The secrets to get press to cover your game (ft. PiratePR) transcript

Coverage of Gamescom has been brought to you by Exola. Learn how you can get increased earnings for your game at the end of the video. So, there are a lot of ways to market your game. We've previously covered, for example, influencer outreach already, but there's one approach that I'm going to be honest, I'm kind of clueless in. That's the the best way I can describe it. And that is the more traditional media. Think about your IGN articles and all of that.

So, instead of me spending a lot of time and effort and money on figuring out how do I do this, I'm going straight to the source. and I'm here with Robbie from Pirate PR who you may have actually seen on on XD Everything Up because you're pretty active there, but can you give a quick rundown of what are you and what do you do? >> Yeah, so basically I'm a one-man PR agency and my focus is on sending out press releases and review keys.

Like there's a lot more things you can do in PR and marketing, but I'm just one person and I prefer to work on a lot of games and then just do one job specifically for them instead of dividing everything around. So, I'm just going to dive right in. >> Yeah. >> My main question, are press releases still worth it in 2025? And do people still read press? Basically, those are two different questions. >> Okay. Okay. >> Are they still worth it?

Yes. Do people still read it? I actually think we shifted to a place where just seeing a lot of social media activity around press talking about your game is actually the biggest added value. People don't read the press releases. they just top to bottom basically or they read one of them. But the problem is most of the press will kind of like copy paste the press release intact. So if you read one of them, you've read all of them most of the time.

Some of them do an extra effort of course. But I think for most people, both players and other developers and maybe potential publishers, the value is in like a press release has gone out and suddenly all of these big channels are tweeting about it, putting posts on blue sky. They don't just make an article, but they put a video on YouTube, on their Tik Tok, on their Instagram, like all of those things. >> It's kind of less of the actual article and more about the fact that they tweet about the article, for example, or they they do something else. >> It's not that simple, but the added value of this is becoming more and more apparent. >> Okay.

Okay. I see. The question is, do you just send an email to like a a press at because I feel like it's just a black void, right? We did for for one of our games, I did an attempt of, hey, I'm actually going to do a press release for my game announcement and I found I would say 20 emails of like real people and nobody covered our game and I was like, screw this I'm I'm going back to content creators. >> Yeah. >> What What is like the the approach for this?

Cuz I feel like if you do the general emails, nobody's ever going to see it or it depends. Um like for example, I usually target specific people in a group as well. If you were pitching a trailer to IGN, I would also include directly their names, but also the trailers at IGN or the video wire at those same people still get those emails and they don't get them twice, so there's no actual added value. >> It's basically just like let's cover all of my bases in case their forwarding system doesn't work today.

It's still safer to include them. >> But I think the most important thing is in my press list, I kind of keep a list because my memory is not perfect of what does this person do? What's their job title? And then make sure that if I'm pitching a trailer, I'll do it to that person. Like if I want something done on game trailers, there's a few people I will pitch to. If I want an exclusive on IGN, then you have to go through Ryan McCaffrey usually. >> Oh, it's like there's just one guy basically. >> Yeah.

But he also gets the emails from trailers at IGN. And the other one, for instance, with him specifically, just putting exclusive offers in the title of your email is going to be very important because that's what gets your reply. >> Okay. So what does an exclusive offered email look like then? Is it like I have a trailer or I'm going to put my store page out and then you only because it's like exclusive. So it means that you're not sending an email to anyone else. >> Yes.

It's not a press release yet. It's a one-on-one pitch basically. You've got your trailer and you're asking them suppose that you're going to put this on and you usually don't ask for an exclusive on game trailers because they'll share pretty much any trailer. That's good. >> It's mainly IGN. We've been on game trailers a lot of time as well. But for the other one, you have to ask for an exclusive if they're interested.

And if they say yes, then they ask you that you don't share that trailer on your own channel, usually for 24 hours. >> Oh, yeah. And then wait with like the the full-on press release and things like that also for 24 hours. Okay. Okay. >> I guess on small prints saying even like you can't put the trailer on your Steam page, but they never really enforce that one. >> I feel like that's a weird one cuz then you do the click and it's like it's it's not there. >> They don't really enforce that one as much. >> Do you have an idea then of how many emails these people are getting in a day?

