[Ep550] Are ads worth it for indie game devs?

In episode 550 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers take a hard look at online ads and why they rarely deliver the wishlist conversions indie devs hope for. They break down misleading metrics, misclicks, and the high cost of chasing visibility through paid channels. The conversation also gets into conventions and showcases, exploring why in-person events are great for networking and playtesting but often fall short as direct sales drivers. It’s a grounded look at where marketing effort actually pays off and where it evaporates into thin air. Support How Many Dudes! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/how-many-dudes Trailer Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQM1SceEpI Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3934270/How_Many_Dudes 00:00 Cold Open 00:12 Introduction and Welcome 02:48 The Role of YouTube Shorts in Game Promotion 05:32 Understanding Steam's Algorithm and Wishlist Dynamics 08:44 Challenges of Scaling Marketing Efforts 11:27 Exploring YouTube Ads and Their Effectiveness 14:31 Evaluating the Impact of Advertising on Game Visibility 19:54 Navigating Google Ads for Game Promotion 22:51 Analyzing Click-Through Rates and Conversions 26:07 The Efficacy of YouTube Ads 29:45 The Illusion of Effective Advertising 34:47 The Uncertainty of Marketing Outcomes 41:47 Evaluating Events and Conventions 43:09 Digital Events and Showcases 45:39 The Challenge of Exclusivity in Marketing 49:09 Understanding Randomness in Game Promotion 51:45 The Cost-Effectiveness of Marketing Approaches 55:02 Balancing Development and Marketing Efforts To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness. If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello! Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to [email protected], and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net. ★ Support this podcast ★

Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch