Your Complete Guide to Using YouTube Marketing For Your Game

by Game Marketing Genie, on 30-Jun-2020 10:38:27

With YouTube ranked as the second largest search engine behind Google, it presents game developers with a valuable opportunity to get their titles discovered and to connect through video. Video game content is also one of the most popular categories on the platform, with YouTube analytics specialist Tubular reporting that 15 percent of all the content on YouTube is video game-related.

If you want to connect with gamers and get your title before people who matter, you will need an active presence on the platform. In this blog, we share helpful YouTube marketing tips that will result in increased exposure for your game and, eventually, more downloads.

Why is YouTube such a powerful tool for game developers and studios?

As we mentioned earlier, gaming is one of the most popular topics on the platform. It is here where gamers quench their thirst for tutorials, insider tips, and news on upcoming titles.

With the right game marketing strategy, you will have gamers anxiously waiting for you to post fresh video content, and this is what we are here to help you achieve. There are other avenues for watching gaming video content like the streaming outlet Twitch, but YouTube still ranks as one of the most popular platforms, with 74 percent of gamers using it to learn how to play a game and get the latest tips.

Figure 1. YouTube gamer statistics. Source: Google

Let’s jump in and focus on what you need to do to market your game on YouTube properly.

Step 1: Create a YouTube business account

The first thing you need to do to share your game videos on YouTube is to create a YouTube brand account. Don’t open your YouTube channel with a regular Google account since only the account holder can access these. Brand accounts allow you to manage editing permissions, thus helping you create a more manageable online experience.

Multiple authorized accounts can access the channel, which will ensure that your subscribers’ demands and needs are met even when you cannot log in to post and edit content. 

YouTube open on MacBook

Step 2: Conduct some research about your audience and competition

Researching your audience and the competition is essential to your YouTube marketing strategy. Just like you would not advertise on Facebook without knowing your audience preferences and how Facebook Ads work, diving headfirst into YouTube content creation without valuable audience insights is not a great idea.

Your profile has an analytics tab that gives you access to tons of statistics about your channel. Check the quantitative insights to understand how your audience behaves. You will see which videos are popular with viewers and the average watch time for your videos. You will also access data on the subscriber demographics, and this will help you find answers to questions like:

  • What’s the average age of your viewers?
  • Where and when are your videos viewed?
  • Which gender appreciates your videos the most?

Tracking audience insights with the help of game marketing experts eliminates guesswork when making marketing decisions. You will know what type of content to create to appeal to your target users, and this will result in more views, channel subscriptions, and game downloads.

Find out more about the importance of data analytics in our blog, Why Do Gaming Businesses Need Analytics for Their Games to Succeed?

You should also research the competition to see their tactics to market their games on YouTube. All the information you need to perform a competitive analysis is available on your competitors’ YouTube channels. You can browse to see which videos are popular and what kind of people make up their audience. If you have a similar audience, try understanding their actions to make their viewers bite at their content. Adopt a similar strategy to increase the chances of your videos going viral.

Your competitor research should not end here. Identify competing gaming videos and dive into the comments to see what users have to say. Maybe your game has been mentioned in the comment section, and if this is the case, you should leave a reply to show you are active within the YouTube gaming community.

Glasses resting on a notebook

Step 3: Learn from popular channels

When reviewing some of the top gaming channels, ask yourself what is so good about those channels that people keep going back for more. Try to understand what personally attracted you to some of the top channels you follow. Carefully analyzing your favorite YouTubers will help you know the best practices to implement to drive engagement and subscriptions.

Popular YouTubers are not afraid to try weird things when creating video content, and this will inspire you to know what you need to do to give your content an edge. You shouldn’t restrict your analysis to gaming channels alone. Take a look at what non-gaming channels are doing to drive engagement, and use the insights to inform your content strategy.

Person sitting before a microphone

Step 4: Get your videos set up for success

You need to make exciting game trailers and thrilling gameplay videos, but to gain maximum value from them, you need to make them reachable and clickable. Pick the right title for your YouTube videos and ensure they contain relevant keywords to make it easy for users to find them.

