Hi again everyone,

With the release of the DC just around the corner, we’re looking at how we can generate buzz and hopefully generate sales from a our online community involvement.

That’s right, we love making games, the way we want to make them and remaining indie, but it’s about time we try to get payed for our work. And, here’s a secret…. we also love/need money!



So in the spirit of being indie and sharing as much as I can, here are some important links and things to know about marketing, online footprint and hopefully generating sales.

First, be a active member of the community. Share your thoughts on gaming threads on reddit, become a strong member of your game engine’s community by helping and giving back, make blog postings, try other peoples games and give feedback, etc… Do not simply join a community simply to spam it.

Here are a list of sites that most indie game makers should visit:





Don’t forget to checkout subreddit’s like:





Make your company’s LinkedIn Page, and keep it updated. This is a professional resource, so keep it professional.

Go social, start you g+ page (yes people still use it), twitter account, tumblr account (or whatever blog site), facebook amongst others. Give updates on a frequent basis. If possible try to give different updates on each format, while pushing important notices to each platform. Keep the information consumable and in formats that are usually acceptable for that platform. An example of this is; writing a blog posting on your blog site. Don’t start a long series of posts on twitter to say the same thing. This is not how twitter should be used, and it’s tedious to follow. Link to it.

I’d also recommend reaching out to people in the community. I’ve been fortunate to connect with many people from the indie games community. People like Konrad @ PlaySRC Ltd. Konrad has taken the time to share his thoughts on crowd sourcing projects and some pointers on how to succeed in such a competitive world.

PlaySRC is a really interesting idea, they are a distribution company who will help indies with the distribution of their games as well as selling large AAA titles. PlaySRC will allow for indies to reach a much larger audience, for a reasonable return on sales. The PlaySRC site is set to launch soon, and Instant Carnage is really excited for them.



Don’t be scared to try crowdfunding. We’ve not had to yet, as all of the team is fully employed. However, it it something we are considering to help us get over the hump. Take time to really work on your business plan before doing so. Make sure your plan makes sense. Then do it. The worst thing that can happen is that you won’t get the funding you ask for.

Try to get your game reviewed. This can be a difficult task, but a worthwhile one. Places like AlterGamer are around just for this.

Try to get funding or a major sponsor through sites like FGL. A colleague of mine has placed his first game it, we’re excited for LordSharpe and Soda Barons: The Idle Rich. Here’s how FGL works.

With most of these comments, you open yourself up for potentially negative feedback. It’s a good thing. The community can be critical, most it’s because they love games as much as you do. Try to listen. It’s okay to not agree with everything that people are saying, but you also have to be able to read the comments in an unbiased manner. Try to understand the critical comments.

Also, be prepared to answer questions and provide feedback in a responsive manner. This can’t be understated. The amount of time you will spend need to kick off a social media campaign is substantial!





Here’s the obligatory screen shot. Main menu, still a wip.



Thanks, as always for reading,

RT

@InstantCarnageG

www.instantcarnage.com