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How To Use Facebook Ads For Your Kickstarter Video Game Pre-launch Campaign (2023)

Updated: May 21

Using Facebook ads to launch your Kickstarter video game is the most optimal and efficient way to reach new users who could be interested in your game.


A pre-launch campaign is an effective way to generate buzz, build awareness, and attract potential customers before your game is officially available. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use Facebook ads for your Kickstarter video game pre-launch campaign:



Step 1: Define Your Pre-launch Goals


What do you want to achieve? Before starting your campaign, you should set clear and specific objectives. Common pre-launch goals include building an email list, creating brand awareness, driving traffic to your website, or generating social media engagement. It is possible to achieve all of this without using a marketing budget or Facebook ads, but using ads will boost your visibility and the platform algorithms will help you find the right people in ways organic content can not.



Step 2: Create Engaging Content


You need to create eye-catching visuals and ad copy that highlights the unique value of your upcoming game. Your content should generate excitement and curiosity among your audience to want to know more and play your game.


Use videos and images of gameplay, mechanics and animations to draw in your crowd.



Step 3: Build a Landing Page or Kickstarter pre-launch page


By creating a dedicated landing page on your website that provides more information about your pre-launch offering, you can educate new audiences on your game. This page should capture leads, such as email addresses, and encourage visitors to express interest. Alternatively, you could use a Kickstarter pre-launch page to get audiences to pre-save your game so that when it goes live, they’ll get an email notification from Kickstarter.


A landing page will let you collect emails (or leads) so that you can build an email marketing campaign and communicate with your backers. But building a landing page and email marketing takes time to create and properly set up. A Kickstarter page is easy to set up, but you won’t benefit from building up your own audience.


Both offer pros and cons so have a look at your goals and see which one fits more around what you have available to you.



Kickstarter pre-launch. How to use Facebook ads for Kickstarter
EthrA Kickstarter Pre-Launch Page

Step 4: Set Up a Facebook Business Page


If you haven't already, create a Facebook Business Page for your game or development company. This will be the hub for your pre-launch campaign and where your ads will run from.



Step 5: Set up your Facebook Pixel


Install the Facebook Pixel on your website to track user interactions and gather valuable data for optimizing your ad campaign. First, in the main menu on the left, select 'Events Manger' and continue to set up your Pixel.


Kickstarter pre-launch. How to use Facebook ads for Kickstarter


Step 6: Find Your Target Audience


Write down your potential target audience's demographics, interests and behaviours. This information will help you craft audiences to target and ad content that resonates with your potential customers.


With a marketing budget, you can reach new users based on Facebook (Metas) Interest Targeting and define an audience that would suit your ideal customer (or backer).

For example, I could try to find an audience who lives in the US (Kickstarters biggest market), are interested in Kickstarter, like Role-playing games and have particular interests in Bloodborne, Diablo and The Witcher. This gave me a potential audience reach of 1.6 million people. Now, you aren't going to reach all of those (depending on your budget), but once Facebook starts optimising your ads, it will work harder to find the right people based on your results.



Kickstarter pre-launch. How to use Facebook ads for Kickstarter


Step 7: Set Up Ad Campaigns, build your audiences and create your ads.


Now we need to set up your campaigns. Go to Facebook Ads Manager and create your ad campaigns. Choose your Campaign objective based on your pre-launch goals (e.g., Traffic, Lead Generation, or Engagement).


How to run a Kickstarter pre-launch for your video game
Facebook campaign objectives

Once you’ve selected your campaign objective, you’ll then go on to create and build the Adset. The Adset lets you add your budget, build your audience, select placements and more (Look at step 6 for example). After that, you’ll then start building your ad.



How to run a Kickstarter pre-launch for your video game
Create your ad with an image or video, primary text, headline and call-to-action


Step 8: Implement A/B Testing and monitor your results


Test different ad creatives, copy, and targeting options to identify the most effective combinations. This data-driven approach will help you optimize your ad performance.

Regularly monitor your ad performance and adjust your strategy as needed. Pay attention to metrics such as click-through rates (this shows how interesting your ads are that new viewers will click through), conversion rates (how well your landing page converts from click to conversion), and cost per lead (the cost per email address).



Step 9: Launch your game


Finally, when the pre-launch period ends, be ready to launch your video game. Use the momentum generated during the campaign to drive sales and conversions to your Kickstarter page in the first 24 hours.


Your first 24-48 hours are your most important. Once you start building up traction with your community of backers from your pre-launch, you’ll build up your popularity ranking on Kickstarter. This can help you break through the noise of projects that launch on the same day as you and make you stand out to Kickstarter and the community.



And there we have it - 9 steps on how to kick things off for your pre-launch campaign using Facebook ads.




Now, it takes time to learn and figure out what you need to look into for optimal performance. It's not something that can come over a few weeks, but it's worth a try.


Running a campaign also requires activity outside of Facebook ads, such as influencer marketing, email marketing, organic social media and press.


If you're ready to really kick things off for your Kickstarter campaign, get in touch and we'll discuss what you need to create a successful Kickstarter campaign.






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