Steam Game Launch: 7 Marketing Tips for Game Developers

Wondering how to have a successful Steam game launch? Keep reading this article to find out. Launched in 2003, Steam is a video game digital distribution service and storefront developed by Valve Corporation. It’s a platform for all things gaming, particularly if you’re into PC games. Whether it’s a shooter, an RPG, or an intriguing strategy game, you can find all genres and popular game titles on Steam.

Following the launch of the platform, Valve Corporation added the option of purchasing third-party games in 2005. According to a report, the Steam catalog in the United States alone has 50,361 games. Moreover, the platform has 120 million monthly active users with official support for 28 languages across several platform features.

Steam is a dominant marketplace for PC games, and likely a great place to develop a product as you build a community. This makes it a great platform for game launch. But out of those thousand that get created not all get noticed, reason? They’re well-built, well-marketed counterparts overshadow them.

However, by the end of this article, you will know the strategies to use in your Steam game marketing plan to gain a competitive edge. So, if you want to know how to have an effective Steam game launch, check out these tips and tricks:

1. Social media marketing

Brands leverage the power of social media to grow their audiences during or before an event like a Steam game launch. Social media is the space where you can interact with other gamers to discuss the latest releases and share high scores and game strategies. Having an active presence on these platforms can do wonders for your game. You can share your game's unique features and invite users to your Steam page, where they can download, play your game, and help grow your Steam Wishlist.

However, it’s important to know that the key to building an effective social media presence is posting content that users will engage with. Not every post should be towards game promotion. Instead, make sure to post something that can add value to your target audience. Plus, you need also to respond to their game-related concerns.

Furthermore, opt for social media ads to boost your presence. Facebook's advanced targeting capabilities allow you to reach your target audience.

2. Influencer marketing for an effective Steam game launch

Influencer marketing is one of the fastest-growing forms of marketing in the gaming industry. Your target audience likely follow streamers and content creators in the gaming industry. And if you get them to play your game, it could work in your favor.

Partnering with an influencer gives you access to their dedicated audience. This makes it easy for you to generate game visibility and can increase the possibility of a sale. Moreover, the ROI from influencer marketing is also very impressive. Studies show that for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, brands are making $5.2. Meanwhile, some of the top brands are witnessing an ROI of $20 or more for every $1 spent.

To get started with influencer marketing, identify the streamers that cater to your target audience. When reaching out to them, keep the communication pretty straightforward. You can also offer them Steam keys that give access to your game.

However, managing influencers can be stressful, but with our very own influencer marketing tool, AtisfyReach, you don't need to worry about it. It's built to help you unlock the power of the influencer economy.  

3. Steam Curators

Steam Curators are individuals or groups who use the Steam community forum to review and recommend video games to their audience. You can access them through the Curator Content section on Steam.

Steam Curators help users discover games displayed on the Steam dashboard by sharing their views about a particular game. They also allow developers to bypass Steam’s algorithm through human recommendations. 

Source: Steam

When a popular curator recommends your video game, potential users can see it on the front page of the store. This space is usually reserved for the top 5% of Steam releases. So, with the right curators you can reach a large gaming audience.

4. Content marketing

Keeping fans interested as you prepare for a Steam game launch is daunting. However, with the right content on socials, you can keep your users engaged. An effective content marketing plan includes blogs and email campaigns, to name a few. It can help you build a fan base and also grow your Steam Wishlist.

By adding relevant CTAs to your content, you can collect the contact details of users who can then get notified when your game is available for download. This type of marketing strategy lets you share important game-related updates with your users.

Moreover, content marketing is a cost-effective approach to generating brand awareness. This also makes it an effective channel for indie games who have limited marketing budgets. By weaving your game's story into your content marketing efforts, you can engage fans and attract new ones.

5. Giveaways and referrals

By offering Steam keys to players, you allow them to play your game. This would not be possible without actually purchasing the game. Such offers enable a lot of people to play your game for free and create a positive experience within the gaming community. Players who've enjoyed your game can then recommend it to their friends, thereby creating a buzz about the game.

Steam key giveaways have contributed to the success of many top games, such as Fall Guys. Working with influencers to run your giveaways is a great way to get more people interested in your game. As mentioned earlier, influencers have a considerable impact on an event like a Steam game launch. So, onboarding the right influencer can be the key behind your game's success. 

6. Behind-the-scene developer insights

Giving players a sneak peek into the development process is a great way to gain interest. People are curious about what goes into the making of a game, so a sneak peek into this process can pique their interest about the game.

You can showcase this type of content through blogs or videos. However, be careful not to give too much away, as you still want users to play your game to discover more. One of the best ways to use video in your Steam game marketing plan is to do a developer playthrough on your Steam listing page.

Once you’ve created these content assets, share them across your socials to encourage user engagement. Make sure to track the way users interact to see if you need to work on something to ensure your game is appealing to the target audience.

7. Track and analyze data

You should always track your marketing efforts as you work to attract more users to your game. Data tracking and analysis will help you understand what is working and what isn’t so that you can improve to connect with your target audience.

When you publish a blog and add a CTA to draw more users to your email campaign, you should track the blog's performance over time to see how many people read it and complete the desired action. For instance, a new PC game releases, and you hire influencers to promote your game. Track the impressions the influencers receive on their streams and how many people they manage to bring on board. Also, monitor how much traffic this strategy is bringing to your site.

Tracking and analyzing such marketing data is crucial as it gives you valuable insights into your campaign. However, tracking and making sense of data can be very difficult. And that's why most developers hire game marketing agencies to run campaigns for them. At Game Marketing Genie, we do exactly that; we take care of this overwhelming task so that you can focus on creating a great game.

It's a Wrap!

A well-done Steam game launch can be difficult but not impossible. We've shared marketing tips you can include in your Steam game marketing plan. These seven points will help you create hype for your game, propelling it up the Steam ranking charts.

However, if you want to focus on developing your game while the marketing plan and strategies are best left to experts, look no further. At Game Marketing Genie, we have a team of content experts and digital marketing mavens to provide nothing but the best for your game. Plus, with our in-house influencer marketing tool, AtisfyReach, you will have all that you need in your arsenal to achieve the desired results.

Ready to take your game to the next level? Get in touch with us today and let’s talk strategy!