作者：Erik Sebellin（独立游戏营销顾问）

为你的游戏提升销量的第一步是打造声势。而实现这一点的第一步就是向记者、博客主、YouTube达人以及其他具有影响力的相关人物推销你的游戏。

因为如果没有他们为你的游戏背书，在Twitter为它发贴，在YouTube和播客中讨论这款游戏，或者在其他任何数字、平面及音频媒体中提到你的游戏，那就没有什么人会听说这款游戏。而如果他们没听说过，当然就不会去买你的游戏。

下面是我所总结的PR人员相关营销经验，其中指明了让你的游戏获得关注所需采取的行动。

开启营销之旅

这个推广过程就是扩展范围。也就是让一些富有影响力的人物谈论你的游戏，这样他们的读者、听众或观众就会获知这一信息，而后他们的粉丝也会知道你的游戏，甚至是对其产生兴趣并购买游戏。

那么，你该如何开始呢？

首先，你得创建一份相关重要人物的名单。这里的“相关”，我指的是可能对你的游戏感兴趣，并且拥有大批粉丝的重要人物。

其次，你要撰写发送给这些要人的资料。也就是能够创造认知度、让他们产生兴趣，传递信息，令其产生兴奋感，并将这一认知度、兴趣、信息和兴奋感转达给粉丝的邮件。

第三，就是如果运气够好的话，你就可以看到销量了。

创建重要人物名单

要接触这些重要人物，你就得先找到他们。你不但要先确定要找哪些人，还要找到他们的联络方式。例如他们的邮箱地址，电话号码，甚至是Twitter帐号。

注意，这里必须是直接联系方式，因为多数情况下，遗留在电话信箱中的任何信息，以及发送到类似于info@publication.com这种通用邮箱的信息基本上无人理会。

创建重要人物名单时，要列出你希望推广游戏的报纸、杂志、博客以及其他相关平台，例如Eurogamer、Joystiq、《纽约时报》科技专栏，甚至是Yahtzee。如果你不确定这些平台是否值得投入，那就考虑一下它们的受众规模。如果是报纸和杂志，那就在他们的广告专栏中查看其发行量，你瞄准的媒体最小发行量不应低于20万份。

如果是博客主，那就使用Compete或Statsaholi等网站看下他们的每月流量，这里的最小每月流量不可低于2.5万，但要注意这些网站报告的流量通常是保守数据。

下一步，确定联系谁。假如该平台只有一个博客主，那么你该联系谁就很显而易见了。但如果是一家拥有多名人员的游戏杂志，那就要查看下谁曾撰写过类似你的游戏的文章。这类文章的作者就是你要联系的人。

（当然，如果一个出版物并不报道你这种类型的游戏，那就不必去联系他们了。例如，一家开发商针对PS Vita创造了一款纸牌仿制游戏，那可能就很难在GameSpot获得评论，因为后者一般只评论主流游戏，比较明智的选择是联系PS Vita Hub，因为这个平台报道的游戏范围更广。）

当你知道要联系谁时，你就需要得到他们的联络方式。如果是记者，你可以在出版物的发行人栏目中找到（游戏邦注：例如在纸质出版物的头几页或者网站上的“关于我们”栏目）。如果这也不行，就打他们机构的电话。我想没有哪家媒体会连一个接电话的明白人都没有。

如果是博客主，最好是查看一下他们网站“关于我们”或“联系我们”的版块。例如，你可以在www.rockpapershotgun.com找到Alec Meer的联络方式。但通常情况下，你就是很难联系上博客主本人，这时候只能退而求其次，转向二级联系信息（例如通用邮箱地址）。

如果这些渠道都不管用，那就借助谷歌搜索，从中找到更多辅助信息。

捷径和表格

现在，我猜你多半是在想：我要从哪找到这个列表？

第一：你可以向拥有联系人列表的人借阅。但要注意，即使他们有这种列表，该列表也主要是服务于他们自己的游戏，未必适用于你的游戏。也就是说，对他们的寻物解谜游戏感兴趣的重要人物，未必会对你的慢跑模拟游戏感兴趣。此外，他们的列表也未必完整或者跟进最新信息。这意味着你至少还需要自己做一些调查工作。

