Lesson 17: Marketing Strategy & Community Building
Your battle royale is tested and ready to ship. To get players in the door and keep them coming back, you need a clear marketing strategy and a real community. This lesson covers how to position your game, build an audience on social and Discord, plan content, work with press and creators, and prepare for launch day.
By the end you will have a positioning statement, chosen channels, a simple content plan, and a launch-week checklist.
Image: Safari Animal Collections by Dribbble Artist
What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Define your positioning – one clear message that sets your battle royale apart
- Choose and use channels – Twitter/X, YouTube, TikTok, and Discord for reach and community
- Run a Discord (or similar) – structure, rules, and habits that keep the community healthy
- Plan a content calendar – what to post when, from pre-announce to post-launch
- Work with press and creators – keys, press kits, and outreach that get coverage
- Prepare for launch day – checklist so nothing is left to chance
Why This Matters
Multiplayer games live or die by population. Marketing brings people in; community keeps them. Without a plan you risk:
- No visibility – Launch day comes and nobody knows the game exists
- Empty servers – Even a good game feels dead if matchmaking can’t find players
- Missed feedback – No central place (e.g. Discord) to hear from players and fix issues
A small but focused effort on positioning, channels, and community pays off at launch and for live ops.
Prerequisites
Before starting this lesson, make sure you have:
- Completed Lessons 1–16 in this course
- A playable build (or near-final) and a target launch window
- At least one social account (e.g. Twitter/X, YouTube) and willingness to set up Discord or similar
Step 1: Define Your Positioning
Positioning is the one-sentence idea that tells players and press why your game is worth their time. It should be specific, not generic.
Generic (weak): “A battle royale with great gameplay.”
Strong: “A 40-player battle royale with destructible buildings and a 15-minute match clock, focused on fast rounds and comeback mechanics.”
To get there:
- List differentiators – What does your game do that others don’t? (e.g. map size, round length, destruction, art style, control scheme.)
- Pick the main one or two – Don’t try to say everything; focus on what you’ll repeat everywhere.
- Write one sentence – “[Game name] is the [genre] where [key differentiator], for players who [target need].”
Use this sentence in your store page, trailer, press kit, and social bios. Consistency helps people remember you.
Pro Tip: Test your sentence on friends or a small Discord. If they can’t repeat it back or don’t care, simplify or sharpen the hook.
Step 2: Choose Your Channels
You don’t need to be everywhere. Pick a few channels and use them consistently.
Twitter/X – Short updates, GIFs, screenshots, dev logs, and replies. Good for announcements and linking to longer content. Post 3–5 times a week; use hashtags relevant to your niche (e.g. #gamedev #indiegame #BattleRoyale).
YouTube – Trailers, dev diaries, gameplay clips, and tutorials. Essential for a store page and for creator outreach. One strong trailer and a few short clips can be enough at first.
TikTok / Shorts – Very short clips (e.g. 15–60 seconds): cool moments, fails, or “day in the life” dev. Good for discovery if your game has strong visual moments.
Discord – Your home base for community: announcements, feedback, bug reports, and player-to-player conversation. More important than follower count is having one place where players can find you and each other.
Steam/Epic store page – Not “social” but part of marketing: capsule, screenshots, trailer, and description should all reflect your positioning.
Start with: one text channel (e.g. Twitter/X), one video home (YouTube), and Discord. Add more only if you can keep them updated.
Step 3: Build and Run a Discord (or Equivalent)
Discord is where your most engaged players and testers will gather. Set it up before launch so you have a place to send early keys and collect feedback.
Structure (minimal):
- #announcements – Read-only; you post launch news, patches, and events.
- #general – Chat, memes, and off-topic (with clear rules).
- #feedback – Bug reports and feature ideas; you can add forms later.
- #media – Players share clips and screenshots.
Rules: Pin a short rules message (e.g. be respectful, no spam, no piracy). Enforce consistently; mute or ban when needed so the server stays safe and on-topic.
Habits: Show up regularly. Answer questions, thank people for feedback, and share small wins. A dev who talks to the community builds trust and gives you a reason to keep posting.
Pro Tip: Don’t promise features in Discord that aren’t on your roadmap. “We’ll consider it” is fine; overpromising leads to disappointment.
Step 4: Plan a Simple Content Calendar
A light calendar keeps you from going silent for weeks.