Because I feel like every sing like it must be a nuts amount, right? >> Hundreds of them. Yeah, >> hundreds. Is there like a way to stand out in that apart from exclusive? >> Um, well, they are doing their job well and you can count on the fact that they will have seen it. >> They will read it all. It's not like >> but they won't reply if they're not care if they don't care about that game or if the trailer is not good enough.

They won't get won't give you feedback saying we are going to say no for this because we don't like this bit or we already have too many. you won't get feedback any any feedback you just >> silence >> but they will read it basically >> they will read it okay >> you can't count on that >> though if you want to be sure sometimes you can also like just use human logic like when did I send this email and if it was a random Sunday afternoon then maybe pitch again on a better day >> that's that's a stupid thing indeed I have that problem where I always think you press routly or like reach out on a Friday evening and it's like okay yeah I'm going to wait until Monday with this I I wonder when should you do a press release or like when should you contact people because that's the thing of like obviously Steam page goes live demo goes live game comes out but I think someone like you >> where the big in between one which is announcing a release date which is also like the major one for us >> okay that is okay so that is something that I feel like a lot of indies for example don't because I've never thought about that you do so you never announce the release date when you announce a steam page >> no because that's usually way But it depends.

Some games get made in 6 months and then the release is short by. But >> that's generally what we do. So yeah, maybe that's the reason why. Although yeah, I don't think we put a hard date on it either. Okay, so there's four main ones. What about those in between ones? Cuz sometimes you see like the DLC comes out or an early access or like we have a new trailer. Is it cuz you don't want to spam them, I feel, cuz then they're going >> I don't treat them as press releases.

An update. For example, let's say a game receives a major update. >> Yeah. I don't treat it as a press release. It's it still gets sent out as a press release, but people don't tend to write articles about it. But in that same press release that you're sending out, you're you're using the press release as an excuse. Your main call to action there is, by the way, we still have keys to send out. >> Oh, to like just review the full game basically and things like >> or the early access version or something.

But it's another way to land in people's inboxes with do you want to cover this game because it's possible that they cared the first time. >> Yeah. They won't tell you that they cared or didn't care, but maybe they were busy on other games. Like if you're going to send out a press release now in August or September and everybody's covering Gamescom, >> Yeah. >> maybe your game is cool, they like it, but there's no idea. >> Yeah.

It's kind of like how you don't reach out to like streamers during Next Fest cuz they're going to be super >> You do it 3 weeks earlier. >> Yeah, indeed. One I I did like a video once with Automaton, the Japanese media, and I asked them this question. I want to hear your opinion as well. How much in advance for the embargo should you contact them? Cuz they responded between three and one day in advance. Is that generally all right or should you give them more time in advance or less time? >> We're a little bit unique in that and then we try to avoid embargos. >> Okay. >> Well, the big advargo that we always use is this is when the game is coming out. >> So the day before is when the review embargo would end.

Yeah. >> And then depending on if the game needs it or not, we will put the video embargo earlier because we want those streamers to help carry extra wish list. >> But the press release embargo basically like here's a press release but please don't share it before that time. I don't know I no longer do these. >> It's always for immediate release basically then >> the press releases. Yes. >> Yeah. Okay. So you think for for content creating you should always do embargo still if you're like doing a content creator outreach. >> Yeah.

Because if the the embargo kind of acts like a deadline as well >> and people perform better under deadlines and it acts like a reminder and if you have I tried this approach a couple of times where I would go like here's your code and I knew the game still needed help and it was like 3 weeks before the game released and we would just say no embargo but then we also didn't see any videos popping up like >> it's like 3 weeks later or something too late. >> And then when we ask like hey did you play the game?

Yeah and I liked it and I'll stream it at release. Oh, and why are you waiting until release? You didn't put an embargo, so we'll just go live when the game is live. So, you had to if you don't tell them this is when you can go live and saying no embargo isn't enough. >> So, you're even better off kind of lying and saying embargo is tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. That's better than saying no embargo. >> Okay, so you heard it here first, guys.

