Here’s how to get YouTubers and streamers to actually play your indie game…

0. Do some research on your competition, and grab email addresses of YouTubers who have covered games of a similar scope and in a similar genre. Aim for 10 emails so that you can get a good sample size. Bonus points if you’re able to track open rates via a tool such as Sidekick or Yesware.
1. Craft a compelling, emotional, and engaging subject line that highlights your game’s unique angle. This is easier said than done, and you MUST draft at least 10 potential headlines and choose the best one. If you really want to get in-depth with this, google “headline analyzer” and use CoSchedule’s free tool.
2. Grab them with a hook in the first sentence. Think of something out of the box, emotional, personal, and compelling.
3. Next, don’t bore them with explanations about your background or motivations… tell them what’s in it for them. I’ve had a lot of luck with telling them about my modest social media network and stating that I’ll help promote their video once it goes live.
4. After this, throw in in one or two sentences that tell them why they should cover your game. They have a lot of other games that they could be covering, and a lot of other emails that they could be reading. Why should they play yours specifically?
5. Toss in a few bullet points describing the value and emotion of playing your game. Many developers make the silly mistake of just listing things like… “Over 20 Levels!” or “Challenging puzzles!” — Don’t make this mistake. Make sure that you’re describing the emotional value of playing your game. If you’re looking for inspiration, google “Half Life 2” and go to their Steam store page. Copy that style.
6. Embed a screenshot of the game within the email. Make it good. A lot of developers get tripped up here because they’re too close to their own project so they think all of their screenshots are good. Don’t get caught in that trap — make a post in game development feedback groups or share the screenshots with friends who aren’t so close to your game as you are.
7. Drop a link to a gameplay video. Bonus points if the video is of a popular YouTuber or Streamer playing the game.
8. Finally, throw in a link to download the game, and/or the proper Steam key.
9. Send the email!
10. Ping them on Twitter. Let them know that you’ve sent them an email about your game in a polite way.
11. Cross your fingers. Both hands.
12. Track your reply and open rates, then experiment with another batch of 10 emails.
Note: Your email should not take more than about 30 seconds to skim through. YouTubers are swamped with emails, so keep your email as brief as possible.
If you enjoyed reading this short essay please like and share it to help others find it.
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About The Author
Daniel Doan is the Co-Founder & CGO of Black Shell Media and the developer of SanctuaryRPG and Overture, among dozens of unfinished game prototypes. You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
