Social Game Marketing | The Digital Clicks Blog
Recently, there have been rumours that Google is considering a social gaming network, and while this might not make Facebook very happy if it were to happen, it would be an interesting new platform on which those in online marketing could integrate their products and services with some up-and-coming social games. There are several ways that social games can be used for Internet marketing purposes. PPC advertising integration is perhaps the most simple form, allowing developers to fund their games while giving products exposure before and after gameplay. Other methods have taken integration to new levels through incentive-based gameplay and the sale of virtual products. Both offer opportunities for online marketers to get creative in imagining how their product or service will interact with gameplay and the gamer. Incentive-based gaming is anything that offers the player rewards, be they virtual or tangible. Often, the incentive can be the promise of reward to others by rewarding gameplay with charitable denotations to worthy causes. These interactive incentivised marketing strategies are popular at this moment in time; just consider recent interest in ‘gamification’. The purchase of virtual goods in games entails just that: marketers can produce a non-tangible version of their product to be consumed virtually. These products can usually be bought as gifts for other players or as an aid for the players themselves. If creating a branded game is too much of a gamble, it is better for marketers to somehow integrate their services with the gaming habits that social gamers have already adopted. If your service complements an already active game, it's more likely that integration will be favoured by developers and players alike. The best scenarios are those where the integration of the product doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the game; if the marketing feels natural, it is likely to be more successful than if the combination feels like a shameless juxtaposition.