How to: Define your target market
Pop quiz, hot shot! Who's your target market?
Spoiler alert: it's not "men aged 18-34 who like [insert genre]"
Why?
Because this definition does very little to help you market your game more effectively.
Age and gender are only relevant if you know for a fact that it matters for your game. If it doesn't, you're actually excluding parts of your potential market And that's not good.
Plus, defining your market as "people who like my product" is completely redundant.
The question is, WHY do they like your product?
If you don't answer this question, your marketing efforts won't resonate, and you might never get your game in the hands of the people that would love it.
So here's how I help my clients define their target market instead.
Defining your target market
First of all, you have to think about the level on which you're defining your market.
For my clients, we usually define their target market on the level of their business, because it helps them make business decisions on a larger scale than just one game.
But you can use the same principles to define a target market for a specific game.
The elements of a target market
You can define a target market in a number of different ways.
I've found that it helps to look at three different characteristics of your target market, namely:
- Demographic
- Geographic
- Psychographic
Let's look at each in a little more detail:
Demographic
Which players will appreciate your video games the most?
Who has the interest and budget to purchase your games? Are they teenagers, young adults, or middle-aged gamers? Are they casual gamers, hardcore gamers, or families looking for family-friendly games? Do they belong to specific communities or online groups?
If you’re a service company, which types of companies do you want to serve? Does the industry segment, such as educational institutions or corporate training programs, matter?
Geographic
Every studio hopes their game will be a worldwide, runaway hit. But you have to recognize that your resources might limit your reach initially.
What regions or countries do you want to target? Are you focusing on local markets, specific countries, or are you aiming for a global market? Do you plan to release your games in multiple languages to cater to different geographic areas? Are there specific regions with a higher concentration of your demographic that you should prioritize?
Psychographic
You want players who will enjoy and engage with your games. So what does your ideal gamer value in a video game? And more specifically: in your type of game?
Is it immersive storytelling, high-quality graphics, challenging gameplay, social interaction, competitive features, or affordability?
Understanding what drives your market can help you tailor your games and their marketing to meet their expectations and build a loyal player base.
Defining who your players and clients are, where to find them, and what they value, helps you in two major ways:
1. It helps you focus your marketing efforts and spending
2. It helps you to tailor your games or service to better match the wants and needs of your real market.
Each of these increases your odds of success.
Ready to tackle your marketing strategy and build a better game company? Let's talk.
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Right Now
Playing - Super Mario Party
Due to the school holiday, I'm working less and spending more time with Maya. I have yet to start a new game for myself, but we're playing TONS of Mario Party.
Reading - Think Again by Adam Grant
It's been a while since I highlighted this many passages in a book, which is a testament to the sheer amount of truth bombs Grand has worked into this book. If you're at all interested in learning how to change your own mind, and that of others, check this book out.
Watching - Only Murders in the Building
We started this after seeing it on the Emmy nomination list. Selena Gomez's terrible acting aside, this is a wonderfully funny murder mystery.
See you in two weeks!
Martijn
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