No More B*llSh*t

[CrimsonNight]

I got pretty sick the past week so that is the reason for no update & progress (+ Laziness).


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Ok, just published the game. Now I am just waiting for it to be approved

The entire process is really nerve-wracking.

My anxiety is pretty much through the roof right now. Questions like did I implement the ads right? Did I uncheck that debug mode? Will the game even open? Etc.

On the other hand, it is also a relief that I actually get this done instead of procrastinating and wasting this entire year again.

But the hardest part has yet to come.

Marketing.

This will really be the real challenge of running a business.

I have probably failed with this part more than I can count on my two hands.

And it is time to try to change that.


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I am planning to polish my video ads a bit more and then send it to different YouTubers, influencers, etc to see if they are interested in reviewing it. Most will likely say no so I think quantity will win here but I could be wrong. And maybe this is just wasting of time and I should focus more on paid advertisements. However, it would be nice to get some early publicity without having to spend anything just to prove that the interest is there.

The paid adverts will most likely be on FB and IG as I know the platform well and it reaches almost everyone in the West. I might try Tik Tok but I am going to find some more case studies before dipping my toes in it.

You can follow the progress in real-time at Trello as usual.

 

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[srodrigo]

Did I uncheck that debug mode?

Maybe not yet, but as you develop more games or evolve this one, you could automate some stuff. Generating a production build should be replicable with no room for variance (errors). Some automation is a good investment to both save time and improve your peace of mind.

 

[CrimsonNight]

This week results:

Game #1:
Downloads: 50
Active Install: 50
Marketing expenses: $20
CPI: ~$0.4
Revenue: $0
CPM: $0

Net: -$20

I planned to use Facebook to advertise my game but due to my own oversight, I couldn't integrate the SDK into my game which causes me to use Google Ads instead. It's my first time using it so I am still learning how to set up and optimize everything properly.

The results are not so good considering most of the downloads are from Tier 3 countries and by looking at some stats it is clear that these downloads are very low quality. Which made me adjust my ads to only target Tier 1 countries hopefully, the results are going to be much better.

I am not looking at breaking even with this advertising campaign because I think it is going to be really difficult to get the CPI low enough when targeting T1 countries. The general plan here is to rank high enough in a few countries' Top New Games so I can start to get a few organic downloads.

I have tried to contact a few influencers but still haven't heard anything back so no luck here yet.

Next week's plan is pretty the same as the previous week, creating more marketing materials and optimize the ads when needed. The algorithm is still learning so I don't want to change things too often.

I am also going to search for my next app idea. This time I am going to try to not reinvent anything and just copy what works on the Play Store and add a few improvements to the app based on competitors' reviews.

 

[CrimsonNight]

Haven't been advertising the game much past week. Instead of listing excuses, I will be honest here. I am most likely sick of this whole thing. It doesn't make me feel fulfilled I guess.

It's like I am chasing money instead of creating something of REAL Value. And it definitely reflects in my $0 earnings since I started this thread 4ish months ago. Probably the most elaborate action faking I have ever done in my life.

This is why I want to spend some time to really find an audience with a difficult problem that I can solve using my programming skills.

I need results. At the very least ONE paying customer by the end of this year.

Well, see you next week.

 

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[Envious]

Haven't been advertising the game much past week. Instead of listing excuses, I will be honest here. I am most likely sick of this whole thing. It doesn't make me feel fulfilled I guess.

It's like I am chasing money instead of creating something of REAL Value. And it definitely reflects in my $0 earnings since I started this thread 4ish months ago. Probably the most elaborate action faking I have ever done in my life.

This is why I want to spend some time to really find an audience with a difficult problem that I can solve using my programming skills.

I need results. At the very least ONE paying customer by the end of this year.

Well, see you next week.

I think most people think success is a relatively straight line, in reality it's like that famous Image on the internet, full of setbacks, peaks and valleys, frustrations and disappointments and progress.

Just like you, I had launched a progress thread and had been pretty much action faking the whole time. I didn't believe in my service and didn't think it would really benefit anyone as it is just another 'me too product'. Maybe you're feeling the same way?

Anyway, Since then, I've tried to really focus in on what I would want or what someone near me as expressed what would want. Essentially, focusing on solutions, not ways to make money.

Good work on finding out that you want to provide real value, you're moving in the right direction. Keep going.