(Redirected from How do I get my projects to become popular?)
This is a guide on how a user can get more views and loves, as well as getting the user more well-known. Always remember, that popularity is not an important aspect of the Scratch community, and that learning to program, expressing creativeness, and helping others is more significant.
Advertising in Forums
The forums are a very good way of getting a Scratch user's projects well known. It has been estimated that 3.5% of active users (users who have posted at least 1 project or comment) have posted at least once on the forums,[1] amounting to about 700 forum posters.[outdated] Although it is far easier to get known there than in the Scratch Website,[citation needed] it is still only a small percentage. Some Scratchers create forum threads to advertise their projects, because they would like to give it a small boost in attention.
Show and Tell
- Main article: Show and Tell (forum)
The Show and Tell forum is a forum specifically for advertising projects and studios. The downside is that a lot of forum users do not view the forum.[2]
To start off, one needs a good title for the topic. A title that demands a user to view it and is written completely with caps lock and bad grammar can make people less likely to read the topic. Instead, make the title relevant to the project itself, and not too demanding. A good example of a title is, "Chattery, an advanced Chatbot." This title does not go too far and say that it is the best Chatbot ever, yet it is not bland. It also is a good example because it's short, captures the idea, and isn't taking the name too far.
Next comes the content of the post. One will need to give information about the project, such as what it is, what one does, and why people should play it (e.g. what makes it different to other projects of the same type). As in the title, this should be described in a modest, interesting way. A good example would be:
| “ | Please check out my new project, __________. It is a flight simulator. Unlike most flight simulators on Scratch, you can see what the plane sees and turn it up and down.
I'd like to hear some feedback on the following, so I will know what to improve on:
Thanks! |
” |
Here is a helpful checklist:
- Create an interesting title.
- Make it exciting for people.
- Do not make it too aggressive.
- Have good content.
- Use proper grammar and spelling.
- Include a link to the project, using the [url] BBCode tags.
- Have an image of the project.
- Give useful information about the project
- What it is about?
- Why it is different from others?
- Ask for feedback on specific points.
- Do not aggressively respond or take offense to negative feedback.
Signature
A more effective way of advertising a project is to do it in one's forum signature. As long as one is an active forum user (without spamming), then many scratchers will view it.
With signatures, the same basic things apply as with the forum topic advertisement. However having just text will make it rather bland, and people will be less likely to click on it.
Having a picture advertisement is a great way of getting people interested. There are many request topics for custom-made signatures/advertisements on the Scratch Forums. This should include a picture that represents the project in a fun way, and a catchy slogan always helps. One may also want to combine this to the forum topic in Show and Tell, and provide a link to the topic.
Here's a checklist of what helps:
- An image of the project
- Could be a screenshot, or just a cool design
- Presents the project in an exciting way
- Includes title
- Text (either within the image or not)
- Has a catchy slogan
- Uses good grammar
- Gives some idea of what the project is about
- Linked to the project
Followers
 Warning: | No matter how close you feel to someone on the Scratch website or any other website, never agree to meet up with them in person. |
Having a lot of followers helps getting the projects popular, as they see the project in the Projects by Scratchers I'm Following section on the Front Page. Scratchers will also see the project in Projects Loved by Scratchers I'm Following, so it helps to be followed by a well-known user (although you should never beg for followers, even if you have "less than normal").
Getting Friends
It is easier to make friends with someone who has similar interests as you. Offering nice and helpful comments is also a good way for making friends. Rather than leaving destructive critism, providing experienced and full comments with feedback about the project is advised.
Do not be afraid to ask a question about how a user did something. Most users are happy to help other Scratchers, and they usually will remember those they help.
Here's another checklist that could help with getting your projects more viewed:
- Present yourself well
- Be polite and kind
- Use proper grammar
- Do not be a "know-it-all" or argue with others about very small things because it's often not worth it
- Avoid political discussions because they can bring a ton of haters to you
- Leave helpful comments
- Show that you tried the project
- Offer constructive criticism
- If necessary, ask a question about it
- Give feedback what the creator could change/add
Your Projects
There are a number of things that one can do to one's projects that will help.
Adding relevant tags helps, because it will make the project more convenient to find in the search section. Also, spelling is important when you tag a project, because, for example, someone will more likely search with the keyword "computer" than "compyutr".
