Take a quick look at the state of the blockchain industry and it is clear that GameFi is taking the lead. Play-to-earn games like Hamster Kombat and Catizen are raking in millions while legacy projects like the Sandbox continue to wax stronger.
Projects in the space might have a lot of growth potential but they also have to compete with hundreds of others to get the attention of the public. If you’re looking to pursue GameFi marketing, you’ll have to embrace some tried and tested techniques while also being a little innovative.
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Reach Consumers Where They Are
One thing to know about GameFi consumers is that they already have established channels where they learn about new projects. For example, Twitter/X, Telegram, and Discord are massive platforms in the space and GameFi marketing essentially has to include them to succeed. Just look at the rise of Telegram-based games; developers went to where consumers already congregate and marketed to them there.
You will have to take the same approach and market your projects on the platforms that your audience already uses. As these tastes change, you’ll have to adapt as well. Say a new platform becomes popular among the blockchain gaming crowd or a new influencer is now a fan favorite. Your GameFi marketing will have to take them into account as well.
As a rule of thumb, the customer will not come to meet you. Instead, you have to go and meet them.
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Airdrops
Airdrops are a common way to gain traction and reward customers in the crypto space, but they are especially useful for GameFi. If you are a new project trying to get attention from consumers, you might want to give them a taste of what your game has to offer. Running an airdrop means that more customers can be exposed to your project before making a full-on commitment to it.
Then there is the potential for virality. Airdrops, as we’ve said in a previous blog post, can be used to drum up publicity if there is a contest-like aspect to it. Having people post about your project online in a bid to win free assets is a major source of publicity for you. GameFi consumers love free prizes more than anything else and if you leverage the power of this excitement, it can supercharge your GameFi marketing efforts.
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Emphasize Asset Value
Within the world of GameFi, the in-universe assets are just as important, if not more so, than the gaming experience itself. While the experience of the game should be emphasized (as we’ll discuss later), you have to communicate the value of your in-game assets. Think of a game like Catizen or Hamster Kombat; people play them not just because they like tapping on their screens or animated cats but because there is the chance to earn assets that can appreciate in value.
To succeed in GameFi, you have to follow this lead by making sure the value of your in-game asset is front and centre. If your native token can be staked for profit or traded on marketplaces, state this clearly in all promotional material. Don’t just say that the game is powered by $TOKEN but the stackable/tradeable $TOKEN. At every point, tease how the token could increase in value, unlock exclusive features, and any other benefit they come with. Remember that when it comes to GameFi marketing, you are selling your token as well as your game.
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Leverage FOMO for GameFi Marketing
The absolute best-case scenario for your GameFi marketing would be the public to show overwhelming demand for your game. One way to achieve this is by emphasizing the FOMO factor within your game. For starters, you can allow early access to a handful of players and create a competition of sorts to determine who gains this access. While this is going on, let the public know that exclusive early access is available and that slots are going fast.
When it comes to assets, advertise different tiers with varying levels of exclusivity so that players will get excited about the project. While there will be more accessible asset classes, the most exclusive ones will be used to drive interest and engagement.
Finally, as your project hosts exclusive events like Q and As, real-life meetups, and even airdrops, publicize this to drum up excitement among potential customers.
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Deliver an Experience
It goes without saying but you have to deliver an interesting experience within your game and make sure the public knows about this. Take Hamster Kombat, which has been one of the biggest GameFi successes of 2024. The game can be summarized as tapping the screen and earning crypto from it. Anyone who’s played the game knows it’s a bit more complex than that but this simple concept was used to push the game’s promotion heavily.
To effectively do GameFi marketing, you’ll need to really tap into your game and decide what it’s biggest selling point is. Is it the best combat game of recent times? Does it have a great community? Is the storyline the best thing ever? Find this selling point and make sure it is aggressively marketed to potential customers. Remember that you’re effectively competing with hundreds of other projects and so, players need to have a reason to pick you over all the others. Because, at the end of the day, a great gaming experience is what will keep your project going.
Conclusion
GameFi marketing can be very tricky as it involves delving into a complex and ever-evolving market. As we’ve said in this article, success in the GameFi space involves meeting your audience where they are at and communicating value to them. Much of this value is tied to the value of the in-game assets as well as the actual gaming experience. After all GameFi fans flock to the project they do because of the additional blockchain-based benefits. If you can draw them in with this value, along with other tactics like FOMO and community, the sky is the limit.
