Fortnite marketing is paving the way for the gaming industry.  

With over 25 million players in just a little over two years in the gaming industry, Fortnite’s marketing is truly disruptive.  

Fortnite is an online game with over 60 million downloads since 2017.  It’s caught the attention of all generations from the Z kids, millennials, and hipster gen X-er moms and dads.

Fortnite marketing is breaking the traditional mold of the gaming industry.  Employing a fan-led and cultural approach is setting them apart from a competitive industry of mega brands.

Where traditional gaming advertisements are similar to the movie industry, Fortnite steers clearly away from stingers, teaser, and trailers.  Fortnite heavily plays on social media platforms with video content filled with fails, bloopers, and other non-game related scenes.  They go against the grain in all traditional marketing aspects in their industry.  

Here are the top 5 Fortnite marketing strategies to add to your small business marketing plan.

1. Freemium

Conversely, one of the biggest reason for the game’s widespread acceptance is its lack of barrier to entry. Whereas most video games require a one-time purchase, Fortnite took the smartphone app approach to monetization.  Fortnite makes the game completely free to play. After growing your audience you can truly cash in on premium services as Fortnite did. The brand chose monetization exclusively through micro-transactions of in-app purchases.  Offer your audience free pdf’s, e-books, checklists, guides, or masterclasses as a way to collect their personal data and develop a relationship through multiple touchpoints. Then after they have become loyal followers of your brand and its products and services you can cash in with premium services.

And if that isn’t all, there’s the FOMO.  Fear of missing out is a great marketing tactic that helps your small business gain visibility.  It’s Fortnite’s main tactic for raking in the big bucks. Fortnite sets items in the shop on rotation so that only two or so of the main skins, dances, pickaxes and so forth are available at any given time.  Therefore, players are more inclined to make impulse purchases as they don’t know when they’ll have a chance to buy the item again.

2. Grow Your Tribe

How do you grow a community?  That’s every marketer’s question in an ever-changing landscape. In the early stages, Fortnite collected emails and other data for each player in exchange for free access.  As they gained followers they were able to use their brand influence to cash in.  Acquire the volume of followers your business needs in order to collect revenue.  Without a loyal base of followers, you can not monetize your brands.  Many marketers believe that creating a brand produces more revenue.  However,  in my experience, a not so well branded business with a slew of loyal advocates can milk the cash cow much more than brands with a beautiful identity.  Look at what Fortnite did.  They were not perfect starting off but they new they were out to build a community with culture.

3. Adapt & Change

In the beginning, Fortnite didn’t really have a story.  As the game evolves, Fornite is hiding clues and its story in environmental cues and rare in world events.  You don’t have to be perfect off the bat. This is the main lesson in business strategy that Fortnite teaches small business owners.  You may not have all the marketing strategy laid out for your business but as it grows you should develop your strategy further. A well-developed marketing strategy is not always set in stone it’s ever-changing.  

As consumer tastes change and the competitive landscape it’s not important to have a detailed marketing plan.  However, what is important is to start one and learn how Fortnite added new features, changes, and design elements to their business as the game grew in popularity.

4. Inspiration

Inspiration, not duplication.  What I’ve always said. In an industry where big brands dominated the gaming industry such as Nintendo, PlayStation, and others, Fortnite found a way to make it big on their own.  Although, there isn’t much difference a gaming platform is just another gaming platform. Fortnite offers its products for free when everyone else charges for them upfront. As aforementioned a free service to gain loyal followers is a key strategic marketing move.  Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Analyze what everyone else is doing the same. Then fill the gap that is left. This will help you stand out in a crowded market.

5. Engagement

Engagement drives awareness of your brand.  Strive for adding an engagement strategy to your marketing.  Fortnite cares for its super fans. These superfans are activists in the community of players.  They are seen as legitimate authority figures. Fortnite gives special attention to streamers and superfans as they know the games secrets and most powerful moves.  Having true fans who are experts of your brand services and products establishes trust in the community and loyalty.

If you build it they will come.  Your superfans will come but only if you get to know your tribe first.  Who are they? What do they do for a living, on a day to day, in their personal time?  How do they use your products and services? Why are they using your products and services as opposed to the competition?  

How will you use these Fortnite marketing strategies in your business?  

Consider analyzing what are the current trends and do the complete opposite.  Pave the way for your business in an industry that may have players who all look, feel, and act alike.  Different is attractive. There is plenty of room to be different in a crowded room. How will you stand out? Comment below.