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You're a video game store owner. Let us pose a question - are your social media posts effectively attracting gamers to your store?
We're asking because we've noticed that many video game retailers face challenges when it comes to crafting engaging social media content.
That's why we've created a free social media planner template, specifically designed for video game store owners. This resource is designed to streamline your content creation process, helping you engage and captivate your audience with every update.
Additionally, if you're looking to enhance your store's visibility using proven tactics and strategies, be sure to check out our Marketing Pack for Video Game Store Owners.
Continue reading to learn how you can utilize this tool to boost your video game store's online presence and ensure that each post significantly contributes to your store's success.
What social media platforms are best for promoting a video games store?
Contrary to popular belief, not all social media platforms are relevant for your video game store marketing strategy.
This is mainly due to varying user demographics, content formats, and engagement dynamics. For example, platforms like LinkedIn, primarily used for professional networking and B2B communications, offer little value for video game stores aiming to attract gamers and engage with customers on a personal level.
Actually, as a video game store owner, you have to strategically select platforms focusing on those that enable visual storytelling, real-time engagement, and community building, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitch. We have made it easy for you to understand with the table below.
Finally, please note that we have included specific guides for every relevant platform in our pack for video game store owners who want to grow their business.
The best social media platforms for a video game store
| Social Media Platform | Relevancy Level for a Video Game Store | Detailed Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| High | Instagram's visual-centric format is ideal for showcasing game releases, store events, and engaging with users via stories. Leveraging hashtags and location tags can also help in local discovery. | |
| High | With its vast user base, Facebook allows video game stores to reach a diverse audience, promote events, and use targeted ads. Its community groups and event features also help in building a loyal customer base. | |
| Twitch | High | Twitch's live streaming platform is perfect for engaging with gamers, hosting live game demos, and creating a community around your store. It’s a great way to showcase new releases and interact with customers in real-time. |
| Medium | While Twitter can be used for real-time updates and customer service, its text-heavy format and fast-paced nature might not be as effective for visual storytelling and detailed game reviews. | |
| Low | LinkedIn’s professional focus and B2B orientation make it less relevant for video game stores aiming to engage with individual gamers and showcase gaming experiences. | |
| Medium-High | Reddit is useful for engaging with niche gaming communities and participating in discussions. However, it requires a more organic approach and can be time-consuming to manage effectively. | |
| Snapchat | Medium-Low | Snapchat appeals to younger audiences with its ephemeral content, but it might not offer the sustained engagement or reach that other platforms provide for video game store marketing. |
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How to get started on social media for your video games store?
Setting up and managing a social media account for your video games store is something you can absolutely manage on your own, especially when you're just starting out.
It might seem daunting at first, but with a little planning and insight, it's quite manageable. We've broken down the process for each platform in our marketing strategy pack for video games stores, complete with step-by-step guidance.
Identify Your Target Audience
Understanding who your audience is will be central to how you communicate on social media.
Think about the types of games you sell, your store's theme, and its location. Are you catering to hardcore gamers, families, or casual players? Knowing your audience helps in crafting messages that resonate.
Optimize Your Social Media Profiles
When setting up your profiles, make sure your video games store’s social media bio includes key information that attracts and informs potential customers instantly.
This should include the genres you specialize in, your location (very important), operating hours, and unique selling points like “Exclusive collector’s editions available” or “Midnight launches for major titles.” Including a link to your online store or upcoming events can also be very effective.
Is It Time-Consuming?
Initially, setting up your account and getting familiar with social media tools may take some time.
However, once you establish a routine, managing your social media can become as routine as checking your email.
Should You Hire a Professional?
Whether you need to hire someone depends on how comfortable you are with social media and how much time you can dedicate to it. Starting on your own is a great way to learn what engages your customers.
If your store expands or managing social media becomes too overwhelming, considering a professional with experience in social media for video games stores could be a worthwhile investment.
7-day Social Media Kick-off Plan for Your Video Games Store
Here’s a quick guide to get your video games store’s social media up and running in the first week (for a more detailed 30-day plan, check our marketing strategy pack for video games store owners).
| Day Number | Actions | How to Do It Well |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Select the right platforms | Choose platforms where gamers are most active, like Twitter and Twitch. |
| 2 | Set up your profiles | Use vibrant, eye-catching images for your profile and cover photos. Ensure all bio details are complete and engaging. |
| 3 | Determine your target audience | Reflect on who is most likely to visit your store and tailor your content to their interests. |
| 4 | Plan your content | Create a content calendar that includes promotions, game reviews, and interactive posts. |
| 5 | Begin posting | Introduce your store, highlight popular or exclusive products, and share what makes your store unique. |
| 6 | Engage with your community | Reply to comments, participate in discussions, and connect with your audience. Community engagement is crucial. |
| 7 | Review and refine | Analyze which types of posts gain the most traction and adjust your strategy to maximize engagement. |
What are the best strategies to increase the followers of your video games store organically?
