strategies with ease.
TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE COLLABORATION WITH INFLUENCERS
These 2 points may seem obvious yet they are often neglected, and limit the potential of influencer marketing for your mobile game promotion.
Foster authentic relationships. Work with influencers to create an authentic relationship based on mutual respect and trust. It’s hard but it always pays off because when influencers value your game as a partner, you may be sure that the content they create aligns with your brand and messaging and resonates with their audience. Let the number speak for themselves: 54% of influencers report they will only work with brands that show them respect (Crowdtap).
Encourage creative freedom. People are very good at recognizing ads and have a lower trust in sponsored content. This is why influencer marketing is so effective: people trust (and buy) people, and the content created by influencers looks more authentic.
Allow influencers to exercise creative freedom when creating high quality content for your campaign. This will help them create content that feels authentic and resonates with their audience. We know it’s hard to give creators complete freedom, but you can try to find a balance between your game’s aesthetics and the influencer’s style.
CONCLUSION
Influencer marketing is a highly effective strategy for promoting mobile games due to its ability to reach a large and engaged audience, increase brand awareness and credibility, and drive installs. By partnering with experienced influencer marketing agencies like Famesters, mobile game developers can create authentic content that resonates with their target audience, build long-term relationships with influencers, and measure the success of their campaigns.
FAQ
Start by identifying your target audience and the platforms they frequently use, be it YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, or TikTok. Look for influencers who already have an audience that matches your game’s demographic. Tools such as BuzzGuru can help you identify influencers in specific niches. Alternatively, consider partnering with an experienced game influencer marketing agency like Famesters to leverage our knowledge and industry connections to find relevant and impactful influencers for your campaign.
The effectiveness of an influencer is determined by their relevance to your target audience, the size and engagement level of their following, and their content’s alignment with your brand’s values. Evaluate their content style, tone, and audience engagement. You should also check the authenticity of their followers and the level of interaction on their posts. Ensure that the influencers have a good reputation, as they’ll represent your brand.
There are several risks associated with influencer marketing. The influencer may not adhere to marketing standards or the specifics of your agreement, leading to potential legal issues. There could be a misalignment between your brand and the influencer’s values, potentially harming your brand’s reputation. There’s also the risk of low ROI if the influencer’s audience doesn’t engage with the content as expected. Lastly, influencers could have a following that’s largely made up of bots or inactive users, providing limited real exposure.
To avoid the risks, you have to thoroughly study your target audience, discover the right influencers, set clear goals and KPIs, monitor and measure your campaign’s effectiveness, and optimize the campaign accordingly. You can also choose to lean on professionals from the Famesters agency to ensure your influencer marketing campaign is successful.
The effectiveness of advertising with influencers can be gauged by several metrics including brand awareness, engagement (likes, comments, shares), conversion rates (increased game downloads or in-app purchases), and overall return on investment (ROI). This can also be evaluated by observing increases in website traffic, social media followers, and positive reviews or feedback. Moreover, influencers can also boost the credibility of your game by generating positive word-of-mouth among their followers.
The effectiveness of an influencer marketing campaign can be measured using various key performance indicators (KPIs) – they depend on what a brand essentially needs. This includes tracking website traffic, download rates, social media engagement, and overall changes in brand perception. The Famesters agency also provides real-time reports on campaign performance, including crucial metrics and their analysis. By using these data, you can make informed adjustments to your influencer marketing strategies for better results. Famesters’ clients always get detailed reports and analytics.
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