How to Increase Steam Wishlists Through PR and Influencer Marketing

In the realm of indie game development, securing a spot on players’ Steam Wishlists is quickly becoming one of the fundamental goals of a title’s marketing campaign. It’s not merely an indicator of interest; it’s a potent tool that can drive visibility in an incredibly crowded market and ultimately drive sales. But how exactly do you obtain a critical mass of Wishlist adds? 

The answer? Harness the power of PR,influencer and event marketing. Let’s dive in.

Wishlists: More Than Just a Number

Wishlists aren’t just a vanity metric. They serve as a direct line of communication to your most interested audience. When your game launches or goes on sale, Steam notifies those who’ve wishlisted it, significantly increasing your chances of conversion. Moreover, a high wishlist count enhances your game’s visibility on the platform, attracting organic traffic and potentially snowballing into further wishlist additions. With the sheer number of indie game launches coming in 2024 alone, all avenues of increasing your game’s visibility must be explored.

Generating Wishlist Adds Through PR

Having a good PR approach is one such avenue. Good PR is about strategically building relationships with media outlets, influencers, and the community at large to generate and sustain conversations around your game. 

Developers of indie gems like Sable and Unpacking have openly attributed significant portions of their wishlist success to strategic PR efforts, including securing coverage in major gaming publications and fostering relationships with influencers.

Some of the fundamental PR activities that make up a campaign include: 

• Press Releases
• Preview / Review Campaigns
• Media Outreach
• Events and Showcases

The Right Event at the Right Time

That last bullet is especially important to the Wishlist question because of Steam’s Next Fest event series. Throughout the year, Steam Next Fest digital showcases feature the best and brightest titles launching on Valve’s platform. And getting your game featured can dramatically boost wishlists. 

Valve’s official data reveals that the median game participating in Fests saw a remarkable 1,364% increase in daily wishlist additions during the event. The impact isn’t fleeting: wishlist additions remained elevated after showcase events, with a 26% increase in daily wishlisting over the following three weeks. The indie game Lakeburg Legacies serves as a testament to this, generating over 60,000 wishlists thanks to their Next Fest demo and proactive community engagement.

A title can only participate in one Steam Next Fest before launch so it’s imperative to enter the right one with the best build in order to succeed. We’ve seen titles enter one too early with a poor build and some enter too late who could not adjust based on player feedback. Having an experienced partner to help strategically plan the best timing is key.  That and ensuring some key people play it….

The Power of Influencers

Influencers, with their dedicated and engaged audiences, can be a game-changer for wishlist growth. 

The developers of Potion Permit partnered with influencers and saw their wishlist count jump from 50,000 to over 200,000 after showcasing their game during a Steam Next Fest. This remarkable increase demonstrates the tangible impact influencers can have on wishlist growth when leveraged effectively. Valve’s data further supports this, indicating that the median released game saw an impressive 500% increase in ‘converting wishlists’ (wishlists that turned into sales) made during Next Fest compared to before the event.

But it’s about more than just sending them a free copy of your game. Here are just a few tactics to consider when considering influencer support: 

• Identify Relevant Influencers: Focus on influencers whose content and audience resonate with your game’s genre and target demographic. Building authentic relationships with these influencers is key; engage with their content, support their channels, and foster genuine connections.
• Offer Exclusive Access: Granting early access or providing exclusive content to influencers can incentivize them to create compelling content and share their experiences with their followers.

PR + Influencer = Wishlist Bonanza

Combining PR and influencer marketing into cohesive campaigns can skyrocket your Wishlists … if done correctly. Increasing Steam wishlists requires a multi-faceted approach that strategically leverages PR and influencer marketing. By building genuine relationships, creating compelling content, and actively engaging with your community, you can generate buzz, excitement, and ultimately, a thriving wishlist that paves the way for a successful launch. 

Reverb has worked with some of the best indie developers in the space to create campaigns that drive gamers to your Steam page. Reach out to us or book a free 30 minute consultation now to see how we can make your Wishlist dreams a reality.