3 Quick Tips to Make Your Creative Map Standout!
Every Friday you have the chance to submit your map for a chance to be featured on FCHQ! But how do you make your map standout from the rest? We already went over 3 Quick Tips to Make Your Feature Friday Submission Better, now let's focus on how to make your map stand out!
Submitting Unique Content That Stands On Its Own Is The Best Way To Stand Out!
#1. Create Something Unique
You listen to your favorite artist because they are unlike the others. Even watch your favorite animation series because the story is very unique. Standing out means you have to create something that stands on its own and can't be compared to others. Maybe the game structure or mechanics is something entirely new, or maybe your story is something that you have created that is intriguing enough to captivate your players to keep them coming back for more. Sadly, we see a lot of copying in Fortnite Creative. And even though it could be understandable as to why the creators are doing this, you should always try your best not to fall in line. Copying another creative work is never a good thing. And when that is done, it weakens the creative pool.It is better to be unique, because that has more benefits! For example, when you make something that is so unique it stands on its own, I can guarantee that it would be harder to copy without it being bluntly obvious. Plus, it is easier to create a series and games modes upon your own unique idea without having to rely on taking from another creator's idea. And lastly, you will create a name for yourself, something that you will be known for. Which is the most important thing of all!
#2. Your Marketing
As stated in 3 Quick Tips to Make Your Feature Friday Submission Better, having a great thumbnail and trailer can make wonders. And having that paired with marketing could make it even more effective. If you are a new creator, getting your mind around marketing can take some time. In fact creating a map takes up so much time that when it comes to final production and release, your marketing is left in the dust because you have already started on your new project. To help with this, what you need to do is try to develop a map marketing plan. And you can do this by doing these simple things:
Make a Schedule
Twitter allows you to schedule your posts far in advance. When you are about to launch a map, start to post hints about its release, you can do this by posting photos of the project, or a video showing exciting key moments of the gameplay. You can even be creative and do a photo reveal, one square at a time, the nearer it approaches the time of the release of the map. Post that weekly revealing a little bit of the map at time. Be sure to use the right hashtags to expand your reach! A few good ones to use is #FCHQ, #madeinFortnite and #fortnitecreative! There are so many things you can do with this so don't be afraid to try out new things!
Promote
Promote in community forums and social sites that allow you to post info about your map and/or trailers. These can be sources like Reddit, Facebook and Discord. Join communities that focuses on the Fortnite Creative genre and start to network and connect. Be careful not to spam, and just post according to the guidelines of those communities. Doing it this way will not generate interest overnight, but with consistency, you will see progress! If you are looking for a place to promote your map once per day, don't forget about the FCHQ Subreddit! There will also be a clip contest that you can use as a part of your marketing plan for your map! Something to think about!
Get on Lists/Blogs
This is probably the most challenging, but it is possible! Getting your map mentioned in a blog can give you some good SEO and backlinks to your map page. If your map makes a list like Top 5 Popular maps, or the most amazing maps in discovery - a topic coming to the FCHQ blog soon, are great to have on your achievement list as a creator and a great way to market your map. If you are going through some blogs, sometimes you are able to reach out to the writers directly. And if they state you can, then prepare a pitch about your map and creative career and send them a message. They will reach back out to you if interested. Be respectful and do not spam them for the best response. You can even reach out to me if you have a map that you are promoting and would like an article and interview about it!
#3. Quality Over Quantity
Mass producing maps can make the quality of your maps suffer. It is important to think of quality of quantity, especially if you are planning to make a map portfolio that performs well over a long span of time. Your map will stand out due to the amount of care you have placed into the project. When making your map, take the time to devise a design theme, select galleries that work well with that theme, and think of a game structure. Make sure your map is fully tested before launch and between Epic updates.
And that's it! I hope these tips will help you create a way for you to make your maps stand out!
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Happy Creating!