第二：你可以通过Cision等付费组织买一份列表。Cision是一个包含全球记者和博客主的姓名、作品、邮箱地址、电话号码等信息的庞大数据库。

但Cision这类服务的问题就在于，太贵了。并且他们创建的列表虽然很好，但未必完美——要知道人来人往是常态，他们的数据库也未必总会即时更新。这意味着你也还是需要自己做一点调查工作填补空缺。

最后，你创建好媒体联系人列表时，就需要进行管理和组织。我是在电子表格中完成这个操作，你可以根据自己的需求制作列表。我通常将列表划分为7个栏目，例如：

在备注栏目，我会加入任何必要的行动（例如，我是否要寄送T恤等推广物品）以及相关信息（例如在哪个大会上遇见该记者）。

开始行动

恭喜你！现在你就有了联系人列表。接下来该怎么做？

使用列表，步骤如下：

1.通过电子邮件向列表中的重要人物发送一份项目预告资料；

2.在两三天后打电话向对方跟进情况；

3.通过电子邮件向列表中的重要人物发送游戏发布日期的信息；

4.在两三天后打电话向对方跟进情况。

那么你该何时向对方发送推广信息？预告内容可能要在游戏发布前三个月左右发送，而发布日期的通告则需在游戏发布前一两周就发送出去（大预算的游戏可能会更早更频繁地发送宣传信息，但他们的游戏是大型项目，拥有更多预算，因此可以支持如此紧凑的营销动作）。

预发布新闻稿应包含你的游戏情况，突出你游戏中的一些亮点和特色。例如，游戏出众的故事情节，视觉效果，强大的配音阵容，已经推出了可预览的测试版本。除此之外，这些信息中还应该分享一些游戏截图或者早期玩法视频，并提供面谈的机会。那么如果你并没有这些可分享的内容怎么办？如果你能分享的就只是一些概念美术又该如何？那就发送这些内容，这些重要人物对你和游戏越是了解，他们就越有可能报道你的游戏。

至于发布日期的新闻稿，就要讨论你的游戏的独特和出众元素。但此时你得提供更为优质的信息，例如正式的预告视频，并提供一个游戏副本供其评论。

并非每份推广内容都能获得媒体报道。事实上，多数推广内容无缘获得媒体关注。也并非每份推广内容都能获得良好的报道，有些还会招致负面报道。但一小撮重要人物所产生的积极报道，却有可能因其影响力而引起更大广受众的兴趣。

在撰写你的新闻稿时，要使用友好、通俗化的语言风格，简明扼要（一两行文字比较理想），确保你的标题和首行文字就能吸引眼球，并且要内容完整（包括相关事实在，以及你的联系方式）。

以下是一款（虚构）新字牌游戏的预发布新闻稿的范例：

标题：将纸牌游戏进行到底……现在即可测试

Dear[重要人物的姓名]：

……你玩纸牌的方式可能与我不同，我玩的可是充满血腥元素的纸牌游戏。今天我诚邀您一起玩玩《Solitaire Combat》这款基于经典纸牌游戏但又经过特殊转换的游戏。它将于2012年11月22日发布于Steam平台。

《Solitaire Combat》采用了3D图像，以及由知名美术师Hugo Viggo设计的独特角色。每名玩家在游戏中都要创建一副牌以此挑战对手。玩家可以运用武器升级、定制技能组，甚至是特殊帽子来扭转局势，反败为胜。如果你有兴趣评价它，烦请告知我。谢谢！

资源

游戏截图

预告视频

概念美术

测试下载链接

[联系方式]

[你的社交网站帐号链接]

总结

发送新闻稿数天之后，就要打电话或发送邮件给对方。因为这样有助于加深他们对你游戏的印象，更能促使他们为你的游戏撰写评论或在视频中提到它，从而让他们的粉丝了解你的游戏，进而为之着迷并买下游戏。

但要注意，虽然扩大重要人物的联系范围是一个重要的营销工具，但这并不是你的整个营销战略。你还可以通过Facebook广告、Reddit问答渠道、举办竞赛活动、出席行业会议、获奖、撰写新闻稿、与通讯社打交道等方式推广自己的游戏。但如果你并不擅长做其他事情，那就掌握这一项技能吧。因为如果你成功了，你就更容易提升销量，而这一结果又更有可能让你获得兼顾所有这些营销渠道的能力。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

The Secrets of Promotion for Indies

by Erik Sebellin-Ross

Erik Sebellin-Ross, an independent marketing consultant specializing in the game industry offers this practical guide to promoting your indie game.

