How to Market Your Blockchain Game To Mainstream Players

Today, transactions involving unique digital products tokenized as NFTs generate billions of dollars in crypto games. A vibrant economy, crypto games have pushed some gamers to steer their professions towards earning from metaverses and trading collectibles. Why? Because according to research by the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA), the game footprint has become increasingly apparent in NFTs, with in-game collectibles accounting for $2.32 billion in sales in Q3 of 2021. 

From 29,563 in the first week of 2021 to 754,000 in Q3 2021, the number of wallets related to gaming activities climbed by 2,453%. Despite this growth, the industry is relatively young. 34% of the respondents identify as gaming professionals, while 27% identify as blockchain professionals.

Figure 1: Blockchain gaming is a relatively young industry. Source: Block Chain Game Alliance

For game marketers, this insight means that there is a potential market constituting mainstream players and gamers who are not (yet) familiar with the rising trend. By involving top gaming talent with the right marketing strategies, you can closely target the right audience. 

This blog explains five ways to market your blockchain games to mainstream players.

Blockchain games and mainstream players

Despite the growing popularity of blockchain gaming, the ecosystem is still in its infancy. There are two critical lags in it:

Crypto game devs are often small groups or studios experimenting with various blockchain applications. Speculators and crypto-natives make up the bulk of their players, as opposed to mainstream gamers who generally don't have a clear understanding of cryptocurrencies and NFTs.

The second problem requires game marketers to start early. However, the real issue here is that mainstream (i.e. non-crypto) gamers don't see crypto games as something worth investing in or as something they understand. 

Primary education about the cryptoverse is a dire need before blockchain gaming becomes part of the mainstream. Players should understand what a blockchain is (a ledger) and what it can do for them (true ownership). Mainstream gamers will not engage in a blockchain game unless they thoroughly know the topic. We're only in the initial phase of the adoption curve; therefore, there is still a massive chunk of knowledge base to build.

So, here's what you can do to address this issue when marketing your blockchain game: 

Jump on social media

Because blockchain and cryptocurrencies are complex concepts to grasp, several businesses have already turned to social media to tease it out.

Take, for example, Ripple, a blockchain for international payments. They're regularly releasing instructional webinars with almost a million viewers on Twitter. They now own TV shows and podcasts dedicated to the cryptoverse.

Figure 2: Ripple is talking about crypto on Twitter. Source: Twitter

Reddit and Twitter are the platforms of choice for crypto marketing. Built around conversations, they help exchange ideas much better than other social networks. 

Marketers nowadays concentrate their efforts on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. While each of these channels has its merits and may play a role in your overall blockchain marketing plan, developing your following on secondary media will be an uphill struggle if your crypto brand isn't heavily reliant on Twitter initially.

Similarly, "Free tools" is a common subject in crypto marketing, not because crypto users are cheap, but because they are resourceful and more interested in developing a true community than paying for exposure. As a crypto marketing firm or brand ambassador, your aim as a Reddit marketer is to interact with the community by giving out free value. 

Also, Discord is a great place to catch gamers hanging out in chat rooms. You can also incentivize gamers who support you in communities through additional in-game assets, for instance. 

Consider gamifying your community on Discord. Check out our blog that answers this question: Should You Consider Discord For Your Video Game Community?

The best type of content to share, you ask? Memes! The latest rage in both platforms stands to see much more engagement than other forms of content. We suggest experimenting with various content styles and seeing if it garners traction. 

Go live

Livestreaming's success is notable, with YouTube and Twitch having millions of daily viewers. Why? Because gamers are always looking for fresh content to try out, ideally in real-time.

That's why so much of gaming on social media is about building anticipation, as it gets people interested and talking (and ultimately tuning in). Gaming has progressed from a passive pastime to a kind of live entertainment. Putting up virtual events for fans has become standard practice for studios and teams of all sizes.

