Why Is Content Marketing So Important in the Gaming Industry?

The video gaming industry is more popular than ever before. In fact, big names — like Netflix — are making moves to possibly break into the industry, hoping to make waves, drive profits, and tap into its immense potential.

This interest from Netflix and others makes it clear: the industry is growing exponentially and new competitors continually enter the market. That means quality content marketing is that much more important.

Here are just a few benefits of well-executed content marketing campaigns.

Busting Myths About the Industry

There are several myths about the gaming industry. Too many people believe that video games are for young children and teens only, that only men enjoy video games, or that only geeks proudly talk about their latest game purchase for their PC or PS5. While there are many gamers who self-identify as a geek, they make up just a fraction of all gamers. In reality, interest in gaming is much more diverse.

Home Business Magazine reports that the average gamer is 31 years old, and Techy Mau Game Studios reveals that, in spite of the prevalent stereotypes, up to 63% of gamers were women in 2019.

One of the most important tools to dispel these myths is content marketing. Blogs, streams, video blogs, and video content are all great ways for publishers and platforms to get the word out and show what the average gamer really looks like.

Clearing the air is important in all industries. For example, knowledge workers, like programmers, engineers, and scientists, waste 50% of their productive time trying to find hidden data, correct errors, and verify data that seems less trustworthy. Reliable data management and/or customer relationship management software can help save them the trouble, just like dispelling myths about the average gamer encourages more people to play video games to unwind.

Boosting Customer Engagement

An overwhelming 72% of marketing professionals cite content as the most effective search marketing strategy. That is especially true in the gaming industry, particularly when content organically boosts engagement and enthusiasm.

For example, Microsoft bolstered interest in Halo 4 by releasing short video content prior to its release. As many as 2.5 million gamers watched each video of the web series, called ‘Forward unto Dawn.’ While a web series or short videos may seem out of place or tedious in other industries, gamers genuinely welcomed a sneak peek into the content and gameplay of Halo 4.

Attracting Customers With Gamification Strategies

Video content and other types of content like blogs, articles, posts, live streams, and podcasts, are incredibly effective. All of these content types improve organic search rankings, which is responsible for an overwhelming 95% of web traffic.

Video game publishers, platforms, and production companies can take even greater advantage of content marketing by pairing it with gamification techniques. Companies can offer free content or downloads to customers who log in to play frequently or those that meet certain achievements. This is similar to loyalty programs offered by restaurants and cafés and can help video game publishers stand out from their competition.

Helping You Stand Out From Competitors

Speaking of standing out from the competition, there are so many hands in the gaming industry right now that effective content marketing can make all the difference. Use content marketing to make your game, subscription service, or gaming platform stand out from the others.

To do that, have an active presence on social media, offer streaming content, video content, and podcast content, and encourage customers to subscribe to newsletters or emails, sometimes featuring exclusive content, sneak peeks, or sales.

These days, you do not have to be a geek to enjoy video games. Reach all potential customers, including geeks, teens, 30-somethings, men, and women with engaging content, gamification strategies, and content that clears up common misconceptions about the industry.