Developing and releasing a video game are crafts in themselves, but they’re far from the only things developers and publishers need to worry about. There’s also advertising a video game, which can often seem like a complicated science. Despite that, there are multiple obvious ways of doing so.
Exhibiting at gaming conventions is one of the most notable of these. It’s a great way to show off your video game while letting potential players have a hands-on time with it. It’s something you’ll have to put time and effort into.
Don’t just set up a booth and hope for the best, though. Use a few convention tips that could help with the process, and it’ll end up going much better than you’d think. You could even end up creating more of a fanbase than you could think.
Exhibiting At Gaming Conventions: 5 Great Tips
1. Bring A Demo
One of the most obvious things to bring with you when you’re exhibiting at gaming conventions is a demo. You’ll already know that, and you could’ve already picked a part of the game to show off. Make sure you’ve actually spent some time thinking about it, however.
It’ll need to be captivating enough to get people interested in your game while also showing off your game in the best possible light. That can often be a tricky balancing act. It should also be intuitive for players, as they wouldn’t have too much time to actually play it.
2. Don’t Forget Bags
There’s a decent chance you’ll be giving out or selling merchandise when you’re at the convention. That’s recommended, and is always a good thing to do. One overlooked part of this is you’ll often need to have bags to give people, too. They’ll need something to carry the merch around in.
Take advantage of that and have some branded bags made to give out with your sales. It’ll help drive more awareness about your game while offering a more positive experience for potential players. The fact it can be seen as unique merch too is another reason to consider it.
3. Put Private Belongings Somewhere Safe
You’ll have private belongings with you when you’re exhibiting at gaming conventions. You wouldn’t want to bring them with you to the actual convention itself, though. Make sure you’ve somewhere safe to keep them while you’re at the convention. Your hotel room could be the most obvious place to pick.
You could also try Euston Station luggage storage and similar options if you’ll only be there for the day and don’t have a hotel room. Once you have them stored away, you shouldn’t have to worry about them during the convention.
4. Size Doesn’t Matter
When you’re about to exhibit at a gaming convention, you’ll have to purchase booth space from the organisers. They’ll usually have several sizes to choose from, with the larger ones being more expensive. If you’re on a budget, these wouldn’t be the most appropriate option. If you think that means you’ll have a lower-quality exhibition, you’d be wrong.
The size of the booth isn’t the most important part to focus on. It’s what you do with it that matters. As long as you can bring in attention and get people talking about your game, then you’ve done a good job.
5. Know Your Audience
When you’re exhibiting at gaming conventions, you should have a certain audience in mind. Not all gamers might like your video game, but that isn’t a bad thing. Instead, it just means focusing on the ones that will enjoy it. Spend time researching your core audience, and find out as much as you can about them.
It’ll let you make better decisions about which conventions you should go to, what you should bring with you, and more. It lets you cater everything to what they prefer, which brings in more interest and awareness. It’ll even help with any other marketing campaigns you have.
Exhibiting At Gaming Conventions: Wrapping Up
Exhibiting at gaming conventions is a great way to create more awareness about your video game. Despite how beneficial it is, not all developers and publishers use it as best as they could. It’s worth using a few tips and tricks to help you with the process. Once you do, it should go quite well.
You’ll create more awareness about your game, which could then turn into more players. It’s an effective way to help advertise your video game, and you’ve no reason not to put the time and effort into it.
