The Power of Games

Games are often used to sell and promote, but one of the most effective uses of games for internet marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to introduce their products and services to the world is to utilize them to delight.

In the pursuit of making a sale, there are a wide range of opportunities we take advantage of such as leveraging tools like e-mail, Facebook, Google, and keywords. But most of these involve us looking for the customer–rather than the customer looking for us. On the other hand, when you can manage to delight someone, they are more likely to become a fan and the great thing about a fan is that they take the time to learn more about who or what they are a fan of.

Online games and game apps can often be like pop-up cards. They are quick distractions that leap off the page or screen and add an immersive dimension to an otherwise predictable and flat environment. When someone opens a pop-up card they see something unfold and come to life in their hands. The more thoughtfully implemented a pop-up card is, the more likely it is to delight.

When games are utilized constructively they can have the same delightful effect. When that delight transforms the viewer into a fan, they will be more inclined to take the time to find out more about the one who did the delighting. Makes sense, right?

We’ve all seen this in action when brand names use mini-games to expand their brand awareness. You can probably think of a few of your favorite brands or characters and it’s more than likely you’ve played a few of their games online or bought their game apps. You might even go looking for their new offerings from time to time or stop and take a moment when you see the brand name.

Games are not something only big brand names can leverage and afford. There is a wide range of affordable resources for making games. Most of us take the time to invest time and money trying to find customers. A well-balanced marketing strategy includes putting time and investment into making fans who come looking for you and become eager customers.

Having profited wildly from the creation and sale of games, I know a couple things about them. In case you weren\’t aware of it, I was the co-creator of a site called ClassicGames.com, which was purchased by Yahoo! in 1998 and now goes by the name Yahoo! Games. Yes, this was my first 7-figure deal.

While the money I generated from that venture is long-gone, my favorite part lives on. You see, each person selects an avatar when they sit at a game table. And this little guy is actually patterned after yours truly.

I\’ve recently launched a new product designed to help you make money with games. It\’s called Game Power Profits, and it offers high quality, customizable games in all the standard genres for a tiny fraction of the cost you’ll find anywhere else on the Web. Included with the games are tutorials on leveraging outsourcing and affordable resources to customize the games, as well as tutorials on customizing the games yourself if you prefer.

Some of the more valuable videos in Game Power Profits demonstrate reskinning of well-known games and creatively transforming them into vehicles of momentary delightful distraction. These examples demonstrate how easy it can be to take something familiar and turn it into something that creates a devoted fan by leveraging a popular game dynamic and playfully infusing aspects of your brand’s name or value.

Of course, there are dozens of other ways to leverage games to generate revenue (and Game Power Profits teaches you how to tap into most of them), but using them as part of your strategy to build a growing fan base is is probably one of the smarter ways to milk the value of games.

One final tip–when you do add games to your marketing strategy, you’ll find that it’s actually pretty fun–and if it’s NOT fun…you’re probably not doing it right.

Check out Game Power Profits and discover how I\’ve made it simple for you to make money with games!