Robbie said it. Lying is fine. You should buy more. >> No. and embezzling not other not either but basically helping them make decisions. >> Okay, that isn't a take that I've never heard before of the embargo and it does make sense with the deadlines >> because it's not a lie. They can go live from tomorrow, but if they wanted to go live right after this the press release went out or the code went out. It's not like we're going to send them a lawsuit. >> We never work with NDAs or rarely.

We never work with a contract where this key requires you to do that. that I think that's a very big turn up and red flag as well. You need to pay money at that point if you want to enforce that. So I have my little press release >> and there's one way of course I email it but there's the other website there's the gamespress.com. Is this another black hole or do like I feel like once again I think we tried two times or something and >> I I always use games press >> but do people actually read or is it more of a thing of go through the motions of we're going to put it on there >> because you can actually check if you post it yourself you can see how many views you've gotten on your post >> and the average is about 300. >> So if you see a press release on games press getting less than 300 opens. you know, I underperformed and that could be a bad key art, a bad subject line or something, poor timing, or just like too many things happening.

But the other the flip side is also possible when you send out a press release and the very next day you see like 1,100 opens, you know, like, oh, a lot of people clicking, they were looking for it. >> So then you may want to reach out more to like direct people or something cuz you know the game is is hot Games Press specifically, they don't just have the site that people go and check on, but they also send out a daily >> Oh, digest basically. >> Basically, a daily digest.

And this is also a nice trick, but I hope not too many people hear this. If you put your embargo, if this is when my press release goes live, so not really an embargo, basically just a publish time. If you put it towards the lower end of our European afternoon, your chances of being at the top of their newsletter are higher. >> Yeah, cuz it's like it's based on US. If you're in the top three, they don't just put you in the top three, but you're also in the subject title of their email and suddenly that's a free extra kind of mini press release. >> Yeah.

That like more people see. Okay. Are there like certain things that you need to have in a press release? Cuz I noticed like a lot of press releases have like that thing at the top of like for immediate release. Is there like a specific template that a developer should follow when they're writing a press release? Cuz they often feel so dry and boring and it's like do people read this? >> Yes, they still do. And usually the most important thing is a title. >> Yeah. >> So that's where I put all my puns and my funny stuff and like how do I draw in people to click this?

And also some call to actions like if you have review codes to send out include in your subject title codes available so people know they have an action. And then usually I have a small intro and I keep this really small and that's basically the main call to action of the press release b like new trailer announcing the release date the game is out now then the trailer then the call to actions for that person specifically like not for everybody who will read the article directly >> ask a code do an interview that kind of stuff and then the thing that doesn't get read as much is basically what people could find on a press kit or on the Steam page about the game key features >> yeah about the team whatever If you're doing your job right, that's the second, the third, or the fourth time already they're seeing that. >> Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. Cuz you're sending them a lot of stuff. >> That's maybe a good one as well. Those interviews, is that something that you find common? Yeah. >> Do people ask for interviews or should you always propose like, "Hey, by the way, we're available for an interview should you be interested in that." You should always have the line open for interviews, okay? If you're open to them, because it removes one barrier already for people asking you, are you open to interviews?

And secondary, like the best interviews actually happen the other way around where I'm pitching it to specific people of the press and I know they do developer interviews or they do artist interviews and I kind of pitch them the article already. Or like if it's a magazine like would you like to do a cover interview or something? Those usually work the best. But like the game that we just uh released last Friday off it was the New York Times who asked for asked us for the interview just from that shotgun press approach. >> Okay.

Yeah. >> That went to everybody. >> So when you say shotgun press approach like how many people are you reaching out to at that point? >> Depends on the game. Uh our personal press list is like 11,000 contacts. Okay. But on average, we're only sending it out to like 7,000 8,000 people because there's filters on switch only, PlayStation only, cozy only, which is direct polar opposite of horror only. So, it's really important that you're not sending this to the wrong people too often because they will unsubscribe. >> Yeah.