People should be able to tell what your video is about from reading the title, which is why you need to take your time to develop a killer one. The title should not be more than 70 characters to prevent it from getting cut off on search pages.

It is also crucial to create custom thumbnails to make your videos stand out on the platform. Don’t just select a random freeze-frame as it may not capture your video at the best moment, making it difficult for you to attract the attention of your viewers.

The video description should also be appealing to help users understand more about your brand. Add links to your website and social media handles to make it easy for gamers to connect with you on their favorite platforms. You should also add relevant hashtags to make your videos more searchable on YouTube. Don’t use more than 15 hashtags, or all of them will be ignored.

Cards and watermarks are other tools you can use to promote your brand. Cards are small CTAs that expand when clicked, while watermarks are custom buttons that you can use to ask non-subscribers to subscribe to your channel.

Also, don’t be shy to ask viewers to subscribe to your channel. At the end of each video, give a verbal call for viewers to like, share, and subscribe to your channel.

After creating optimized videos for your channel, create a schedule to ensure they drop at the best times. Operate your YouTube game channel like a TV station where videos are released at specific times. This will help you gain trust with your followers; with time, your video views will increase.

Getting your videos to rank highly and receive lots of views is, of course, your ultimate goal. Don't let yours get lost in the sea of unwatched videos! Read our 10 YouTube Game Marketing Tips for High Ranking Videos to succeed today!

Person mapping out plan with string

Step 5: Optimize your account too!

You need to provide a consistent experience on your channel to generate more views and convert the viewers into subscribers and followers of your brand. Start by filling out your profile with a keyword-rich bio and adding a visually-appealing banner image. Add your website link, social media handles, and contact information to make it easy for people to contact you.

Create playlists for your videos to ensure viewers spend more time on your channel. Make sure the videos progress smoothly to prevent users from abandoning the channel. You can create the playlist with your brand videos or add partner videos for variety.

You can even consider adding subtitles for non-native speakers, so that your brand can expand to other areas of the world.

Globe sitting on bench

Step 6: YouTube advertising

To reach more people with your content, users should be able to see your brand in many other places - not just your YouTube channel. By paying for YouTube advertising, your videos will be promoted to a lot of people, and this will significantly boost your brand visibility. YouTube ads are available in different formats such as skippable and non-skippable video ads, and your choice will depend on how much you have to spend.

For more information on the benefits of paid social media ads, check out our blog: Paid Social Media Ads: What They Are & Why Your Video Game Needs Them.

Also, consider working with influencers to promote your game on their channels. Find a popular gaming influencer in your niche and ask them to give a demo of your game to their audience. This sort of partnership will grow your brand significantly since the followers will be influenced to try your game.

Learn more about nailing your video marketing strategies with influencers in 6 Livestreaming Platforms To Use For Video Game Influencer Marketing.

Play and pause drawn on whiteboard

Step 7: Continuously update, analyze, and move forward with your content

After creating the channel and publishing the content, you should monitor it carefully to understand user trends. Check the channel analytics to see if there are changes in your subscriber count and audience demographics. Use this information to adjust your content strategy to ensure you are reaching the right people at the right time.

Check which devices generate the most views and optimize your channel for those devices. Viewers also leave useful feedback in the comment section, so read the comments to understand what they think of your videos.

Neon slogan on wall

Getting video marketing right

Video is a crucial component not just of your content marketing strategy, but also of the overall health of your business. However, it is not something you can just jump into without a strategy. Luckily, we’ve got all the best tips for you here: The #1 Video Marketing Handbook for Gaming Studios.


Making your YouTube profile count can be difficult. Without the right game marketing strategies, your videos will generate very few views, and this will make it difficult to convince more people to download your game. The team at Game Marketing Genie can help you create the right YouTube profile and develop excellent video content that will result in more views and channel subscriptions. Contact us today to book an appointment with our game marketing experts.

Need more info? Let's chat today about how we can make the most of your marketing opportunities.

Topics:Video Game Marketing StrategyVideo Game MarketingDigital Marketing StrategyYouTube MarketingVideo Marketing

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