I've been thinking... for market research purposes and etc., it might be useful to report summaries to Big Finish about our experiences with advertising and promoting Tex. Did anyone else run ads? If so, maybe it would be a good idea to compile and email your statistics to BFG?
I ran ads on:
· A private forum
· Uni. of Utah Chronicle, print
· Blogads.com ad for cinemasnob.com
· Project Wonder (multiple sties)
· blogads.com ad for spoonyexperiment.com
+ Facebook ad contribution (to redcat72's ad campaign)
I've already sent to BFG a file of data and explanations about the ads that I ran, including costs and statistics on views and clicks when available. (I'm a bit shy about making that public
) I did mention to them that redcat72 and LockeCole here had also done some ads.
By far, the most successful site I advertised on was the spoonyexperiment.com. Project Wonderful was also useful in that it let me bid on many sites and locate new ones to advertise on. The sites that were about gaming did the best, and when I tried to step out of that, it didn't work as well. But then I got a lot of clicks on a gangster-style browser game. I wouldn't have guessed that!
Also, I figured out at some point that some ads I made are blocked by AdBlock on Firefox! For the first time ever, I understood why some sites ask you to disable it. I personally don't use AdBlock because it messes up page designs, but supporting the sites you visit is important too.
Not all sites had stats, and the print ad certainly didn't, so I can only guess if those were successful. I don't know if BFG's site or the Kickstarter page can keep track of how people reached the backing pages, but that would show where users were coming from.
So... What did you do, and did you learn anything from it?
I ran ads on:
· A private forum
· Uni. of Utah Chronicle, print
· Blogads.com ad for cinemasnob.com
· Project Wonder (multiple sties)
· blogads.com ad for spoonyexperiment.com
+ Facebook ad contribution (to redcat72's ad campaign)
I've already sent to BFG a file of data and explanations about the ads that I ran, including costs and statistics on views and clicks when available. (I'm a bit shy about making that public
) I did mention to them that redcat72 and LockeCole here had also done some ads.By far, the most successful site I advertised on was the spoonyexperiment.com. Project Wonderful was also useful in that it let me bid on many sites and locate new ones to advertise on. The sites that were about gaming did the best, and when I tried to step out of that, it didn't work as well. But then I got a lot of clicks on a gangster-style browser game. I wouldn't have guessed that!
Also, I figured out at some point that some ads I made are blocked by AdBlock on Firefox! For the first time ever, I understood why some sites ask you to disable it. I personally don't use AdBlock because it messes up page designs, but supporting the sites you visit is important too.
Not all sites had stats, and the print ad certainly didn't, so I can only guess if those were successful. I don't know if BFG's site or the Kickstarter page can keep track of how people reached the backing pages, but that would show where users were coming from.
So... What did you do, and did you learn anything from it?
I think Mr Fedora on the forum here did a market research survey and spread it about. Not sure what the results were. Since I was helping run things there they mentioned some said they found out about the Kickstarter from the Steam group but don't know about the other methods.
On Steam I invited a LOT of people to the group based on interests, which the community site makes really easy to do. I became an admin on the group and helped out with adding new info or announcements. I had not really used Steam much before (only to play a few games single-player) but it seemed like a really good place to find gamers in a way that also takes into account non-gaming relevant interests (e.g. listing noir films as something they love). Even after the campaign the Steam group is still growing slowly. I assume from friend invites, or those who got an invite earlier and are just now logging on to see it, or they just searched the site and came across the group. We're now at 1,324 Members. If Project Fedora hits Steam we can announce it there.
I also used Google to find where fans from old Tex Murphy forums out the loop are currently active. Or those who had mentioned enjoying Tex Murphy a lot or listing them in their favourite games. I also did various other stuff which I can't all remember
For example searching for Tex Murphy fanart on Deviantart etc. and messaging the artists and those who had shown interest in Tex on the comments. From those who weren't already a backer I got some nice messages back saying they were going to go pledge.
Oh I also did a lot of marketing graphics and art of course.
On Steam I invited a LOT of people to the group based on interests, which the community site makes really easy to do. I became an admin on the group and helped out with adding new info or announcements. I had not really used Steam much before (only to play a few games single-player) but it seemed like a really good place to find gamers in a way that also takes into account non-gaming relevant interests (e.g. listing noir films as something they love). Even after the campaign the Steam group is still growing slowly. I assume from friend invites, or those who got an invite earlier and are just now logging on to see it, or they just searched the site and came across the group. We're now at 1,324 Members. If Project Fedora hits Steam we can announce it there.
I also used Google to find where fans from old Tex Murphy forums out the loop are currently active. Or those who had mentioned enjoying Tex Murphy a lot or listing them in their favourite games. I also did various other stuff which I can't all remember
For example searching for Tex Murphy fanart on Deviantart etc. and messaging the artists and those who had shown interest in Tex on the comments. From those who weren't already a backer I got some nice messages back saying they were going to go pledge.Oh I also did a lot of marketing graphics and art of course.
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
The mini posters I put up around town for the Kickstarter project are all still there. Since I included www.texmurphy.com in them I haven't gone around to remove them, figuring some people would still check it out.
I took some flyers and bag inserts to gamestops around town(only one said no) and I also wore a T-shirt with an iron-on transfer of the ad I made with "a little help from my friends" on this here forum.
I took a sign(of the previously mentioned ad) to the anime convention A-kon at the beginning of the month, not knowing there was a sign ban. But I still got a good day and a half of mounting it among the crowds and carrying it around, so, hope someone noticed. Of course I also played Pandora in various spots around the convention center, including using my projector on the walls so people could see it.
All in all I'm quite happy with my efforts.
Everything mentioned above is still located in the Fan Art section
I took some flyers and bag inserts to gamestops around town(only one said no) and I also wore a T-shirt with an iron-on transfer of the ad I made with "a little help from my friends" on this here forum.
I took a sign(of the previously mentioned ad) to the anime convention A-kon at the beginning of the month, not knowing there was a sign ban. But I still got a good day and a half of mounting it among the crowds and carrying it around, so, hope someone noticed. Of course I also played Pandora in various spots around the convention center, including using my projector on the walls so people could see it.
All in all I'm quite happy with my efforts.
Everything mentioned above is still located in the Fan Art section
"The real world is bizarre enough for me." - Blue Öyster Cult
I got an email back saying that it was "extremely helpful" so unless they're just humoring me, I'll assume it is useful information.LockeCole wrote:Hmmm... interesting. Did anyone from Big Finish get back to you about it? I'm curious what they thought or, more specifically, if they think the data is of any use to them other than a sort of "huh, really?" curiosity...
I changed my avatar on various forums, posted about the Kickstarter on all kinds of Dutch sites (games related, computer related, detective/thriller books related) and international adventure gaming sites and changed my 'greeting' message on my Nintendo 3DS (spotpass). I never got any response but did see a few names I recognised among the backers. Can't be sure they backed because of my promotion but I like to think so. 
I posted multiple times on my facebook, cross-posted to other Kickstarters, talked to my friends, posted in places like gaming forums and an old telnet BBS I still go to. Nobody bit. 
