How to Use Steam Broadcasting to Sell More Games

Getting someone onto your Steam Store page is one thing. Convincing them to buy your game is another!

I've always thought game marketing has a problem here. Developers spend enormous amounts of time trying to attract visitors, but sometimes overlook what happens when people actually arrive.

Personally, I think a good gameplay broadcast is one of the simplest ways to help explain a game to a potential buyer.

Show me the actual game

We've all seen trailers with dramatic music, rapid cuts and beautiful cinematics. They look fantastic. But what am I actually buying?

If I'm considering a game, I want to see how it works. What's the combat like? Is the interface easy to understand? What do you do for most of the game?

A Steam broadcast can answer some of those questions. It won't guarantee a sale, but it can help a player decide whether the game is something they'd enjoy. I'd argue that's exactly what good marketing should do.

Streaming during Steam sales

This is an obvious opportunity. Steam regularly runs big seasonal sales and genre-specific events, and those are periods when players are actively looking for games.

If my game were discounted, I'd want visitors to have an opportunity to see it in action. I'd prepare footage that highlights the strongest parts of the game and any worthwhile updates.

You have 10-15 seconds to capture the attention of the player - so make it interesting, so for a game that's already available, I'd show:

• Interesting gameplay rather than a sequence of menus.
• New levels, features or content from recent updates.
• Several environments, characters or game modes.
• What the game is like after the opening section.

I wouldn't turn the whole thing into a repetitive advert. I'd let the game do most of the selling.

Use Steam events properly

Some Steam events offer additional broadcasting opportunities. That's potentially valuable because your audience doesn't have to be limited to visitors already on your individual store page.

But events have different requirements and schedules. I would always check the details for the specific event, set up the broadcast early, and test everything before the promotion starts.

Why I'd prefer continuous broadcasting for gameplay showcases

A developer Q&A or an interactive live session is one thing. For that, OBS makes perfect sense.

But if all I want is to make gameplay available throughout a sale, I don't want to leave a computer running or ask someone to keep an eye on it around the clock.

That's where BroadcastLoop comes in. I built it to deliver gameplay video to Steam from our cloud servers. Upload the footage, connect the Steam broadcast, and start the stream. Your local PC and office internet connection aren't carrying the continuous broadcast.

Don't mistake correlation for sales

If you run a broadcast during a discount and sales increase, which caused it? The discount? The broadcast? A newsletter? All three?

I wouldn't make exaggerated claims. I'd look at sales data, store traffic and broadcast viewership across comparable periods, and I'd note what else was happening.

The goal is to see whether the broadcast improves the way you promote your specific game, not to find a magic marketing button.

What I'd do first

I'd choose one meaningful promotional event, prepare a strong gameplay video, and run a properly tested stream. Afterward I'd study the numbers and adjust the video for next time.

I've written a separate guide on the best time to stream on Steam and another on setting up your Steam broadcast.

If you don't want to run OBS continuously, BroadcastLoop offers a free 24-hour trial to test the setup.