Corporate Thinking
~A sneaky guide on hyping up your thread~
Disclaimer: I don't really consciously do these (anymore ._.), but many threads really can benefit from these, and they deserve to be. So, hate me not.
I've never thought I'd be writing this, but bleh.
There are too many cases now days where great projects get way less attention than they deserve. What people often don't realize is that, in order for a project (thread) to succeed, sneaky "marketing" and method of responses are vital to achieve a hyped atmosphere to complement and encourage on top of what could be a golden shipment - which in many cases, is a primary source of inspiration to keep the creator off his/her bum.
And so here I share with you some of the sneaky things that you may or may not know. Call me evil if you will, but it is merely effective business thinking. Keep in mind, the optimal goal here is to achieve maximum amount of hype/feedback/posts/attention with subtle, harmless methods.
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- Responses to replies.
This one in particular isn't anything uncommon. Let's say you've just received a reply from Joe on your thread. "Hey, great game! I really like the part where the cat caught the rat!", Joe says.
Now, you can respond to that in a few ways.
1. "Heheh, thanks. Glad you enjoyed it."
-The worst response possible. It is completely generic and robotic, giving the image that the owner does not care too much, not to mention that it translates into a conversation ender.
2. "Thanks! It was really complicated to make, I had to _____ and then ______"
-An okay response. While it is somewhat of an interesting reply to read, it still has a high chance of being an conversation ender.
3. "Thanks! It was really complicated to make, I had to ____ and then ____, at which point inspired me to ____. Oh by the way, how'd you guys like the scene where the dog caught the cat afterwards?"
-A good response. Not only did you response with something more than a robotic generic message, you've also requested further info from the poster and/or other posters. That way, further posts will likely to follow, and more might join in.
Remember, it is important to try to keep up what is a conversation in disguise - bounded to things related to the subject of your project or whatnot. And if possible, try to make every reply to have some sort of news. Perhaps attach a new artwork, a new screenshot, some new ideas you have, and ask for feedback.
- Calculate.
Don't you hate it when your SUPER DUPER UPDATE ends up being at the bottom of a page, and then the next reply takes up the next page - making your response stuck at the bottom of the last page, easy-to-miss?
.org threads hold 10 posts per page. Even if it's not an update, you should try to avoid a situation where you are posting when the current post count on the thread is _8 - Because _9 is the bottom of the page, as the count is increased by one due to the first post not counting in the reply counter.
So in other words, when there are already 1-6 replies on the page, attempt to post when the post counter of the thread is _7 or _9. In the case of _7, given that you have posted a reply-magnetic post, your post will be the _8th, allowing someone to fill in the _9 post, hence giving you the advantage of top-of-the-page post for the next page.
EDIT: After the changes around the forum, each page now holds 30 replies. So calculate accordingly. In a way, this provides much more slack for the worst case scenario, but it also gives less best scenarios.
- Updates should have pretty things to feed on.
You don't need to have a lot of real progress every second of the day to make a post that sounds progressive.
Always include something visual in updates - even if it's just a random screen shot, or a concept picture. Visual things are the easiest for people to comment on, and there is a much higher chance that people will have something to say, bumping your thread, instead of just nodding at the text and exit the browser, calmly waiting for the up-coming demo or whatnot. One more advantage to this is the "exploitation" (pardon me) of active critics. Even if you get a criticism that some people can't hold back from giving, you are still taking advantage of that fact - and in return, giving you free bumps (not to mention that they might find somethings that can help you improve graphically).
- Effective timing.
Now this is going to sound rather evil, and I apologize, but -
Slightly delay your responses when necessary.
Boom, you get a response and gets bumped up to the top of the board. Now you might get all excited and rush off to send your reply - HALT! Your thread is currently at the top of the page, an instant follow-up reply only wastes the efficiency of being on the spotlight. Why get one bump when you can get... two? Call up some friends and have a lunch out. Take in some fresh air, have a life. And when you come back, another thread has now taken your place as the top of the page - now's the time to strike!
(Okay, now I feel like an ass after typing that out. But I just want to even off the odds as some do this and some don't - if everyone knows of such a ploy, things would naturally even out.
Besides, one more major advantage to this is to prolong the "hype". If everything that people/you have to say is said within 10 minutes, your thread will spend the next few days sitting there blankly. Everyone benefits.)
- Fire in short bursts.
Suddenly, brilliant ideas/replies come to mind. Before you type them all out at once, WAIT! Post some now, save some for later. That way, Spring lasts longer and everyone can take more sips. Remember, efficiency is the key. Why work twice as hard to get half the attention, when you can get twice the attention for half the work?
- Give them an excuse to reply.
Perhaps have some materials that can potentially lead to good discussion in the project itself. At one point, the highly successful Master of the Wind thread was flooded with replies of the identity of Sparrow theories - don't be afraid to bring up a topic worth of discussion yourself when fit! Of course, you have to make the players interested in the project itself, first.
NEW: - Righteous flaunting and mold breaking.
Have a special aspect of your project that would surely draw a few whistles if noticed? Be it original graphics, original soundtrack or whatnot - make sure that even the skimmers don't miss it! If you have amazing all-original graphics, for example, the worst thing you can do is to be a good boy and neatly put all the screenshots in spoilers. Make a banner, incorporate it into the header-ad image; anything that allows you to hit the reader head-on with it!
An example of a thread that has done this well:
Ethereal Dreams (click)
-An amazingly hard earned all original graphics and lengthy demo to show for, with a lot of originality. And just as important, it manages to show its potential and strength in an eye catching manner.
An example of a thread that has done this horribly (not the project, but seizing the ad opportunity):
Destinia (click)
-The only demo-out all original painted maps I've seen, and nothing short of astounding. Yet at first glance, it seems to be nothing more than the thread next door; and most leaves at that.
Don't be afraid to show off as long as you have something to show for. And remember, the classic format of "Story: --- Characters: --- Systems: ---" and whatnot is not mandatory! As long as you can still present the information, in a reasonably organized manner without blinding someone, it is fair game. And there's no need for a cocky attitude to achieve that - just shove your competitive advantages upfront in an organized manner. Think like you are advertising, and take every opportunity you have to keep a grasp on the reader. Remember, sometimes that first glance is all the chance you have before they wander off.
This list was spontaneously compiled, so it is very rough and not very detailed, even lacking a few things that I can't remember right now. But you get the point.
Remember, threads have a set life span unless you keep the spark up. I see many go off on a vacation or whatnot after a big demo release, come back to see that replies became cold after a week, and is rather disappointed. Such cases are occurring way too commonly now, and it is making me a sad panda. Marketing is an important factor with all things - even project threads.
Sell it to the audience, don't just show it. Always think and post as if the reader would be doing you a favour by coming into your thread, and strive to have that view changed by the time they go out the door.