Here is a table of 12 highly effective and innovative content strategies a video game store owner can use on social media to organically grow their followers, along with the types of content that gamers engage with the most.
This table is concise and summarized. If you need a detailed description, complete with step-by-step actionable tips, and insights derived from studies of actual real-life use cases of successful video game stores, please refer to our video game store strategy pack.
| Strategy | How to make it so it brings you profit |
|---|---|
| Exclusive Game Releases | Host events or live streams for exclusive game releases. Offer early access or special editions to your followers. This not only engages your current followers but also attracts new ones looking for unique gaming experiences. |
| Behind-the-Scenes Tours | Share behind-the-scenes content of the store, including setup of gaming stations, unpacking new shipments, and daily operations. This humanizes your brand and builds a stronger connection with your audience. |
| Gamer Photo Contests | Organize a photo contest where followers submit pictures of their gaming setups or cosplay. Offer incentives like store discounts or free merchandise for the best photos. This encourages user-generated content and increases visibility. |
| Local Gamer Meetups | Collaborate with local gaming communities to host meetups or tournaments at your store. Their followers become exposed to your brand, potentially increasing your follower base. |
| Sneak Peeks of Upcoming Games | Tease upcoming games with sneak peek videos or screenshots. Create a buzz by letting your followers vote on which game they want to see released next, making them feel involved in the decision-making process. |
| Weekly Gaming Nights | Host themed gaming nights and share the experiences on social media. Themes can be based on game genres, classic game nights, or multiplayer challenges, creating a fun and engaging atmosphere that encourages sharing. |
| Developer Q&A Sessions | Promote exclusive Q&A sessions with game developers where followers can ask questions about upcoming releases. Share these sessions on social media to attract high-engagement followers. |
| Interactive Polls and Quizzes | Use polls and quizzes to engage your audience, such as guessing the game from a screenshot or voting for their favorite character. This interactive content keeps followers engaged and encourages them to visit your profile often. |
| Highlighting Game Features | Highlight unique features of games through informative posts or stories. This educates your followers and showcases your knowledge and passion for gaming. |
| Customer Appreciation Posts | Share customer reviews or photos of customers enjoying their purchases, with their permission. This not only shows appreciation for your customers but also encourages others to visit your store and share their own experiences. |
| Gaming Tips and Tricks | If your store focuses on helping gamers improve, share tips and tricks for popular games. This attracts followers who value gaming expertise and want to enhance their skills. |
| Limited-Time Promotions | Create urgency with limited-time offers or exclusive merchandise available only to your social media followers. This encourages people to follow you to not miss out on special deals or unique gaming products. |
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What are some common social media mistakes to avoid as a video games store?
Running a video games store involves more than just stocking the latest titles and consoles. It's crucial to effectively use social media to connect with your audience and promote your products. Below, you'll find a detailed table that highlights common social media mistakes video game store owners might make, the potential impacts of these mistakes, and recommendations for better strategies.
| Mistake # | Mistake Description | Consequences | What Not to Do | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ignoring Gamer Feedback | Damage to reputation and gamer loyalty. | Do not dismiss comments, complaints, or reviews on game quality or store service. | Engage actively with feedback, addressing both praise and criticism swiftly to show your commitment to customer satisfaction. |
| 2 | Inconsistent Updates | Reduced follower engagement and loss of interest. | Avoid erratic updates or overwhelming followers with too many posts at once. | Maintain a consistent schedule for updates, especially around new releases and promotions. |
| 3 | Overly Promotional Posts | Users may unfollow if they feel bombarded by ads. | Don't focus solely on pushing sales in every post. | Create a balanced mix of content that includes promotions, gaming tips, industry news, and engaging community discussions. |
| 4 | Low-Quality Visuals | Poor perception of the games and your store. | Avoid using blurry screenshots or irrelevant images. | Use high-resolution images and videos from gameplay to attract gamers looking for visual quality and authenticity. |
| 5 | Ignoring Local SEO | Missed opportunities to attract local gamers. | Don't forget to use location-based keywords and hashtags. | Optimize your posts with local keywords and hashtags, and make sure to tag your store’s location to boost local visibility. |
| 6 | Not Collaborating Locally | Missed community building and local support opportunities. | Avoid isolating your store from the local gaming community and other businesses. | Partner with local gaming cafes, schools, and tech stores for promotions and events to build a supportive network. |
| 7 | Not Showcasing Unique Features | Difficulty in differentiating your store from competitors. | Do not rely solely on generic gaming content. | Highlight exclusive products, special editions, in-store events, or community gaming nights to stand out. |
| 8 | Ignoring User-Generated Content | Loss of authentic engagement and free promotion. | Don't overlook the content your customers create, like game reviews and gameplay videos. | Encourage and share customer-created content, giving proper credits to foster a community feeling and trust. |
| 9 | Poor Crisis Management | Risk of viral negative publicity. | Avoid deleting negative comments or responding in a defensive manner. | Handle crises transparently and professionally, showing your dedication to resolving issues and improving service. |
| 10 | Impersonal Social Media Presence | Failure to connect personally with gamers. | Avoid a too formal or detached tone in your posts. | Inject personality and passion for gaming into your posts to create a relatable and engaging online presence. |
| 11 | Not Utilizing Analytics | Lack of insight into effective content and strategies. | Avoid the "post and forget" mentality. | Regularly use analytics tools to monitor which types of posts garner the most engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly. |
| 12 | Ignoring New Social Media Features | Falling behind in a rapidly changing digital environment. | Don't stick rigidly to outdated methods or ignore new social media platforms and features. | Stay updated on new social media trends and features, experimenting with them to see what resonates with your gaming audience. |
How to implement a successful system on social media for your video games store?