The first step to building sales for your game is generating buzz. And the first step to getting that buzz is promoting your game to journalists, bloggers, YouTube entertainers, and all other relevant influencers.

Because without them writing about your game, Tweeting about your game, discussing your game on YouTube, talking about your game on their podcast, or mentioning your game in any other digital, print, or audio format, damn few people will ever hear about it. And if they don’t know about your game, they won’t buy it.

What you’re about to read is a breakdown of a fundamental, tried-and-true process followed by PR people the world over. It outlines what you need to do and say to get attention for your game. So let’s get to it.

Journey of a Thousand Steps

This promotional process is called outreach. And it is simply a matter of telling influencers about your game so they can tell their readers or listeners or watchers so, in turn, their followers will learn about your game, become interested in it, and with luck, buy it.

So where do you start?

First, you create a list of relevant influencers. By relevant, I mean influencers who would be interested in your game and who have a sufficient number of followers. The next section will tell you how to create this list.

Second, you write pitches to send to influencers. A pitch is an email designed to create awareness, generate interest, deliver information, and build excitement among influencers so they can pass this awareness, interest, information, and excitement onto their followers. The final section of this article covers how to write and deliver a pitch.

And, third, with luck, you get sales.

And One List Shall Rule Them All

To reach out to influencers, first you have to find them. And not only do you have to determine who they are, but you need to find their contact information. Such as their direct email address. And their direct telephone number. And even their Twitter account.

And, note, this contact information has to be direct because, almost always, any message left in a general telephone mailbox and any email sent to a generic info@publication.com will be universally and sadly ignored.

To create a list of influencers, list every newspaper, magazine, blog, and any other venue you want to speak about your game, from Eurogamer and Joystiq to the technology journalist at The New York Times even to Yahtzee. If you are not sure if the venue is worth your time and effort, determine how many followers they have. For newspapers and magazines, look for their circulation number in their advertising kits (look online in the advertising section). Aim for a minimum circulation of 200,000.

For bloggers, look for their monthly traffic numbers using sites such as Compete or Statsaholic. Aim for a minimum monthly traffic figure of 25,000, but keep in mind these sites usually understate traffic, so use them with skepticism.

Next, determine who to contact. If there is just one person at the venue, such as at a one-person blog, then your contact person is obvious. But if there are multiple people, such as at a gaming magazine, then do a search for articles about games similar to yours. The person who covers your type of game is the person to contact.

(Of course, if a publication doesn’t cover your type of game, don’t waste your time approaching them. For example, a developer creating a solitaire clone for PS Vita would probably have a hard time getting reviewed on GameSpot, which tends to review mainstream titles. Instead, they would be wiser to contact PS Vita Hub, which is more likely to cover news of any and all Vita games.)

Once you know who to contact, you need their contact information. For journalists, you can often find this on the publication masthead (you can find it in the first few pages of the print publication or on their website, typically in the “about us” section). Failing that, call the publication. I don’t know where they get their switchboard staff, but I have never called a newspaper that did not have knowledgeable people answering their telephones.

For bloggers, your best bet is to look in the “about us” or “contact us” sections of their sites. For example, you can find contact information for Alec Meer at Rock, Paper, Shotgun at www.rockpapershotgun.com (it’s at the bottom of the page). However, it is often notoriously difficult to get blogger contact information, so be prepared to either settle for second-rate information (such as a generic email address) or to just move on if you can’t find any information at all.

And remember, if all else fails, Google is your friend. It’s not a perfect friend, but a Google search can help you get what you need more often than not.

Shortcuts and Tables

Now, I can guess what you’re thinking: is there any place where I can just get a list? Yes and yes. Sort of.