Okay. That's the thing like unsubscribe or they'll block you or whatever. The thing is now you you do this as a job like just the marketing. I am a sad little indie developer. like there's a certain degree that yeah I can do the games press release technically myself and then you have tools like press engine is that something that can make sense for you as a solo developer as like an in between step of >> I don't want the full >> marketing guy okay is it generally worth it cuz I okay and what does offer is it like contacts as well or you still need to bring contact >> basically they do the same thing as I do because they have their own press lists and it's divided in press and creators they still call them influencers but press and creators is what I call it the sad thing is you if it's not sad but if you send out a press release you have to pick one of the two.

So if you want to reach both you'll just have to clone your own article a second your own press a second time and still send it out there. You could shotgun to everybody if you wanted to because they can't really unsubscribe from you. They're unsubscribing from their list which is naughty but yeah you could they can still say I don't want to receive press releases from this person anymore but it's a little bit of a complex scenario to do. >> So you're making it a bit harder.

Okay. So when I have to send out too many press releases in a row, I often send out the extra repeats and the reminders on press engine because I don't risk removing people from my own list from >> Yeah. Okay. >> But it's still an added value and it's cheap. >> It's a lot cheaper than paying a press agency if you're good if you're good at writing your own press releases. >> Okay. >> Doing just games press and press engine is a good solution to do it at a budget. >> Then the question is what do you do as like the added value?

Cuz clearly you're fully booked. That's what you told me like I don't need any new games. So people clearly like what you do. What is it then that you do on top of the >> I think it's mainly I try have a lot of variety and whenever I take on a game that's not quite similar to our other games I go research for new people to add to the list. Press-wise that doesn't really happen. I find that I find new people but it does happen like if I'm going on Metacritic and Open Critic I don't just see IGN or Games Radar review this but I know the person who reviewed it >> and I know that that person likes that genre.

I should reach out to them directly. That reach out, the direct outreach is a little bit harder to do on tools like that and it's much easier to do on a one-on-one just send an email thing. That's not part of that shotgun approach. That's more of a one-on-one approach. >> Yeah. Where you're going for, you know, I think this creator like this press person is really going to like it. Same with influencers. And then you write the press releases as well for them or that's what mo most of the time would happen.

But recently I have this offer where I have a press release send out and it's the the client the developer or somebody on their team who writes the press release and then when I say they write it I mean they have to write it not cheap because I'll just flat out refuse it 60% of the time now when I get a press release submitted to me by developers it's dashes yeah >> or immersive experience or even publishers when they submit the first draft to me I have to highlight things like your You're putting things in the press release and I played this game that are not in the game >> because AI added that. >> I have no idea indeed. >> But I still make some edits like again the title is really important.

I'll I'll put a pun in the title. I'll restructure things. Usually if they submit in advance, I'll give them missing things like your press kit is missing these important assets or you're not mentioning really important things. I'll give them that kind of feedback as well. And that's a really cheap approach because they are the ones copyrightiting meaning I don't have to do a lot of time investments. My investment is mostly my list in >> the people you know already which is your big value at the end of the day >> but I still have to charge something for it because every press release brings a risk of people going that was one too many dude I'm off. >> Yeah I guess there's a risk as well or like cuz that's the thing that I would be almost scared like you said you do make the edits >> cuz it's it's developers making their own press release.

Yeah, but usually they have someone in the team who handles social media community >> who has a better idea of it. Yeah. So, so what is like the general team size that you work with? Then I guess less solo defs or >> solo defs or like threeman teams is most common for me because I actually keep my price really low and I actually refuse bigger publishers and bigger teams because they come from bigger agencies. they were able to afford bigger agencies and I kind of feel like they owe it to >> they they just want to keep the cost lowact and take away from the indies.