When it comes to social media management for video games stores, the focus is as much on the excitement and engagement of your gaming products as it is on the visuals and promotions.
Developing a strategy for this requires a mix of creativity and genuine interaction with your gaming community.
How to track results?
For tracking performance and results in a video games store, analytics are your best friend. Each social media platform provides specific tools for this purpose.
For Instagram and Facebook, you can utilize Insights; for Twitter, there's Analytics, and so forth. These tools help you monitor engagement rates, follower growth, and the overall reach of your posts.
Key success metrics for video games stores might include engagement on posts about new game releases or promotions, the number of pre-orders or inquiries made through social media, and user-generated content, such as when customers share screenshots or videos of their gameplay. An increase in these metrics usually signals a successful strategy.
What marketing budget?
Regarding the right marketing budget for your video games store, there isn't a universal figure, but for a small to medium-sized store, starting with an average weekly budget of $100 to $500 on paid advertisements can be a good initial approach.
This budget allows you to experiment with various ad formats, targeting options, and platforms to discover what delivers the best return on investment. You can adjust your spending based on the campaign's performance and objectives.
While paid advertisements are not essential, they are highly beneficial. We delve deeper into this in our strategy pack. With the decline in organic reach on social media, paid ads are crucial for ensuring your content reaches both existing customers and potential new gamers.
The advantages include increased visibility, targeted reach (allowing you to focus on specific demographics, locations, interests), and crucially, actionable insights from ad performance data. This last point enables you to continuously refine your strategy for better outcomes.
How often should you post?
As for posting frequency, the golden rule is consistency over quantity.
For video games stores, a good rhythm might be once a day on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where showcasing new releases and in-store events can captivate an audience.
Using Stories and live features provides additional, informal ways to engage daily. On Twitter, where the conversation is quicker, two to three posts a day can keep your store relevant without overwhelming your followers. The key is to maintain a regular presence that keeps your audience engaged and excited about your offerings without overdoing it.
Make your video games store more profitable
We have studied the strategies of the best video games stores in the world. All their tactics are explained in our pack!
Where can you get the social media strategies that will actually work for your video games store?
We understand the reservations many video game store owners might have about venturing into the realm of social media marketing.
It's easy to view the digital marketing landscape as intimidating, especially when you're bombarded with terms like "online engagement" and "conversion rates" that might not resonate with your daily concerns. Running a video game store is a full-time commitment, and carving out time, resources, or budget for what might seem like an optional endeavor can appear daunting. This is compounded by any previous marketing efforts that might not have yielded results, or the belief that the quality of your games and customer service should naturally draw in gamers.
Understanding these hurdles, our team has developed a strategy pack specifically designed for video game store owners like you.
This toolkit simplifies the marketing process, translating complex marketing lingo into straightforward, actionable steps. We've honed in on strategies that are budget-friendly and simple to execute, ensuring they don't demand a large initial investment or deep marketing expertise.
Our video game store strategy pack tackles each issue, from the misconception that substantial financial input is required, to the challenge of keeping pace with the fast-evolving digital marketing scene.
We provide clear, easy-to-understand solutions that demonstrate the effectiveness and value of social media, aiming to turn any skepticism into confidence.
By doing this, we hope to make it easier for you to recognize the benefits of using social media to boost your store's visibility and gamer engagement, all while ensuring it complements the core operations of your business.
Your video games store could make more money!
Most video games store owners don't know how to grow their business. Let us teach you the right strategies.