It makes perfect sense for people in the gaming business to work with streamers and gaming celebrities because influencer marketing is all the rage with brands today. It introduces your business to a new audience and gives your marketing efforts a face. Gamers, like you, are keen to grow their brands. Highlighting players enjoying your game through UGC is a simple strategy to achieve that. Give shoutouts to the fans who show you love on social media. 

Similarly, streamers are less likely to work with studios that aren't a good match for their audience, which provides your partnered promotions with a much-needed air of authenticity.

Guide your audience through blockchain gaming

Many gamers are yet to move from play-to-win games to play-to-earn games. The overarching reason is "they don't know why and how". 

Some of the challenges accompanying this new industry are:

• Regulatory uncertainty
• Technology limitations
• Poor user experience
• Gameplay quality
• Lack of technical expertise
• Misleading industry standards
• Complex implementation
• Niche appeal

Many players feel hesitant given the ambiguity surrounding the subject. You can create content on these topics and instructions on how gamers can play your games and earn rewards. Create educational content through blogs, how-to videos, webinars, etc. You can also ask industry experts to discuss the predicted changes through guest posting. You can build domain authority and strengthen SEO alongside marketing your game. 

Create interactive and informative elements surrounding blockchain gaming with your game to be one of the first to propagate the idea of blockchain gaming.

Show your audience how to play your game, exchange assets, and use your game's stuff in the metaverse.

Join or make a community

To say that some people are excited about cryptocurrencies is an understatement. Long-term rewards come from nurturing a fan base for your game, so don't wait too long to get started. It's common for game developers to be hesitant to reveal too much of their game early on, but momentum takes a long time to generate, so you should get started right away.

We've stressed the importance of building a community before. Read more here to learn How to Grow a Gaming Community.

Several of these new niches are forming chatrooms, Slack channels, subreddits, forums, and other means of keeping their markets informed and engaged. They regularly promote these open groups on social media and encourage enthusiasts to join. Every successful game has a supportive community. Hence, focusing on developing a community for your game becomes critical.

Among the gamer community, Reddit and Discord stand out. These platforms can help you grow your community. It may be an excellent resource for getting immediate feedback on your game. Also, you can create a meme channel on your Discord server where members of your community may contribute memes related to your topic. It would be best to encourage community members to get in conversations surrounding your project. Keep an eye on your social media accounts to get a sense of your fans' moods, thoughts, and opinions.

A happy community is one in which everyone feels heard. Fans want real-time acknowledgment; therefore, quick responses are preferable to lengthier ones.

You may enhance engagement by gamifying your social channels in addition to rapid answers.

Implement an NFT marketplace into your game

The use of NFTs in blockchain gaming has opened up a slew of new possibilities. Users may buy or acquire in-game assets using NFT and store them in their wallets. This move has made the gaming experience both exciting and fulfilling. You can create a marketplace centered on your game where people can exchange these assets for real money in the real world.

You can trade your assets on marketplaces like OpenSea, Rarible, and others. Having your own marketplace will help your game get more traction and engagement. The NFT marketplace has the functions of an auction, an online store, and a non-fungible token-issuing blockchain platform. Users should be able to design and sell their NFT products. Furthermore, convenient marketplaces provide extra features to attract and retain customers and improve the overall user experience on the platform.

For new blockchain gamers, you may leverage your community to organize frequent airdrops of your in-game assets and host trade events to encourage your audience to attend. Given the way things stand, this seems to be an initiative that can future-proof your position as a blockchain developer. 

Crypto game marketing mastery

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All of this may seem overwhelming, but with meticulous planning, creating an active gaming community can be a refreshing and fulfilling experience that reminds you why you're designing a game in the first place. While it is still a bit too early to say what the future of blockchain gaming will be, one thing is for sure. Blockchain gaming experiences will only get better, and game developers (VR and AR tech) are already working on it. As we know, better experiences will mean more adaptation of this new boom. 

NFT marketing agencies provide a specific and professional strategy to promote your brand before your target market. Joining up with a professional marketing organization that knows your business goals should be the next significant step in your game's marketing. Game Marketing Genie can help you manage these changes and keep your players playing with fresh ideas.

Book in a session with our team today!