Have I Got A Game For You! Tips for Your Pitch Email
Reverb Communications
Video Game Public Relations and Marketing Agency - Custom Solutions to Elevate Your Game
With the new fiscal year upon us comes the hopeful wave of video game pitches we start seeing in our email inboxes. From the hardy first time developers hungry for Palworld-level success, to programming hobbyists that have been slowly coding on the side for 10 years, we’ve seen the great gamut of game pitch emails hit the Reverb inbox.?
With that in mind, you’re probably wondering ... what are the chances we open?the email, read it, and be interested enough to download a demo?? Well, my young friend, it all starts with a great email pitch. ;)
After evaluating hundreds of games, we’ve put together a few tips to help put your best foot forward. These will maximize your odds of getting your pitch read versus having it thrown into the trash bin.
The Email Subject Line: Concise & Informative
This might seem obvious, but based on our experience it’s essential that you? keep the subject line short and informative. Avoid sales-y, jargon-heavy subject lines like “Don’t miss this!” or “Be the first to check it out!” We receive a ton of non-game related marketing emails with such subject lines, so don’t get lumped in and ignored. Be clear when describing the kind of game you’re pitching? (example: The Last Quest, a snarky pixelart medieval action-adventure for PC/console). In fact, include the words “Game Pitch” first in the subject line, as that will help you stand out from the clutter of unrelated emails.
Tailor Your Pitch - Learn More About the Company
Whether you're pitching Reverb or other potential partners, get a sense of who you’re approaching by researching the company. Whether it’s their official company webpage, employee LinkedIn profiles, or social media channels, scout out that company. Even small things like directly reaching out to a person and not a generic in-box shows you've done your homework. And definitely call out games they’ve worked on similar to yours.
The Visual Difference - Embedding Images & GIFs
Reading a wall of text in any form gets tiring very quickly - so avoid that in your email pitch. Video games are a visual form of entertainment, so make your emails visually interesting by breaking up paragraphs with screenshots of your game. Remember, this is the videogame industry, so adding playful elements isn’t a bad idea. Also, while you should link game footage, animated gameplay GIFs?showcase your title immediately, enticing the reader to click on the video link.?You don’t need to go overboard - a couple images and one animated GIF are usually enough to get and keep our attention in an email.
Personality Indeed Goes A Long Way - But Always Include the Basics
It can be easy to tell your personal story on how you got into games, why you developed this game, the team members background, the commitment and love in the game you’re making, etc. We love hearing that passion, the stories behind it, and the vision for your game. But prioritize the basics:
Oh and hey… extra brownie points if you have a short fact sheet (1 page), bullet pointing key selling points, platforms, and key dates. Get used to marketing your game!
The Follow-Up
If we’re being honest, even doing all the above, the chances that you’ll capture our attention in your first email pitch are 50/50. And while it may feel like you’re pestering us, absolutely follow up on your initial pitch. Use your best judgment on when to follow-up and how often - we recommend following up a week after your initial pitch. If you don’t receive a response after the first follow up, it’s probably best to move on unless you’re sure it’s going to be a fit.??
Oh and one personal final tip - test the email pitch by emailing yourself, friends, and family. And when we mean “test,” we literally mean test it like a bug. Different email clients may display your pitch differently, especially if you are embedding images/gifs in your email pitch. Always get an extra pair of eyes before hitting send.
Also, the size of your email can affect how it will be delivered; avoid adding attachments that will swell the size of your message to over 20MB. Large emails may get bounced to a company’s junk folder or may not get delivered at all.
Hopefully these tips help and Happy Pitching!