Marketing for Mobile Game

Hi everyone,

My team and I are currently developing a mobile app game for the purpose of getting users and to make money off ads and in app purchases. Now, we are low on budget and resources (indie). We have one programmer, one designer and one business/marketing guy. I know building up the hype for the launch of the app will largely determine the failure or success of it. My biggest fear is that people will be turned off because our game does not use the up to date 2015 nice graphics, instead it is uses the retro graphics ( late 90's and early 2000's). I have thought of kickstarter, but I am not so sure people will fund an indie project with not so high quality graphics. Other ideas I had was to pay for shoutouts from popular social media accounts, write to gaming blogs in hope they would make a posting about us, buy facebook marketing and messaging other small game developers for some cross marketing.

it would be a nightmarish scenario if we release the app and get little to no downloads. With about $500 dollars in marketing for example, what are ways you think will be most successful in marketing the app?

Buddy go through these two threads there are many good points which you can use for marketing -

http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/mobile-marketing/669647-app.html
http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/mobile-marketing/711681-app-part-2-a.html

We feel like the gameplay is good. Its a infinite runner game similar to ChasinYello, Templerun, etc. Our way of differentiating ourself is by our unique hero (main character) that everybody can relate to. We try to add a bit of humour to it as well. Screenshots are not available at the moment, and this will be a free game but with ads and in app purchases.

I am also looking to set up social media sites (FB, Twitter, Youtube). We thought about doing a trailer as well but we need a simple and easy to use program because we all either have school or a job.

15discountstore said:

We feel like the gameplay is good. Its a infinite runner game similar to ChasinYello, Templerun, etc. Our way of differentiating ourself is by our unique hero (main character) that everybody can relate to. We try to add a bit of humour to it as well. Screenshots are not available at the moment, and this will be a free game but with ads and in app purchases.

I am also looking to set up social media sites (FB, Twitter, Youtube). We thought about doing a trailer as well but we need a simple and easy to use program because we all either have school or a job.

Click to expand...

I don't think a $500 marketing budget is going to get you anywhere, man.

I can surely help you get the BEST out the budgets.
Feel free for a consultation. Good luck !

Kickstart is great way to start. Gameplay is important...and graphic not so important. Look at ketchappstudio, they have many mini and casual games that do very well. Having said that, Nice gameplay + excellent graphic will still get you nowhere. You actually need a Game Publisher that know how to market your app and make it rank high and engage with Game related medias. Let me know should you want to know more.

apptru yeah, could you add me on skype? I can't PM you.

$500 seems fine to advertising , you'll get benefit from them for sure

Back to basic. Social network marketing , FB, IG, TWITTER, youtube, Game forum etc..... you need to manually run those campaign months before launching the game and get a bit of user base.

Write to Google and Apple to feature your game (extremely hard tho)