The quality of the project must be good. There are lots of tutorials on the Scratch Wiki that may help. You can also check out the starter projects, or "see inside" other people's projects. It is not advised to slap together projects simply to gain popularity, but to rise to the challenge. People would rather view a project with thought put into it, than a project that one could make within five minutes. Remember, quality is more appreciated over quantity when it comes to making projects. Also note that it is against the community guidelines to copy someone else's project and not give any credit to them.
Making the project look nice in its thumbnail is important, as it is one of the first things that comes up when a Scratcher sees your project. You can make a thumbnail in the Scratch editor or in an external image editing program, or just keep a good part of the game on when saving your project. People are more likely to view a project that has a picture of an exciting looking title screen on it, than a project that just says "Game Over" in its thumbnail, as most thumbnails tend to do since Scratchers often play the game through right before uploading. If your project draws or renders something, make sure it is fully rendered before you upload it.
Make sure the project notes and instructions are interesting and worth reading. Putting useless and irrelevant information such as "I love ponies" will annoy viewers. Adding information on your inspiration, who helped you, and how it works will instantly improve the look of your project. Good and comprehensive instructions are necessary. Some users have found that not using the instructions panel (which removes it from view of other users) clears up the interface and encourages more people to read the notes, therefore adding more ease of use to the project.
If your project uses complex programming ideas or mathematical concepts, it is useful to write a short tutorial or explanation and post it on the forums or the project notes. This also helps other Scratchers learn. You can also explain it inside the project by using comments, the yellow rectangles that can be attached to blocks by clicking them.
Some curators also accept requests or suggestions, so it is a great way to get exposure. However, some curators take offense by requests or have plans laid, so one must be respectful to the curator they are suggesting their project to.
Before releasing your project, you can upload a teaser or trailer. A teaser is a demo version of the project. A trailer is an advertisement for it. These help generate suspense and a bit more excitement for the release of your new project and can trigger more constructive criticism.
Typically, teasers and trailers lead up to big projects. If your final project is not considerably larger than your teaser or trailer, users may feel ripped off or disappointed, causing a decrease in loves and overall attention.
Remixing
|
This article or section needs additional citations for verification. Its information may not be accurate. Editors can help by adding references. (September 2024) |
One way to gain attention for projects is to remix popular projects, as they show up on the list of remixes of the original project. However, one should not remix projects and change it to an unrelated one just to gain popularity; it is better to start fresh with a new project in that scenario.[3]
Other
Here is a list of other things you can do:
Studios
Make sure there is a genuine reason for putting the project in the studio, and that it fits in with the studio's theme. Do not be too aggressive when asking if your project can be put in. Provide information about why it should be added. A good example of a studio is the Scratch Design Studio, because the project will appear on the Front Page. But, the Scratch Design Studio row only shows a random 20 projects from the studio, so your project won't show up every time. If you want to find your project in that row, then you can refresh your page until it shows up in the row. As the Scratch Design Studio theme gets older your project may get viewed less though because there will be lots of new projects also being shown.
In addition, you can add your project to an Add Everything studio, which welcomes all projects and encourages any project to be added. It is not recommended to add your project to unrelated studios.
Collaborate
- Main article: Collaboration (group)
Joining a collaboration is a great way to get well known (although your individual projects are less likely to become famous). However, please note that the best companies are often ones of the highest standard, so whatever skills you have to offer will have to be good enough.
Different types of collaborations:
- MAPs- a MAP stands for a Multiple Animator Project, where several Scratchers work on one animation project.
- MSPs- an MSP stands for a Multiple Scratcher Project, where multiple Scratcher put their talents together (singing, animating, playing an instrument) to create a Multiple Scratcher Project.
- Collaboration/Collab- this is when two Scratchers agree to make a project together. There are various ways to collaborate, such as remixing, or creating an alternate account purposely for the collaboration assets. The account should only be accessed by one user due to safety reasons. The final result of a collaboration will typically be shared on both accounts.
Give Positive Feedback
Giving positive feedback on recently shared projects or lesser known projects is a nice way to gain popularity, or build up your reputation on Scratch. Many Scratchers after receiving feedback may check out your profile, or leave a follow.
