Pitching Your Game to Creators:
A Guide for Indie Game Developers
Once your game is in a state where you believe it is ready to be shared with the public, you can consider content creator outreach. Pitching your game to creators can help expand your reach, introduce it to wider audiences, and connect it with more targeted communities. Before you start this process, ensure that your game build is stable, free from critical gameplay interruptions, and offers a smooth, memorable experience overall. When you’re ready, here are some best practices to effectively market your game, allowing for better engagement with content creators and their audiences.
Build a Strong Target List
Identifying the right creators is crucial. Finding relevant targets will increase the likelihood that these creators will bite and cover your game. When choosing which platforms to prioritize, we always recommend YouTube over Twitch. Content posted on YouTube is considered evergreen, meaning that viewers can discover and revisit the content well after it is first uploaded. Getting a streamer to cover your game is still beneficial, as they may post VODs and clips on YouTube later, but it can be a bit more timing-dependent. To determine who qualifies as a relevant target, consider the platforms they use, their size, and their activity.
Here are some things to consider as you build your list:
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- Identify which games the creator’s target audience is familiar with. Creators who have already shown an interest or have been following your game are great starting points. However, make sure to expand your search to include creators who cover games similar to yours and align with the overall theme or niche of the channel.
- What are the creator’s recent videos about? Take the time to review the creator’s uploads to understand the current state of their channel. In your initial search, a target may seem like a good fit, but after a closer look, you might discover that their channel has shifted focus.
- Have they maintained a consistent posting schedule and viewership level over the past few months? Include larger and smaller channels in your outreach list based on your marketing goals, but always double-check their recent view counts. Avoid creators who have been inactive for months, as you’re unlikely to see coverage, let alone receive a response from them.
Writing Your Pitch
In your pitch, it’s essential to make your intentions clear by starting with an introduction of yourself and/or your studio. Always state the purpose of your outreach, whether it’s to invite them to try a demo, experience an early preview build, explore major updates, or write a review. In the subject line of your email, highlight the offer and dial in on the key selling points of the game, such as the genre or notable features, and incorporate relevant keywords to attract the intended audience.
Keep the following in mind as you write your pitch:
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- Create a Mutually Beneficial Connection (Most Important): Look for ways to connect your offer with their interests through your hook. How can your offer personally benefit them? Maybe similar games have performed well on their channel. Maybe there are certain features that really resonate with them. You can even make it exclusive if you can offer an early build before a public release.
- Keep your pitch short and sweet: Follow your introduction with a 2-3 sentence paragraph that gives creators an idea of what to expect from the gameplay loop and some of its most exciting features. Creators receive a lot of pitches, so it’s always smart to keep your pitches brief and straight to the point.
- Include resources: Always hyperlink to the Game’s Steam page and a press kit they can use for video assets like thumbnails. To grab their attention, include the logo or banner of the game with a trailer link, but avoid including too many links to prevent your pitch from being flagged by spam filters.
Focus on Earned Coverage
We recommend prioritizing earned coverage with your pitches. A well-targeted and well-pitched game will receive interest from creators and result in more authentic reactions and engagement. We only suggest paying for opportunities if you have the budget for it, the creator is highly relevant for your game, and is very popular, or if you are struggling for responses from pitching. If you receive requests for paid sponsorships, be honest that it’s not something you’re looking for, but express enthusiasm in still wanting to share your game if there’s interest. More often than not, they’ll still accept a key, which could lead to coverage later.
Key Distribution
Instead of shooting out keys with every pitch, we suggest you ask in your pitch that they respond if they’re interested. This short back-and-forth helps you understand exactly where your keys are going and sets an understanding that this creator is likely to produce content or, at the very least, try the game. That said, this extra step can deter some responses, so it’s up to you how you’d like to approach this. Finally, always include any disclaimers and notes about potential bugs players may encounter or embargo details when you hand over the key.
Following these steps will give you a solid start in pitching your game to creators. Don’t be afraid to follow up and try again whenever you have new updates to your build. It’s possible they missed a previous email, or a new feature really piques their interest. Happy pitching!
If you’re looking to enhance your game’s visibility and market it effectively, Starfall PR is here to help. We can provide hands-on guidance throughout your campaign, assisting you in building your media list and pitching your game. If you prefer to focus on development, we can also handle all the outreach for you. Do you have a media list you would like a second opinion on? Feel free to contact our team through the form below. We would be happy to review it for you.
