How to Create a Crypto Gaming Community

The potential for blockchain games is immense. Giving consumers a chance to earn money while playing games is a strong motivator to keep them around for longer. 

However, things will quickly unravel if the community doesn't care about the game's long-term viability. Even more so if you haven't established a community! 

Native tokens and NFTs, the rewards received via play-to-earn gaming, can be freely bought, sold, and traded. Users not interested in the long game are likelier to sell rewards and pressure the market. The price will drop if developers don't increase players' exposure to the rewards, and the motivation to continue playing will decrease. 

A strong community backing your crypto project has the exact opposite effect. Dogecoin is a prime example of a vibrant community in the cryptocurrency space. The money was created as a meme currency with no practical use. However, through several projects, sponsorships, philanthropic events, and other activities, members of the community made Dogecoin a viral success. One could argue that Dogecoin was the first cryptocurrency since Bitcoin to be controlled by its community, and the supporters made the most of it.

Figure 1: Dogecoin gained popularity because of its community. Source: Dogecoin

Growing a dedicated fan base is challenging. It's more than creating a Discord space. Developers must carry out the initial promises and push the pace of game maturation to ensure people remain engaged. It sets off a ripple effect, triggering enthusiasm and attracting more interested players.

However, building a thriving blockchain gaming community is a process similar to any game marketing strategy. It requires patience, commitment, and strategy. Keep reading to learn how to create a community that champions and propels your game forward.

How to grow your crypto game community

Building a community is different from assembling a decentralized ledger and apps. No mathematical equations or hidden codes can get the job done. It's a dynamic task that needs constant adjustment and development to satisfy gamers' shifting needs. 

In tune with your understanding of the value of a community, you can start developing your crypto community and spreading exposure for your project by taking a few easy steps. 

Set a plan and do some research

The essence of marketing is sending the right message at the right moment. You must pinpoint how you wish to effectively and briefly communicate what your game is about.

Your messaging should be clear enough for players to learn what your game is and what they can benefit from playing it. For your messaging, you should sum up its value and special features in no more than two lines.

Ensure you have covered every aspect of the questions below before you begin. Thorough research and study will reveal significant areas of focus. 

• What's the main goal you want to achieve through your community?
• What are your competitors achieving in their communities?
• What are your audience's features, and what content do they enjoy consuming?
• What rewards can you offer to entice people to sign up, recommend you, and stick around?

Choose your platforms and give them value

The best place to start when creating a solid community for Web3 game development is on social media. We recommend selecting a channel that connects with your community the most. You can either use multiple platforms or concentrate your efforts on only one, to begin with. 

• Telegram is well-liked by crypto audiences. It enables your crypto community to connect freely in real-time via a scrollable text chat.
• Twitter is ideal for quick exchanges of information, announcements, and messaging within your crypto community.
• Reddit is great for reaching out to the crypto community and provides greater space for open debate, community-driven assistance, and promoting your subreddit.
• Discord has changed significantly over the past few years from a site focused primarily on gaming to one including many communities (like crypto). Discord should be taken into account when you are just starting in the crypto gaming world. 

Read more about getting started on Discord community building: Should You Consider Discord For Your Video Game Community?

The good news is that you don't have to engage all these networks simultaneously. You simply need to take ownership of them. Using many social platforms may seem overwhelming, especially if you're a small studio. So start off small! Game developers sometimes avoid giving away too much of their work early on, but from our experience, it takes a long time to gain momentum, so you should start immediately.

Show everyone when you have something to display. This will allow you to redirect all accounts to your most popular platforms and stop cybersquatters or copycats from claiming the name of your game when it becomes more well-known down the line.

Give a projection for the foreseeable future of your game

Making a play-to-earn ecosystem is more about building a universe, a culture, and financial incentives than just making a game. The most successful play-to-earn games start by creating a fantastic culture, community, and healthy economy rather than flashy animations and big capital. Think of your play-to-earn community as a virtual democracy providing its members with the finest opportunities and shared social, political, and economic values. They may stick around for longer if they feel like they're part of your vision. 

It takes time to create a full-fledged game. Nevertheless, it is still important to involve the community at every stage. Giving asset owners early access to a game that is being developed is a wise strategy. In addition, community members can offer input on specific elements and features even if the game still needs to be finished. Pace the expansion of your community with the advancement of your game, and slow down if necessary. Ensure that your community has something to look forward to and knows what to expect, so they continue to be engaged.

Influencers have the power

We enjoy writing about influencers because we know their potential for gaming. Game developers overlook these social media powerhouses because they don't understand their strengths. Today influencers are among the most effective marketing tools available to you. Influencer marketing helps you to interact with your audience through a reliable voice, making it one of the best game marketing tactics available today for reaching your target consumers.

As a game developer, you should continually look for chances to work with gaming influencers since they can help you introduce your cryptocurrency game to a vast audience and end up being a prominent face for your game. You could even join an influencer's community and make it your own.

