How to Market a Video Game Fansite

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by THX2, May 12, 2008.

  1. #1
    Hi guys, I'm creating a new fansite for a game (that will be popular) and I'm trying to figure out to best market it. There is competition in this niche, while I have far more content and arguable at least as good site design, the other sites have been around much longer and have a larger community and are higher up on google. While there is competition, it's not fierce, but it is there.

    How would you approach this? Do you have any ideas?

    Thanks!
     
    THX2, May 12, 2008 IP
  2. ~kev~

    ~kev~ Well-Known Member

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    #2
    Make some videos about your games and post them on youtube. Have you seen some of those TF2 and counterstrike videos? Some of them have been viewed 100,000 times.
     
    ~kev~, May 12, 2008 IP
  3. ColorWP.com

    ColorWP.com Notable Member

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    #3
    I believe "content is the king" works here as in every other niche. Just do some directory submission as a start and comment on other similar blogs with a link to your site.
     
    ColorWP.com, May 12, 2008 IP
  4. THX2

    THX2 Peon

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    #4
    Thanks guys - are there any other suggestions that would useful in the gaming market?

    I think I have the content to attract people - I just need ways to alert them of its existence without spamming other fansites.
     
    THX2, May 18, 2008 IP
  5. VideoGamer

    VideoGamer Banned

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    #5
    Hey,

    I'm in the process of making a game site (general video games) myself. Maybe you and I could help eachother in some ways.

    Anyway, what I recommend is joining up to several of the major video game websites out there. IGN, gamespot, gamefaq, etc. Invest a few dollars into paid membership so you have access to the entirity of the forum. Most of these forums have specific boards for various games, and if indeed your fansite is about a popular videogame it will more than likely have a board on its own. Place a link to your site in your signiture and make relevant and preferably indepth, informative posts in other threads on that board. If you're making a fansite on a game you probably have a lot of knowledge about it. Take advantage of that. If you constantly make valuable and standout posts people will respect you and will be more than likely to check out the site in your signiture. Once they're on your site, it's up the strength of the content you have whether they will be staying or not.

    My site is not out yet, but if you want to check out the myspace page for it it's myspace.com/deepthroatgaming
     
    VideoGamer, May 18, 2008 IP
  6. THX2

    THX2 Peon

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    #6
    Thanks for the advice, I'm going to do that once I launch the site. For the moment I have my link in signatures for non-gaming websites, just to build the backlinks up slightly but without generating too much traffic (I don't want the people that I am targeting visiting the site before it is ready). I'm also going to run a launch contest linked to my forum, with a pre-order of the game as the prize. Hopefully I can generate some return visitors that way.

    Catchy name for a gaming website btw :)
     
    THX2, May 18, 2008 IP
  7. VideoGamer

    VideoGamer Banned

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    #7
    Can you PM me a link to your site or just tell me what game it's a fansite of?
     
    VideoGamer, May 18, 2008 IP
  8. kamal_kaushal

    kamal_kaushal Banned

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    #8
    make some videos of ur game n send thm at youtube & google video, like prince of persia & n like counter strike it is the best way.
     
    kamal_kaushal, Jun 4, 2008 IP
  9. ORZ

    ORZ Well-Known Member

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    #9
    Good advice here. I did a poll on my website for "Your favorite media type?"

    Concept Art - (8%)
    Wallpapers - (17%)
    Screenshots - (17%)
    Videos - (58%)

    And I can say that marketing with new videos is a great way to get some subscribers :)
     
    ORZ, Jun 5, 2008 IP