Whether they're flossing their way through Fortnite or designing their own tropical island in Animal Crossing, Gen Z can't seem to get enough of their virtual escapes.
Our research found that more than 3 in 4 Gen Z students currently play video games, with 60% playing weekly and 2 in 3 gaming for over 5 hours per week.
They’re hungry for games that are either super chill or fun. And they’re spoilt for choice - 13.9 million newly released games were sold in 2022 alone.
With an ocean of new releases and downloadable content, how can you make your product stand out? You’ve got to find unique ways of capturing the fleeting attention of Gen Z players. Discover the best strategies to boost game discovery that’ll click with this crowd.
Impero found that 70% of Gen Z join inward communities for a sense of belonging. 41% seek privacy and a safe haven to be themselves, tired of being constantly monitored and targeted on other platforms.
Create Discord channels where Gen Z can socialise, ask questions and provide feedback. Connect with them on a personal level and show that you’re listening. You’ll build trust and loyalty, turning them into natural ambassadors for your current and future games. They’ll be more likely to share their experiences and recommendations with friends and peers, driving game discovery – most students care a lot about what their friends and family think before buying anything.
Discord also offers a distinct platform for engaging Gen Z through buzzworthy events like live streams, Q&As and product launches. As reported by Qulture, sneaker resale site StockX broke the record for single-day signups on a brand server with their annual StockX Day event on Discord. They got over 20,000 users to register, proving that gaming brands can use Discord to connect with Gen Z in a way that's chill and not pushy. Plus, if you hit them with some sweet promotions, they'll start talking about your games with their tribe, even if they don't buy right away.
Power Reviews found that 91% of Gen Z shoppers regularly seek out user-generated visual content prior to making a purchase. And 82% of Gen Z trust a brand more if they use real customers in advertising.
Crowdsource UGC on Discord to generate authentic and trustworthy content that appeals to Gen Z gamers, piquing their interest in your products. Get followers to submit fan art, videos and other creative pieces for a chance to win a worthy reward. Then you can publish their UGC on your social media channels to drive game discovery — 60% of U.S. Gen Z shoppers use Instagram to discover new products.
Take a block from Minecraft, the original king of gaming UGC. Minecraft Marketplace encourages players to share custom maps, mods, skins and more, allowing others to discover and download their creations. Create a UGC platform of your own with similar capabilities to increase player engagement and encourage organic game discovery.
Around 63% of Gen Z students enjoy playing games on their mobile phones. YPulse reports that Clash of Clans and Subway Surfer are firm favourites – Subway Surfer has 6.2M followers and a total 72.4M likes on TikTok.
Advertise on free-to-play mobile games and reach and engage with Gen Z. This can translate into increased awareness and interest in your console and PC games, leading to potentially higher sales and profits.
Use mobile ad networks that offer diverse ad formats, like rewarded videos and banner ads, as mobile gamers are accustomed to such content. A Tapjoy survey found that 72% of respondents recognised the importance of ads in their gaming experience and actively engaged with the ads they saw.
Ads need to be seamless and non-intrusive for digital-first Gen Zs. Partner with mobile game developers who integrate ads into the game environment. Picture billboards in racing games like Asphalt 9: Legends, or similar ads that could blend into virtual cities in games such as SimCity BuildIt. And offer rewards for ad views, such as currency or power ups, to make them feel a part of the game experience.
Forge a strong alliance with the developer – you might also be able to access valuable data on user behaviour and preferences, which you can use to optimise future ad effectiveness.
UNiDAYS is the ultimate power-up for your marketing strategy. Merging community engagement, user-generated content and appealing advertisements, we drive conversions and help you unlock new levels of success in your marketing game.
Get in front of tomorrow's high earners and share your discount codes, game reviews and crowdsourced content to ignite Gen Z’s excitement for your wares. Seize this unmissable opportunity to propel your game content discovery among this most coveted demographic. Your quest begins now.
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