Despite all its advantages, marketers find that finding the right influencer for the job is one of their biggest hurdles. Here is where the influencer marketing platform, Atisfyreach plays a significant role in simplifying influencer marketing. The AI-based platform uses machine learning to match brands with streamers according to their campaign goals and preferences. It also automates key processes like contracts and payments that save time and effort for brands looking to run multiple campaigns. Register and try a free demo today!

Create incentives for engagement

A happy community is one where everyone feels heard.

Fans want to be acknowledged in real-time and enjoy prompt responses over thorough but delayed replies. You can raise engagement by gamifying your social media channels in addition to rapid responses.

The ethos of a community may initially entice players and contributors, but they will only stay if they are fairly compensated for their participation and develop an ownership mindset. Repetition of this creator feedback loop encourages faith, fidelity, and enthusiasm. Find ways to thank the community members and content creators who you respect the most for their time and work.

If you are using token awards, try promoting them as scarce resources distributed solely to the most valuable members of the community rather than to recruit new members.

Here are some suggestions to appreciate deserving members of your community:

• Create non-transferable NFTs that your most loyal members can wear as a badge of honor.
• Develop in-game items exclusively accessible to players who have mastered the game or attained a particular level within your community.
• Assign your OG community members special community positions. Some people stand out in every community because of their zeal and commitment. Give those people unique roles or badges to make them feel special. 
• Giveaways are a fantastic way to thank members and are especially helpful for fostering community. Rewards may come in the form of free mint, cash or token prizes, access to premium drops, access to private testing, etc.
• Challenges are another tool used by blockchain project teams to expand their networks. For instance, Splinterlands features social media challenges where the goal is to share and tag its content to make the game trend. 

Doing this leverages the community's current members to draw in new ones.

Figure 2: Challenges can be a great way to keep your community engaged. Source: Splintertalk

Get your content creation up to standards

Establish a schedule for updates and follow it. People will be more likely to set aside time to follow your game and check your content if they have confidence that you'll keep in touch with them often.

Even if the subject isn't glamorous, it doesn't matter. Stories about difficulties or failures in development are significantly more engaging than those without content. Use memes, GIFs, and sneak peeks liberally in your content marketing since they are a staple of online behavior these days. 

Learn the lingo and customs of your followers (including labels or collective nouns based on the title of your game or its characters) and formally adopt them. Rituals and a common language help community members feel connected and foster a sense of exclusivity among the group.

UGC is key

The very foundation of Minecraft is user-generated content. What began as a little indie game quickly is now a cultural phenomenon. Call it the Lego of video games. It shows how UGC can help a game's community grow.

Encourage fans to make content for and about your game (for example, by releasing mods) to keep the community active and help you cut down on these tasks. Inspire players to upload and share screenshots and videos of their milestones and the NFT goodies they've unlocked in your game. Sharing this information on your profile will do wonders for your crypto game marketing. Remember, UGC works better than traditional advertising to attract more players. 

Make it simpler for players to create user-generated artwork for your game by offering them free assets they can customize into memes, and mods, post in forums, or share on social media. Acknowledge their effort and motivate them by retweeting, highlighting their works, or even incorporating them into the game itself. 

Figure 3: Minecraft is big on engaging its community through UGC. Source: Minecraft

Invest in your community

Maintaining the community's harmony with the goals of your crypto gaming project and ensuring its continuing growth are both dependent on effective community management. It is crucial to have someone dedicated to overseeing the community management aspect. Always remember that a friendly community is one where everyone feels heard. Real-time response is something that fans expect, and prompt solutions can bolster trust. 

Community discussions are helpful because they allow participants to exchange information, express opinions, and share their thoughts. Community members must feel a sense of belonging and feel like contributors, not mere spectators. 

Real-time conversations and offline discussions both play a role in ensuring your community channels stay active. While you can occasionally rely on bots for the latter, the leadership team must participate in community discussions, communicate the goal, and dispel any rumors or concerns. You will further strengthen your crypto community by reflecting on your mission and values in your conversations.

Crypto game marketing excellence

Already got a NFT game community and want to make it better? Or do you need more crypto game marketing strategies? Get our expert insights crafted from experience in The Top Crypto Game Marketing Guide!

Get professional help for your crypto games' community building

Crypto community building doesn't have a formula that you can follow or a shortcut you can take. It is about strategically building relationships with the right people at the right places. You may need expert help to get your crypto-gaming community started. 

At Game Marketing Genie, we have the experience, connection, and know-how to build a community fast and efficiently. To raise awareness of your project and boost the project's value through the network effect, we provide a range of marketing-related services, including copywriting, community creation and management, social media marketing, and game marketing strategies.

Create your community right away! Get in touch if you need any assistance with your blockchain games. We're only one call away.