PR for video games is the world’s fastest-growing industry. With Esports growing at a rate of 280% per year, it’s no wonder that there’s always a need for gaming industry experts to keep up with new developments and help them get their message out. Today, gamers are spreading the word about their favorite games through social media, podcasts, YouTube, and more. Here’s how to get started as a gamer PR pro in the gaming industry.
- Be an Expert in Your Product.
Knowing the product well in all its forms is a requirement for success in public relations. Every public relations and advertising campaign starts here. Spend as much time as possible learning about your gaming system. If you want to know everything there is to know about the project, you can also ask the public relations department of your studio or a small team. If you are merely publishing it, the same logic applies.
It looks terrible on your part if you can not handle questions from customers or reporters because you need to learn more about the subject matter or the services or goods your company provides.
- Community involvement
Studio, game, character, and gaming universe online communities are cultural phenomena. Game communities are highly engaged. No game-related issue will go unexplored.
Hence, these are folks who are eager to spread your game advice. If you can make friends with community members—especially those with social media and YouTube channels—they can spread your message.
Visit these forums to see what they’re discussing and how you may fit in. Your game enthusiasts have massive audiences and might help you get your message across quickly.
Gamers are PR gold. Game PR firms should connect with fans as often as possible. What’s better than a massive online fan base always looking for news about what you’re paid to promote?
- Make it an Experience
Because of the pandemic, new business methods have emerged, such as using mobile editing apps and video conferencing services like Zoom. In addition to the standard media training soundbites and critical messages, customers should become aware of the intricacies of Zoom interviews.
Being in a well-lit place, avoiding backlight, being peaceful, and positioning the camera at eye level are all important. You should also choose a natural, clutter-free background and a gadget with a high-quality microphone.
You can entice journalists to leave their comfy couches and offices if the event is immersive, engaging, and full of story ideas. While at it, make it worthwhile for them to do so.
- Values
Currently, shoppers consider more than product quality—most like the company’s story and sustainable goods and services. Other products typically display these characteristics better.
Does your gaming studio support a cause? Do you want to promote climate change, social justice, or other issues? Share your values on these and other topics. Touching gamers’ hearts and minds helps sell games. Hence, users can connect with your business.
- Know Who Your Audience Is
Society often stereotypes gamers as awkward, asocial enigmas chained to their parent’s basement. In truth, Esports fans form a young and technically savvy worldwide community. Gamers swiftly smell out inauthenticity and are ready to make their thoughts heard — and non-numbers — on social channels. Interactivity is one of the best things about gaming-focused platforms like Twitter and Twitch, but it also makes it easy for a bad word or wrongdoing to spread like wildfire among its core communities. This statistic is precisely why, as a PR professional, you should make sure you do your research before trying to talk to this group.
In gaming and Esports PR, we’ve seen a lot of partnerships, activations, and other announcements get pushed into the news cycle, only to be taken down because the community reacted so negatively. Not only do you need a crisis communications plan right away, but you also need to know that it’s even harder to win back an audience that will keep telling you that you made a big mistake.
When you apply PR well, the field is full of potential fans who love and stick with their favorite brands for the long haul. This can range from cultivating connections with media outlets to creating successful marketing plans. It is an ever-changing field, and you can learn many things to help promote your product.
