5 ways to create a successful code distribution campaign
After development has finished on your exciting new video game, distributing review codes to press and influencers is one of the most important parts of your PR campaign.
Here are some tips for building a strong code campaign.
Set a review embargo.
Reviews help your title gain valuable critical reception which will strongly influence players’ decisions to buy your new game. Some will only purchase it after reading positive coverage.
Setting an embargo is an easy way to gain social media hype before launching, as critics and gaming sites will be sharing their views simultaneously.
Leave some time after development has finished to make sure your pre-release build is the highest quality possible. It doesn’t matter how fun your game is to play, if there are bugs and graphical glitches it could be disastrous for its perception.
Timing is everything.
The timing of your embargo will influence the quantity and reach of your coverage. You are hoping journalists will want to check out your game; however, their capacity is limited for the number of articles they can deliver.
If journalists are attempting to juggle a heavy review schedule, they might not have the ability to prioritise your title in addition to the rest of their workload.
The key to success is analysing where your game sits in the market. Ensure you are not going head-to-head with a high-priority title or another product in a similar genre.
Avoid events or attend them.
Keep an eye on the games industry’s event calendar. Avoid arranging a review campaign during GDC, Gamescom or another event, as journalists will be away from their desks. During this time, a code mailout might get lost in their inbox.
For the best impact, have a hands-on booth at the event, paired with code distribution. Otherwise, avoid these periods entirely.
Launch day streams.
As well as sending codes to press for a review embargo, sending them to influencers for launch day is a great way to improve the discoverability of your title.
The more streamers playing at launch, the more people will discover it. Then your product will appear higher on the Twitch Category list and the YouTube gaming area which will increase your viewership even more.
Consequently, your game will have further reach which will hopefully result in more sales.
Trust PXN to securely distribute your codes.
PXN can distribute code mailouts directly into journalists’ inboxes. Additionally, the mailouts can include press assets, saving the critic’s time and arming them with everything they need to write their reviews. The easier you make the process for the press, the smoother the transition will be for them to provide coverage.
Furthermore, PXN also has a review request feature. If creators spend time filling out their details to request a code, the probability they will end up creating content is much higher.
Media and influencers can also submit their coverage directly to PXN, making it easy for PR managers to collate reports easily.
PXN makes code distribution campaigns seamless for both publishers and the press.