Yes #1: You can ask an associate if they have a contact list you can beg, borrow, or steal. However, be aware, that even if they have a list, because it was created for their game, it might not be relevant for yours. Which means the influencers interested in their hidden object game might not be interested in your jogging simulator. Also, their list may not be complete and up-to-date. Which means you still have to conduct at least some research.

Yes #2: You can buy a list from a fee-based organization such as Cision. Cision is an enormous database containing everything from names and titles to email addresses and telephone numbers of journalists and bloggers, worldwide.

The problem with services such as Cision is they can be expensive. And while their list should be good, it won’t be perfect — people come and people go, and their database is not updated in real-time. Which means you are, yet again, doing at least some research to fill in the blanks.

Finally, once you have generated a media list, you need to organize it. I do so in a spreadsheet. You can structure your media list however you like. I usually organize mine into seven columns, like so:

In the notes section, I include any actions taken (for example, if I sent a promotional item, such as a T-shirt) and any relevant information (such as meeting a journalist at a conference).

Action Jackson

So now you have a list. Congratulations. What do you do with it?

Use it. Like this:

1.Email a prelaunch pitch to the influencers on your media list

2.Follow up with a telephone call or email two to three days later

3.Email a release date pitch to the influencers on your media list

4.Follow up with a telephone call or email two to three days later

So when do you send a pitch? Prelaunch pitches are sent approximately three months before launch and release date pitches are sent a week or two before launch. (Big budget releases may pitch earlier and more frequently, but they have both a larger game and a larger budget that warrants, and can support, a more intense marketing effort.)

Prelaunch pitches introduce your game and provide tantalizing peeks at some of the wonderful and unique features of your game. For example, do you have a compelling story idea? Are the visuals spectacular? Did you get a celebrity to provide voice acting? Do you have a beta ready for previews? In addition, the pitch should also share screenshots or early gameplay videos and offer interview opportunities. What if you don’t have much to share? What if all you have, say, is concept art? Pitch anyway – the more familiar influencers are with you and your game, the better the odds of getting coverage.

Release date pitches, again, talk about the unique and wonderful components of your game. But, this time you offer more polished information, such as an official trailer. And always offer a copy of your game for review.

Not every pitch results in coverage. In fact, the vast majority of them do not. And not every pitch results in good coverage. Some will result in a bad review. But generate good coverage in just a few, key influencers, and each one of them can, in turn, generate interest in thousands, or tens of thousands, of their followers.

With pitches, you only have to hit the jackpot a few times to win.

To write your pitch, use a friendly, conversational style (like this article), keep it short (one or two paragraphs is ideal), ensure your subject line and first sentence grab attention, and be thorough (include all relevant facts, including your contact information).

Here’s an example of a prelaunch pitch for a radical new (and fictional) solitaire game.

SUBJECT: Solitaire to the death… Beta now ready to preview

Dear [influencer],

You don’t play solitaire like I play solitaire. When I play, there’s blood in the streets. Today, I invite you to play solitaire like I do with Solitaire Combat, my unique spin on the classic game beloved by millions. It will be available on Steam on November 22, 2012.

Solitaire Combat brings this classic to life with 3D graphics and unique characters designed by the award-winning artist Hugo Viggo. To play, each player constructs a deck of cards and pits them against their opponent. Weapon upgrades, customizable skillsets, and even special hats change the balance of power every minute and enable players to snatch victory from the bloody jaws of defeat — or defeat from the grinning maw of victory. If you are interested in writing a review, please let me know. Thank you!

Resources

Screenshots

Trailer

Concept art

Beta download link

[contact information]

[links to your social media accounts]

And Away We Go

A few days after each pitch is sent, call or email the influencers you sent it to. You do this because you want them to remember your game. You do this because you want them to write, or create a video, about it. And you do this because you want their followers not only to learn about your game, but to become so enthralled they buy it.

But be aware, while outreach to influencers is a critical marketing tool it is not your entire marketing arsenal. You can also run Facebook ads, host Reddit Ask Me Anythings, contests, attend events, get awards, write news releases, deal with wire services, and so on. But if you master nothing else, master this. Because if you are successful, you will be that much closer to generating the sales that will allow you to do all this all over again.（source：gamasutra）