Yeah. >> Yeah. It's not taking away from the indies but they can afford the bigger outlets and then it's not just one guy me doing all of the work. They have an entire team working for them and they can afford that. I I kind of want them to keep working with the bigger companies and I want to work for the people who can only afford my kind of service. >> Yeah. Do you think looking at like the future cuz if you look at 10 years ago I would say like IGN was like hella important like the press release and now it's still important maybe but a bit less >> mostly their YouTube channel. >> Yeah.

Like 5 years from now do you think you're like this is maybe the most like direct way to say do you think you still have a job or like the same kind of job? >> I hope so. 5 years from now or you think press is going to slowly do a slow death cuz that is I feel like what what some developers I know I the previous time I made a video about press release I had people of like yeah I didn't even click it cuz I don't believe in press anymore.

Do you think that's going to be only a bigger problem in the future? >> Yeah because most of the the bigger companies are just absorbing all of the smaller ones and they have full control over what they are posting. And my fear is not that it's will stop existing. My fe the fe the fe the fe the fe the fe the fe the fe the fe the fe theor is just that they're going to payw wall what they are highlighting. >> Yeah and it's only the black mate wukongs and whatever that have the budget for that.

Okay I see. I have one final question a little bit less like press release related but you know you're in the marketing world in general I say let's say I'm making a game whatever game you want it to be and I have a good Steam page and my grandma comes to me and she gives me $1,000 or $1,000 favorite currency and it's like use this for your marketing son. What would you do? Or would a thousand just be like it's not even worth attempting any marketing? >> Usually I'd look at the the Steam page first. >> Yeah.

But let's assume that one is perfect already. >> So the key p the key art is fine. The the trailer is fine. I'd I'd go for the thing that you mentioned earlier where you're sending out on Games Press and on Press Engine because you can do that for around 500 and then I would use the rest of them on some paid ads. >> Okay. Yeah. >> And then the paid ads, I'm talking like Reddit most of it and using them like in a moment that it's really valuable.

For example, if you're launching your Steam next demo, >> you really want the traffic on those first two days. But that's that's advice I'm giving now. That could very well change when >> Steam is going to change the next or something. >> But currently, like just now in February and June, it was two of those times. It was the games that we did a press release for and they were also paying some Reddit ads that performed best because in those first two days they got traction and then Steam just kept promoting them in the other days. >> Okay.

I think that's a a pretty good good strategy. Maybe I'll approach >> I hope you have more than 1,000. >> Yeah. What would be like an ideal budget? >> Um >> like you know it's not like stupid money but like what is a realistic budget if you want to take marketing kind of professionally still? Not assuming you're paying content creators, I would go like 5,000 6,000 lower end€ 10,000 euro would be like a a starter marketing budget to do all the things that are like required. >> Okay.

Yeah. And what does that then extra entail basically on top of the press releases? >> Depends if you're paying your own hours again like is that all free? Because if I'm sending out review keys, suddenly my review packages of like €1,000, they become 6,000 7,000 8,000 because you're paying >> for me to work for you full-time. But if you can have someone do that inhouse, then you don't need to count it as a cost sometimes.

Sometimes you do. >> That person needs a paycheck, too. >> Review packages is kind of like content creator outreach as well, then I guess. Okay. >> Yeah. And also like press engine is also approving per key, but you have to do it yourself. So either you have to pay your own hours, so you have to pay someone to keep an eye on that. Key mailer, the same thing. >> Yeah, that's also something I guess you work then with keymail or lurking if you do those bigger campaigns.

Okay. Yeah, I'm learning a lot of new stuff here. >> I when I'm sending out keys, I'm not just targeting my own list, but I still see the biggest returns there, but I'm also doing press engine and key mailer on top of it because it just covers all of my bases. >> Yeah. Okay, I see. Perfect. I I learned a lot. I think we are going to do more press because you've you've convinced me that it's not actually just a big black void.

So, thank you very much for that. I think yeah, I don't you don't want to plug I guess yourself or >> I don't feel there's a need but like just Yeah, instead of plugging myself just market your game, please. >> Yes, that's what we go for instead. Just make a good marketable game and you're going to be fine. So, thank you everyone for watching. I hope it was informative and uh we'll see you guys in the next one. >> Bye.

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