Marketing a gaming event could be something you’re considering in the event industry. As the world we live in becomes increasingly imaginative as too do the events people are queuing up to attend. From wild and wacky to some that we would never have imagined ten years ago. Although it’s stated that the first gaming event may have taken place at Stanford University in 1972. The worldwide phenomenon has taken much longer to flood the world of events.
The popularity of gaming events is primarily down to social norms; gaming is seen as the ‘playing out with your mates’ of the modern era. The success is also rightly attributed to Youtube and the desire the platform produced to be the best gamers on there.
In this blog, we are going to highlight the key contributors to the success of the gaming events sector, and also how you can use the blueprint set by others for marketing a gaming event.
What are the driving forces behind gaming events? 🎮
It’s important to note that being a gamer at the highest level can be incredibly financially rewarding. Of course, money makes the world go round, for both competitors and those who organise and run the events. In 2019 the Fortnite World Cup ran for three days and had a prize pool of 30 million dollars. Epic Games, who created the game and ran the tournament itself, say that the competition had over 2.3 million viewers. If those big numbers don’t catch you eye, we don’t know what will.
The start of your marketing journey revolves around what you can offer as a prize. To run an event, you’ll likely need to already have a successful game and have players prepared to fight for the prize pool. The tournament winnings are pretty much down to you and your business, working out what you can and can’t afford is subjective. Our advice would be to make it enticing, but don’t put too much pressure on yourselves financially.
Kudos 🏆
Who doesn’t want to be the best at something they love? Truth is, most of us do and gamers are no different. This is why building up the kudos of your event is vital to its success. Titles like ‘world championships’ are always appealing for people looking to win big and have the title to match.
When marketing a gaming event, it’s essential to build up kudos. Think about the platforms where your potential clients are most active. Not just those who will be taking part, but also the spectators. For example, could your participants be mentioning the event on Twitch? Or could you be posting your logo and the date of the event across Instagram or Facebook? The marketing platform itself should be specific to your sector and game, knowing your brand is important before marketing can begin.
Branding ✨
Once your event is finalised, and you have a loyal client base, it’s time to think about the external branding that will bring in additional revenue and enhance the reputation of the event. Think of using companies that are compatible with your own. For example, a gaming chair company, headset business or an energy drink supplier. The demographic of the clients of these companies should be similar to your own; therefore, the brand of the event is reinforced.
Bringing in additional brands to support a project can also widen your marketing possibilities, as they will have a following of their own across different social media platforms. Market to these people too!
Youtube benefits 📹
Here is the final string in your marketing a gaming event bow. Your competitors could be celebrities in their own right across youtube. Gamers, in general, often have mass followings of die-hard fans who will follow them through a virtual battlefield day-after-day. Your spectator audience is already readily available. We recommend building your own youtube account to host the matches/games in your event. Whilst also using the competitor’s accounts to offer snippets or highlight reels of event gameplay. This will cause the fear of missing out (FOMO) in their loyal followers and drive traffic to your event channel.
It’s also important to remember that Youtube viewership is profitable, so having lots of traffic is another revenue stream your event could profit from in the long run.
Our team in Manchester has years of experience working on marketing and branding for various events. We work hard to create unique styles for each event and are always looking for new ways of advertising. If you are thinking of building a gaming event, get in touch with us today.
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