Advertise on Touch Arcade

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by kahanejosh, Feb 24, 2010.

  1. kahanejosh

    kahanejosh Well-Known Member

    Mar 10, 2009
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    Student - Game Developer
    England, UK
    Hi

    I was wondering if anyone is thinking about advertising here on Touch Arcade and what their thoughts are or if you have already what were your sales like afterwards?

    I would be interested to know, thanks.
     
  2. NickFalk

    NickFalk Well-Known Member

    Well, I had a spot up last week and from a pure sales point of view it was most definitely not worth it. 6 sales in total! But then again Fumbers failure was already assured. :D

    I still would definitely not advise against placing an ad though. This was just a first attempt for me to get an idea of what to expect. When preparing an ad campaign however it has to be done with a truly concerted effort. The idea is to get some exposure and build towards the future. Don't expect a banner ad to work miracles alone though the world simply doesn't work that way. :)
     
  3. Flickitty

    Flickitty Well-Known Member

    Oct 14, 2009
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    iPhone Dev
    i would advise against advertising, unless you can get it for free. advertising doesnt generate sales, anyone that tells you otherwise is outright lying. this isnt commentary about toucharcades policy, this is more of a warning against other sites that claim your sales will increase by advertising with them.

    use advertising for branding. if your sales are low, dont bother trying to brand- it is one of those things where you already need to be established for it to work.
     
  4. Mr Jack

    Mr Jack Well-Known Member

    Interesting advice, Flickitty, but it seems a bit chicken and egg. How do you suggest building a brand without advertising?
     
  5. RovioMobile

    RovioMobile Well-Known Member

    Apr 22, 2009
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    Marketing Manager
    Helsinki Finland
    We haven't paid for advertised Angry Birds anywhere so far, but if we we're going to advertise Touch Arcade would be my first choice. I've compared it to many different iPhone related sites and it has by far the most web traffic.
     
  6. EssentialParadox

    EssentialParadox Well-Known Member

    Sep 21, 2009
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    UK / Toronto
    Hehe. That's a bit extreme, don't ya think?

    Marketing can be very effective, but you can't rely on the "idea" of it alone, your ads need to be compelling and targeted properly. Despite the fact you're paying for premium ad space, you need to remember you're still competing against thousands of other ads that users see and hear every day. Only half of the equation is getting that premium ad space, the other half is finding a way to actually stand out from that tiny slot you've purchased on the webpage.
     
  7. Amygdala

    Amygdala Well-Known Member

    Nov 25, 2009
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    I haven't tried advertising, but I have tried a lot of other marketing schemes. I gotta say, everything I have tried has been "screaming under water". Nothing works.

    For me, the only advice I can give about being seen and heard is: get to the top of the app store charts. So there.

    That advice is very impractical I know, but it is what generate sales. I haven't seen any other effective means for my apps.

    - A
     
  8. Spotlight

    Spotlight Well-Known Member

    Jan 10, 2009
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    Is that a nose or a cancer?
     
  9. Stroffolino

    Stroffolino Well-Known Member
    Patreon Silver

    Apr 28, 2009
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    Software Engineer
    Pennsylvania
    This is a bit silly. Advertising increases visibility and increased visibility will get you more sales.

    That being said, the goal of an iphone ad campaign should not be to immediately pay for itself, but to give your app a "jumpstart" onto or up a top list.

     
  10. Flickitty

    Flickitty Well-Known Member

    Oct 14, 2009
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    iPhone Dev
    only if you are properly branded. visibilty does not translate directly to sales, it simply throws your hat into the ring. you still need to compete directly with hundreds of other apps at any given time. you need to compete head-to-head with the apps that are immediately getting reviews, coverage and community interest, as well as apps that are already in the top 100 and featured.

    for this reason alone, your app needs to already tap into most of those areas before commiting to an ad. ads alone will not put you there.
     
  11. Singularity42

    Singularity42 Member

    Feb 18, 2010
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    How much did those banners for Fumbers cost?
     
  12. bravetarget

    bravetarget Well-Known Member

    Sep 14, 2009
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    A lot more than 6 sales worth. :p But I would like to know as well.

    Don't be completely discouraged...some ad campaigns on TA have boosted sales immensely. Those gems that are buried should all pay for TA advertising.
     
  13. NickFalk

    NickFalk Well-Known Member

    :D
    Hey, that's my face. You got a problem with my nose?! :D
     
  14. NickFalk

    NickFalk Well-Known Member

    #14 NickFalk, Feb 25, 2010
    Last edited: Feb 25, 2010
    @bravetarget & singularity42

    Way, more!
    It's 6-7 weeks since I secured the spot so I don't have the exact price, but each copy sold had an expense of more than 100$. (No, I'm definitely not good at budgeting ;) ).

    For ad-rates, just email: [email protected] and ask for the going rates.
     
  15. Chem7

    Chem7 Well-Known Member

    Dec 5, 2009
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    If I was going to advertise TA and PG would be the places where I would spend my money, but I would not do it incrementally I would spend the full marketing budget the first week and hope/pray/sacrifice a chicken in the hope that it works.
     
  16. Spotlight

    Spotlight Well-Known Member

    Jan 10, 2009
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    I really hope you don't have a nose on your cheeck. :)

    By the way, you're a cool guy.
     
  17. Big Albie

    Big Albie Well-Known Member

    Feb 12, 2009
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    Casual gamer/marketing dude
    San Francisco, California
    I would seriously advise against advertising until you've adopted tactics around PR and viral marketing. Advertising and the costs associated with it regardless of what site it is often results in poor returns. People build brand through awareness not through ads.

    You can read more here: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpost.php?p=896401&postcount=2
     
  18. baldong

    baldong Well-Known Member

    Jun 18, 2009
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    I think it will be safer to put advertise after you have gain enough revenue from current production, unless you are very very confident and experienced in marketing.
     
  19. MexicanJesus

    MexicanJesus Well-Known Member

    Nov 10, 2009
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    I think it largely depends on the ad. Trenches, RavenSword, those are ads that got me to click and purchase. This ad that is out now.. Castle Conflict, I'm not going to bother clicking. From the banner I see the app is a tree counting game, and I'm not interested.
     
  20. NickFalk

    NickFalk Well-Known Member

    You're quite right of course:
    [​IMG]
     

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