Post, Tweet, Repeat: Facebook or Twitter?

Dear Developers,

So you've got a Facebook, and maybe a Twitter. Excellent. You're on the right track. These social media networks have two remarkably similar features. Facebook's "Status Update" and Twitter's "Tweet" seem to perform the same basic functions by updating your friends or followers. However, these similar services should be used in different ways. The Facebook audience and Twitter audience want to hear different things at different time.


When to go with Facebook
Facebook's friending process creates an entirely different relationship structure. Due to the this, Facebook status updates are "undirected" and meant to be conversation pieces. Use Facebook when you would like your fans to interact. By commenting on the update, your friends/fans can interact with each other based on the content you supply. Once such example is Newegg.com. Their status update, "What do you like most about Windows 7? Has it met or exceeded your expectations? Do you think it is the best OS Microsoft has released to date?" received 306 comments. The fans were able to interact with the community and with Newegg.com. Game developers could ask fans about features they like, or things they dislike in beta releases. Sparking conversation about a change in the company or game development is perfect content for Facebook.


Use Twitter When
Use Twitter when you have a piece of information you would like to disseminate through your follows. When you would like to used your followers as word-of-mouth supporters, Twitter is the ideal platform for your update. The nature of the Twitter's relationship is one-sided, making it more suitable for the dissemination of information, instead of a conversational platform. It would be ideal for releases of updates, such as the announcement of a beta, instead of asking for feedback. Interesting industry related news is also a good subject to send as an update. IndieGames.com uses this model, updating the indie gaming community on related news. It has the possibility of being retweeted and spreading.

It comes down to the communication type. Conversation? Facebook. Spreading the word? Twitter.

The right message has to be spread over the right network through the right service. Your Facebook friends won't want to listen to your Twitter news, and vice versa.

Spreading the Infection of Left 4 Dead 2 via Social Media

The infection spreads to the south this November 17th with Valve's release of Left 4 Dead 2. The game has been surrounded by all sorts of interesting coverage, with the boycotting of the game itself to the controversy of its southern setting and stereotyping. With a 25 million dollar budget to promote this one game, I'm sure you'll be seeing Left 4 Dead 2 just about everywhere. But what if they didn't have that huge budget? How could have Valve promoted this title with social media?

Blogging is one of the first, most straight forward examples. Valve only need to look to themselves to see this approach in action. The Team Fortress 2 blog run by Valve is the go to source for Team Fortress information and updates. It certainly solidifies the brand's style and humor. Left 4 Dead 2, if anything like it's predecessor, will have strong characters with their own humor and voice. This makes terrific content for a blog to be updated with. Updating in the voice of a character is something that has been done on the Team Fortress blog, the the Left 4 Dead cast certainly has a stronger, more developed voice, and a compelling, exciting story to tell. Using the blog as a sort of journal for the new characters as they experience the zombie apocalypse would have been a great way to build excitement, drop development hints, and introduce players to these new characters.



To move outside of Valve's territory, the title Professor Layton's Diabolical Box for the Nintendo DS used their website in a successful way to launch a contest that could have benefited from Twitter. Nintendo launched the contest on the website, announcing the the character, Professor Layton, would be visiting several US cities. If found, participants could solve a puzzle to be entered to win a Nintendo DSi and a copy of the game. The website was used to issue clues to his whereabouts. Twitter could have been used to sent these clues, and possibly give more exposure to the contest, and more exposure to the game itself.

With the popularity of flash-mobs, and anything zombie related, Left 4 Dead 2 could have used a Twitter account to launch a flash-mob or contest in major cities, promoting the game. Updates coming from game characters could have been used to "sight" the zombie invasion, giving clues to where to convene for the contest or flash-mob. The recently launched Zombie Land benefited from flash-mobs like these that I personally witnessed at Boston's College Fest at the Hynes Convention Center.


These social media options certainly would not require a 25 million dollar budget, and inject a little more excitement into the game's launch than just a sea of billboards.

What's Next? Blogging

If you're looking for tips and a source of social media news, B.L. Ochman's What's Next Blog will satisfy. She's been doing it for years, though I just discovered it, and she has great insights and tips for social media, and even hints on how to reach out to bloggers like herself (I'm guessing as a response to the piles of poorly written pitches she likely gets). Over all, there is something to be learned at the What's Next Blog.

She's unapoligetically herself, and I love it. Ochman not only lets her personal opinions be heard, as in her boycott of Nike as a response to their handling of Michael Vick's endorsment, but has a personal style and flair that keeps her entries interesting. The style she wrote the article I meantioned above, B.L. Ochman's Blogger Outreach Manifesto, is not only helpful, but a fun read with the "thee" and "thou" style she chose. Dry, bland articles need not apply.

The archives of the blog are broken up by category, which makes a fantastic tool for someone looking for, say, social media entries. Though, as with anyone, I've found a handful of things I disagree with, such as her 10 Reasons Why Your Company Should Not Tweet entry [edit: this went right over my head! It's spot on. Evidence that I'm not getting enough coffee in my diet], the What Next Blog is going into my bookmarks. After all, it's boring only listening to people who agree with you. You miss the whole picture.

So, let's say you're reaching out to someone like B.L. Ochman. How do you do it? Well, I'd be damn well sure that I'd follow her "Outreach Manifesto." Her first piece of advice, "Readith what we write" follows the same line of thinking with any and all social media. The first email you send is the beginning of a relationship, and it's up to you to get it off on the right foot. It boils down to being transparent, exciting, and relavent. If you can provide those qualities, you're on the right track.

It wouldn't hurt to know she loves dogs as well.

Braid and 2D Boy Blog Beyond "just blogging"

How many people haven't had, or at least thought, about having a blog? It seems like everyone has given blogging a try, but are they getting anything done with them? As an indie developer, you need to have the best content as possible to bring people in to read your site. The truth may hurt, but an independent studio certainly wont draw the regular attention the big guys are getting. So how do you make a blog a worthwhile venture? How do you use it?

Two developers who have done well with their company blogs are 2D Boy and Jonathan Blow, developer of critically acclaimed Braid. They've not only used them for basic updates and news, but have actually been able to create brand value.



Braid developer Jonathan Blow turned the "Braid Blog" into a complete independent gaming source. He organized an independent gaming mailing list in addition to in-depth reporting of independent gaming news, making his blog an inside source for independent gaming news.

Blow reported that the controversial independent game Super Columbine Massacre RPG had been dropped from the Slamdance independent gaming competition, and Blow's withdrawal of Braid drew attention. Though he did not support the game, nor believe the reasoning of the developer was sincere, he didn't believe that removing it from the competition was a smart "direction" to go in either. Other independent developers followed, and withdrew as well, giving Braid plenty of free publicity. He took and chance and showed his values, and the community and fans responded.


2D Boy used their blog to report on other independent games and gaming news in addition to reporting World of Goo's progress. The developers were also able to keep their studio in the spotlight through the use of their blog by creating content to deliver to the indie community.

Robust features such as the "How to Make a Game in 48 Hours" keynote and the art series “The World of Goo Wasn't Built in a Day” gave reasons to return to 2D Boy's blog, even while they had no new games in development. They also showed their commitment to the community by providing advice to asipring developers on their blog, putting their stuio in a favorable light.

In both blogs the developers showed their company values through the content and causes they took on. They were "laser focused" in their gaming related content andwent beyond general development and product news and gave support to their consumers and their industry.