Marketingplan OpenRA part II

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:31 am

dzine wrote: ↑openRA is still in alpha, its wise to let people know this in marketing material

I don't think that is a proper message as it may deter people, while OpenRA functions good. It's basicly never out of Alpha because there will all be things to improve. The improvements that are related to the marketing are listed under "Opportunities" and it's up to the developers to take it up. In the marketing we can take it into account though. For example by not trying to attract non-English customers before OpenRA supports multiple languages.

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:49 am

Murto the Ray wrote: ↑Russian tournament soon!

http://goodgame.ru/cup/2276/

One of the guys in it was streaming OpenRA today!

Nice! It's sites like these where we can post about new releases and upcoming tournaments. There are more sites and forums (or big forums with a games-section) like these, in English and other languages. Just like the subreddits I want to make a list of them (anyone who wants to help searching... welcome!) and post relevant news there as well.

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:05 am

Aaron_Lloyd wrote: ↑Just realized the traffic stats page of the subreddit might be of interest to this project:

https://www.reddit.com/r/openra/about/traffic/

Note the spike in unique visitors the day the last release came out and was posted on the /r/games subreddit here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments ... red_alert/

Hmm the link doesnt work for me, but maybe you meant: http://www.openra.net/players/
To record what is effective we should indeed look at those stats when we do stuff. Good one.

Aaron_Lloyd · Post by **Aaron_Lloyd** » Sat Jan 16, 2016 10:48 am

noobmapmaker wrote: ↑
Aaron_Lloyd wrote: ↑Just realized the traffic stats page of the subreddit might be of interest to this project:

https://www.reddit.com/r/openra/about/traffic/

Note the spike in unique visitors the day the last release came out and was posted on the /r/games subreddit here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments ... red_alert/
Hmm the link doesnt work for me, but maybe you meant: http://www.openra.net/players/
To record what is effective we should indeed look at those stats when we do stuff. Good one.

Sorry the traffic stats were set to mods only, should be viewable now. It's the stats for the subreddit.

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sat Jan 16, 2016 11:56 am

I see, added it to the OP - Thanks! Again I think we are slowly saturizing available information and ideas. At this point Reddit seems like a place with opportunity to reach people that are our targetaudience (men, young, gamer, English speaking). We can reach them for free. On one hand we'd like them to subscribe to r/OpenRa, but also to make them download the client.

I don't think it is to late to advertize the latest release.
@The-Zoidberger: can you write a newsitem that conveys OpenRA's strengths and containing links to OpenRA.net & r/OpenRA? Preferably formatted according to Redditformatting.

@a volunteer for graphic design: do we have something visually attractive to accompany it with? SoScared's video? Or some other eyecandy?

@Casters & others: please keep on posting your video's, castingannouncements and whatever to r/OpenRA so that people have got content to watch/read.

@NoobMapMaker: I'll open a google doc to place the newsitem and the list of subreddits. I'll also post on the several subreddits in the next couple week or 2.

Anyone thoughts on this?

the-zoidberger · Post by **the-zoidberger** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 12:01 am

noobmapmaker wrote: ↑ I don't think it is to late to advertize the latest release.
@The-Zoidberger: can you write a newsitem that conveys OpenRA's strengths and containing links to OpenRA.net & r/OpenRA? Preferably formatted according to Redditformatting.

As an active Redditor, I can handle this project. I was thinking OpenRA has three key selling points.

1) It's a refined/balanced update to the original Red Alert. Strategy wins the day, not brute force.
2) There's open discussion and participation regarding balancing changes.
3) There are no micro transactions that ding you for $0.99 every week.Free is free.

Thoughts?

Z

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 7:37 am

Yes, go ahead. If you can incorporate the strengths we've gathered in an orderly fashion. Perhaps with a layout that allows quick readers to also pick up the most important points. And that a 'new' release is available (christmas release, but no need to mention christmas - it's new

)

I'm in doubt: make it a text post? Or post SoScared's video + your newsitem? Or an image/gif + news item?

I've created a googlespreadsheet. The Zoidberger: if you PM me your emailadress I can add you. This is what the spreadsheet looks like. First sheet is to tick off the subreddits we've posted to, consequent sheets are to place the newsitems so we can easily copy-paste and recycle them.

When we get an OK from the developers on the newsitem and this approach then I'll go and place it on Reddit. Also will open a thread and post links to the threads and comments asking for upvotes.

Mo · Post by Mo » Sun Jan 17, 2016 10:49 am

I've found FiveAces' casts and videos to be quite informative as well with the funny commentary and good guide on what plays work and what mistakes are being made!

EDIT: I mean this is just hilarious!
Next briefing should definitely go up for Reddit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwWphjCEGjo

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Sun Jan 17, 2016 12:16 pm

Exactly! We should keep posting those vids to r/OpenRA to keep the subreddit active. Every video can possible attract new users. Once the newsitem is ready n polished I'll post it over the course of 1-2 weeks in several subreddits. Lets see what it does to the traffic of r/OpenRA and amount of Users in the client.

pulse · Post by **pulse** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 12:15 am

noobmapmaker wrote: ↑Hope you will do some further tries. Not as a part of the marketingplan, but as a next step

Yeah I think the staff doesn't want to go with a modern/flat/responsive/etc. design (based on conversations on IRC I've had with them), so it's a bit pointless to do any more tries.

anjew · Post by **anjew** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 5:57 am

Well the staff should look into integrating the forums onto openra.net or use a proper link so members can join the forum.
It is impossible to find and when you do, its hard to tell if it is legit sincethe only postable forums are at the bottom of a misnamed website.
Literally shooting yourself in the foot

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 7:54 am

I've added your comment (and FiveAces idea about replays) as an oppurtunity to the OP.

Post by **Sleipnir** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 10:26 am

anjew wrote: ↑Well the staff should look into integrating the forums onto openra.net or use a proper link so members can join the forum.
It is impossible to find and when you do, its hard to tell if it is legit sincethe only postable forums are at the bottom of a misnamed website.
Literally shooting yourself in the foot

This has been planned for literally years (with additional plans to then integrate the user accounts with players ingame), but nobody has wanted to help me with setting up or integrating the new forum.

noobmapmaker · Post by **noobmapmaker** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 3:59 pm

Added two tabs:

One to list gameforums with a significant number of users - you can help by listing gameforums in your native language and by translating the upcoming news item about the latest release!

One to list Gameportals - you can help by searching the web and list the gameportal-URLs

PizzaAtomica · Post by **PizzaAtomica** » Wed Jan 20, 2016 3:11 pm

I was wondering, if you're going to try to promote this to a large 'general audience', wouldn't it be better, if at all possible, if OpenRA was renamed to OpenCnC?
Meaning the overall project would be OpenCnC, and inside of it are OpenRA, OpenTD and OpenD2K.

That way people might easier understand that this thing encompasses a lot more than just Red Alert (or an Egyptian god or a misspelled opera), especially when it will include Tiberian Sun (or OpenTS

) in the future.