Their Ignorance is Your Bliss

Video gamers or just plain "gamers", as they like to be called, are extremely gullible. I'm not just talking shiitake either.

Observations

I've had opportunities to observe gamers more times than I care to remember, dating all the way back to 1996. Of all the gamers, the online gamers are the most gullible. When they're not playing online video games, they're searching for things to make their online gaming experiences better. These things include add-ons, special tools and game cheat codes.

When the online gamer gets to a page that has a lot of eye candy, especially if that eye candy includes image ads, they tend to click on that eye candy. I've seen it happen over and over again with people who worked for me, relatives in the US, relatives in the Philippines, Internet cafes in the Philippines and even by observing my own son.

Gaming Niches

As HMTKSteve of Ramblings from the Marginalized can tell you, advertising to gamers can be extremely lucrative if you know what keywords to target.

My personal observations lead me to believe that image ads are very effective for attracting clicks from gamers while text ads do very poorly. That's probably not true of all gaming platforms or all methods of accessing the Internet, but it's certainly true with standard home computers and specific game machines.

In my opinion, if you're looking to target a specific demographic which crosses age and race barriers, I'd recommend you go after the gamers.

Their Ignorance is Truly Your Bliss

I've been doing some research and I know what I'm talking about. Gamers, as a whole, are ignorant as to what image ads really are. They may be tech-savvy, but that "savviness" is limited to the gaming world for the most part.

My research indicates that while advertisers don't pay a whole lot per click, there's a whole lot of clicking going on.

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Pingback: Ramblings from the Marginalized » One of the Secrets to my Online Success on 2008-06-04 at 4:33 am

[...] Cunningham from Untwisted Vortex had a post today about the gullibility of gamers in regards to online advertising. He points out how it is his belief than visual ads are far more likely to generate revenue than [...]

Frank C on 2008-06-04 at 1:34 am (Reply)

This is quite true RT. I particularly like the part where you said, "They may be tech-savvy, but that "savviness" is limited". I find this true in the software development world too where people in their 20's are often given a free ride because they're suppose to be tech-savvy unlike those of us with a few gray hairs.

Frank C’s last blog post… AB Rocket Abdominal Trainer Review

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-06-04 at 2:24 am (Reply)

I'm glad you said it, Frank. I had people who worked for me in 1999 and 2000 that were supposed to be tech-savvy and weren't. These were computer science degree holders.

HMTKSteve on 2008-06-04 at 3:46 am (Reply)

This is so very true. If you can post some "eye candy" ads in a post about video games it will have a very high CTR.

I was writing more in the comments but I felt the need to erase the comments lest I give away my secret. I think I told you about the "secret" in the past RT, didn't I?

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-06-05 at 1:00 pm (Reply)

Yep, and you posted about it just recently.

Tom from Lutron Dimmers on 2008-06-04 at 4:03 am (Reply)

It makes sense. Every active gamer I know is soooo into their gaming. Its all they talk about. What a great niche to go after.

Greg from Make Money Online on 2008-06-04 at 8:51 am (Reply)

Getting well liked and respected in the Gaming Niches is the key to being the best.

Land Projects UK on 2008-06-04 at 10:26 am (Reply)

You are right, they maybe that their "savviness" is limited to only one aspect like gaming alone. I also agree that gamers are not aware of the ads, they are just after the game.
Land Projects UK’s last blog post… Is Commercial Property Investment A Good Choice?

lissie from news,views,fuel alternatives on 2008-06-04 at 10:59 pm (Reply)

One of the things that just fascinates me about internet marketing is the wide variety of niches available - it seems never -ending what you can focus on - gaming isn't really my thing though - the last time I playing space invaders was cool!

lissie’s last blog post… Water Powered Cars

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-06-05 at 1:02 pm (Reply)

Heh… that's about the last time I was in an arcade. I have some old classics on my PC now, but I rarely play them.

Michael Kwan from Freelance Writing Services on 2008-06-05 at 5:32 pm (Reply)

As a "gamer" myself, I'm mildly offended by this post. I don't feel that "gamers" are any more or less ignorant than people who are enthusiastic about other things. I also disagree when you say that the their tech "savviness" is limited only to the realm of gaming. Many of the best PC gamers, for example, know way too much about computer hardware, whereas video game bloggers can be very savvy about blogging and site monetization.

I personally find most image ads, especially animated Flash banners, to be terribly annoying. I never click on them, regardless of what "eye candy" is being displayed.

RT Cunningham | Untwisted Vortex | Philippines on 2008-06-05 at 5:37 pm (Reply)

Well, Michael, you're the exception and not the rule. You're savvy enough to run your own blog. Most gamers are not. I wouldn't say it if I hadn't observed it happening over and over again.

Computer savvy PC gamers are not always web savvy. However, the majority of "gamers" that are gullible are game machine users who get on the Internet looking for something to enhance their gaming experience. PC gamers, as I observed, tend to stay clustered in their groups, even on the web.

Tim from Playstation Game Cheats on 2008-06-20 at 1:08 pm (Reply)

I can't comment on all age groups of gamers, or gamers in different parts of the world. However, I have a teenage son, and I have observed him and his friends. They know a lot about specific games, how to play them, when the upgrades and cheats become available, and the release dates of Final Fantasy 40, Guitar Hero or Rockband. They know how to install them on a computer and how to spend hours talking about every aspect. They are very savvy gamers.
They don't know $hit about computers, blogs, or advertising that affects them. They don't know how games are made, how to come up with a storyline for a game, how to put a video online, how to sell something on ebay, how to fix a home networking problem, or how to get a job to make money for their gaming habit. They are indeed ignorant, and don't have the motivation. And their parents spend lots of money on games to keep them happy, so there is definitely money changing hands.
Of course, there are always exceptions. My son does plan to go into computer engineering. When he gets into college he won't have even uploaded a single video or photo to share with friends. All his brainpower goes into Guitar Hero.

Bruce from New Zealand investment property on 2008-06-24 at 6:34 pm (Reply)

I think it would be fair to say that "getting well liked in ANY niche (let alone the gaming ones) is the key to online marketing success.

I personally specialize in the rent guaranteed property market / New Zealand investment property market, and have seen the merits of becoming well-liked through blogging and podcasting on the topic for years.

Tim from Playstation Game Cheats on 2008-06-24 at 10:23 pm (Reply)

It depends on what your goals are. Being well liked and respected is great if you want to have conversations with gamers, share tips and have a big forum for advice, etc. To make money, you don't need to be friends with everyone.
I happen to know that a lot of us aren't 'friends' with Google, yet we still get a lot of search traffic from the big G. Maybe G respects us?!?

An American Living in the Philippines

Their Ignorance is Your Bliss