A Roblox Game Marketing Plan

Our Roblox game marketing plan is based upon a fictional game called Petopia. Why?

Because pets and animal based games rank high up in Roblox charts. They also have a wide area for sales:

stuffies
outfits
easily brandable
easily gfx based- you can't copyright a rabbit...right?

But for this to start well, what else do you need to know?

Well Roblox is something that is ever evolving. In fact, the virtual world is. So your project needs to be constantly being evolved. People loose interest easily regardless if they have invested actual money in the game. They don't want to leave, but if no updates, or if they do come it is not worth it, then you are a click away from another game.

So therefore evolving is one trait a Roblox game should have but also stayability. Making involvement and ways for people to interact is going to be high. One Youtuber who also made a Roblox game updates on their channel, discusses future updates, issues with the game and answers people in the comments. Their game is still going. The game has 2.4 billion visits as of February 2024.

So we have asked AI to see if they can create a marketing plan for our fictional game with some added notes from us). A marketing plan is an idea of who you are promoting to and how are you going to promote. Some people come up with numbers and then aim for that- so getting 100 downloads in a week. Then they set out to figure out ways to accomplish that goal.

The idea is this:

finding out your customer profile. Who are they, what do they do, age, sex, websites they like, social media sites, fave influencers, hobbies etc. Really drill down on this. There are tons of websites that will give you that type of data for free. You might find that your audience likes more "grown up" games rather than pet games. You might also figure out that they like certain websites. So marketing to those is going to be preferred rather than blanket PayPerClick.

And this is what AI came up with:

Our customer/ user profile

Demographics:

Age: 10-16 years old
Gender: All genders
Location: United States, United Kingdom, Canada
Interests: Animal lovers, Online gaming enthusiasts, Socially active within the Roblox community

Psychographics:

Personality Traits:

Creative and imaginative
Nurturing and caring
Enjoys customization and personalization

Online Behavior:

Actively engages with virtual pet simulation games on Roblox.
Enjoys socializing with other players, sharing achievements, and participating in in-game events.
Follows Roblox influencers and content creators on social media platforms.

Gaming Preferences:

Favorite Game Genres:

Simulation games
Virtual pet games
Role-playing games

Preferred Gameplay Styles:

Enjoys nurturing and caring for virtual pets.
Interested in customization and personalization features.
Active participant in in-game events and community activities.

Media Consumption Habits:

Social Media:

Active on platforms like Twitter (X) and Discord for community engagement.
Follows Roblox-related hashtags and trends.

Content Consumption:

Enjoys watching gameplay videos and tutorials on YouTube.
Regularly reads and engages with Roblox forums and developer updates.

Values and Motivations:

Creativity:

Enjoys expressing creativity through designing and customizing virtual pets.
Values games that allow for self-expression and unique personalization.

Community Interaction:

Values being part of an active and supportive in-game community.
Motivated by the opportunity to share achievements and creations with others.

Achievement and Progress:

Finds motivation in unlocking new features, breeds, and customization options.
Enjoys the sense of accomplishment from completing in-game challenges and events.

Pain Points:

Limited Customization:

Frustrated with games that lack diverse and extensive customization options for virtual pets.
Inactivity and Boredom: Dislikes games with limited in-game events and activities, leading to boredom. Lack of Social Interaction: Prefers games that lack a sense of community and social engagement.

Marketing Messaging:

Engaging Creativity:

Emphasize the extensive customization options available in "Petopia" to bring their creative vision to life.
Community-Centric Experience: Highlight the active in-game community, encouraging social interaction, and fostering friendships.

Regular Updates and Events:

Showcase the regular updates and themed events in "Petopia" to keep the gameplay experience fresh and exciting.
Exclusive Rewards: Emphasize the exclusive rewards and achievements available for dedicated players.

Now some are obvious- Roblox player that enjoys virtual pet and animal games. But you can get deeper stats online. What pet games are they into? Where do those pet games advertise? Where is that social group?

Roblox game marketing plan: Executive summary

Overview: "Petopia" is a virtual pet simulation game on Roblox where players can adopt, raise, and customize their virtual pets. The game focuses on providing a fun and interactive experience for players of all ages.

Goals: To achieve 100,000 monthly active players within the first six months, increase in-game purchases by 20%, and establish "Petopia" as a leading game in the virtual pet simulation genre on Roblox.

Market analysis

Roblox Ecosystem: The Roblox community is diverse, with a significant portion of players aged 8-18. Virtual pet and simulation games have a proven track record of success on the platform.