Pre-announce (if you haven’t announced yet): Teaser (e.g. logo, short clip), then formal announcement with trailer and store link.
Pre-launch (4–8 weeks out): One or two posts per week: screenshots, short clips, “coming soon” date, beta sign-up or Discord invite. One dev diary or “road to launch” video can help.
Launch week: Daily posts: “out now,” store links, Discord invite, and any launch stream or event. Pin the store link and Discord in every channel.
Post-launch: 2–3 posts per week: patch notes, highlights from the community, and events or seasons if you have them.
Use a spreadsheet or doc: column for date, column for channel, column for message/link. Adjust as you learn what gets engagement.
Step 5: Work with Press and Creators
Press: Send keys and a short press kit (game name, one-line pitch, trailer link, 2–3 bullet points, contact email) to relevant outlets and writers. Follow up once if no reply; don’t spam. Target sites and writers that cover indie or multiplayer games.
Creators (YouTubers, streamers): Find creators who play games like yours. Send a key and a one-paragraph pitch; offer to jump on a call if they’re interested. Never require positive coverage in exchange for a key. One genuine video or stream can bring a wave of players.
Keys: Use Steam/Epic key requests or a key distribution tool. Track who got keys so you can follow up and avoid sending duplicates.
Pro Tip: Smaller creators often have more engaged audiences and are easier to reach. A mix of small and mid-size creators can work better than only chasing the biggest names.
Step 6: Launch Day Checklist
Use a simple checklist so launch day is smooth.
- [ ] Store live – Game is purchasable and playable; no wrong build or broken store page.
- [ ] Trailer and capsule – Final trailer and capsule art are live on store and social.
- [ ] Discord – Invite link in announcement and bio; moderators (if any) are briefed.
- [ ] Social posts – “Out now” post with store link on every channel you use; pin where possible.
- [ ] Press/creators – Launch press release or email sent; keys or links sent to anyone who said they’d cover launch.
- [ ] Monitoring – Someone watches Discord and social for crashes, server issues, or confusion; respond quickly.
If something breaks, post an update (“We’re aware of X, working on it”) so players know you’re on it.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| No engagement on social | Tighten your positioning; post more consistently; try short video clips. |
| Discord is quiet | Invite beta testers and friends first; ask questions and share updates so there’s something to react to. |
| Press or creators don’t reply | Follow up once; focus on smaller outlets and creators who already cover your genre. |
| Launch day feels chaotic | Use the checklist; assign one person to “community watch” and one to “technical watch.” |
Summary
- Positioning – One clear sentence that differentiates your battle royale; use it everywhere.
- Channels – Pick a few (e.g. Twitter/X, YouTube, Discord) and use them consistently.
- Discord – Set up announcements, general, feedback, and rules; show up and engage.
- Content calendar – Plan pre-announce, pre-launch, launch week, and post-launch; adjust based on what works.
- Press and creators – Keys + short press kit; target relevant outlets and creators; follow up once.
- Launch checklist – Store, trailer, Discord, social, keys, and monitoring so launch day is under control.
In the next lesson you will focus on Publishing & Platform Integration: submitting to Steam and Epic, store pages, and platform requirements so your game goes live correctly.
Bookmark this lesson and revisit your positioning and calendar when you plan seasons or big updates. For more on game marketing, see our guides and help sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far before launch should we start marketing?
Start as soon as you have something to show (e.g. a teaser or first trailer). Building an audience takes time; 2–3 months of consistent posting before launch is a good target.
Do we need a publisher to market a battle royale?
No. Many indies self-publish and use social, Discord, and creator keys. A publisher can help with budget and reach but isn’t required if you’re willing to do the legwork.
What if our Discord gets toxic?
Set clear rules and enforce them. Mute or ban repeat offenders. If a topic (e.g. balance) gets heated, move it to a dedicated thread or channel and remind people to keep feedback constructive.
Should we pay for ads?
Paid ads (e.g. Facebook, Google, Steam) can work once you have a strong trailer and store page. Test with a small budget first; use analytics to see what converts. Organic (social + Discord + creators) often comes first.
How do we measure success?
Track: wishlists, launch-week sales, Discord size and activity, and social engagement (likes, shares, replies). Adjust your messaging and channels based on what drives wishlists and joins.