Competitive Analysis: Games like "Adopt Me!" and "MeepCity" have successfully captured the attention of players in the virtual pet simulation genre. "Petopia" aims to differentiate itself through unique pet customization features and a focus on a nurturing gameplay experience.

Our thought was this: If you remember Tamagotchi it was a very basic keyring 2 colour game where you kept your pet alive and amused. The new versions are pimped up old versions. It was a global phenom. So why not use that idea within Petopia?

Target audience

Demographics: Primary target audience includes players aged 8-16, with a secondary audience of pet enthusiasts of all ages.

Player Behaviour: The target audience is likely to discover games through in-platform recommendations, social media, and recommendations from friends within the Roblox community.

We have noticed that Youtube is a huge funnel that channels tons of visits to different Roblox games. Discord is next with slightly more maturer kids, but Youtube is top. For example, when some Youtubers go into a game they can be swamped with characters talking to them. They buy on their recommendation and interact with the channel.

In platform strategies

Game Page Optimization:
Engaging game page with colorful visuals showcasing diverse pets.
Tags: Virtual pets, simulation, adopt, customize.

Leverage Roblox Features:
VIP servers for exclusive pet events.
Game passes for premium pet accessories and customization options.

Regular Updates:
Monthly updates introducing new breeds, customization options, and themed events.
Teasers posted on the game page to generate anticipation.

We have noticed that people will start trading if they can. So a trading area would need to be completed. Once this has been done, then trading can create websites on costs/ values etc. Then limited the number of pets, exclusives, seasonal and celebratory pets are then added. We have noticed that people will buy Robux just to get pets.

It is a good idea to go basic. Generate a community and have their input. More input, the more relatable the game will be. If people believe that they have had an input then they are more likely to promote and champion the game.

Remember that stayability effect. That needs to be done and always in the back of your mind. By?

keeping it fresh
introducing something weekly or every other week. Get a schedukle, keep to it and tell people an update is coming every X days. This increases curiosity and allow people to speculate on websites on what your update might have
add areas, levels, events, secrets, collectables
make sure that the areas or updates are helpful and not to be completed within an hour. Frustration kicks in quite quick
have constant feedback with the community and with influencers of what can be done

Community engagement

Social Media Presence:
Active profiles on Twitter and Discord to share updates and engage with players.
Encourage players to share their customized pets using a dedicated hashtag. Shout out some of the designs and set ups. Have competitions, have charity events to animal shelters or animal charities

Forums and User-Generated Content:
Regular participation in the Roblox Developer Forum and "Petopia" community forums.
Feature user-generated pet designs in-game and on social media.

External strategies

Collaborations:
Partner with popular Roblox pet influencers for live streams and collaborations.
Collaborate with Roblox YouTubers for gameplay reviews and feature spotlights.

Press Releases:
Press release for the launch of "Petopia" and major updates.
Distribute to Roblox-focused media outlets and gaming news websites.

Advertising:
Use Roblox's advertising platform for targeted ads within the platform.
Sponsored content on popular Roblox game review websites.

Know that pets that people buy and trade for? When you add a limited time stuffy pet and make that an ingame character sales go through the roof. One game had a certain pet selling for $250- you get a stuffy and the pet online. 75 were made. Sold out in 30 seconds. $18k was made in 30 seconds.

Oh, and without that, the same company makes $35k/month- without additional extras.

Player retention

In-Game Events:
Monthly themed events with exclusive pet rewards.
Double XP weekends and special discounts on in-game purchases during events.

Feedback Mechanism:
In-game surveys and a dedicated feedback form.
Regularly address player feedback through updates and improvements.

Many Roblox games are not sure what to do for the future. The game plan is to add the same but slightly different versions of it. This is cool because it increases stickiness but then what are you going to do? Do you have game number 2 or do you just keep on updating?

Fortnite did it really well when a story line was attached to the game. Yes, we know it isn't a Roblox game, but the idea is the same to be inlcuded in this Roblox game marketing plan :) Each "event" was the end of a chapter in the story and then went onto the next chapter. The game was changed and new items were introduced. The problem with this:

they did and didnt listen to the community
some chapters were odd
there were big gaps between chapters so mini updates started. These were cool and helped
the story started to become really odd
things didnt happen, which were promised
things just changed...it was difficult to get some of the players back. The magic went. But if you played it, you could see it going.

Maybe thats the thing. The developers that make the game should also be playing the game- on the same servers. Interact, see what it is like for the player. Sometimes they do, but they are coming from it from knowledge not from someone seeing it for the first time. I suppose that would be difficult to change.

If you like this, check out the Jasonera blog for updates on eProduct selling.