Skip to main content

Writing Better Talking Points

Talking points should do more than tell creators what your game is.

Creators can usually figure out the basics — genre, player count, features, release date — from your store page. What they need from you is the interesting context they might not discover on their own and ideas that could inspire great content.

The best talking points give creators something to work with without telling them exactly what to make.

Don't just repeat your Steam page​

One of the most common mistakes we see is using talking points as another feature list.

For example:

  • 1–4 player co-op roguelike
  • Over 100 items to discover
  • Multiple playable characters
  • Procedurally generated levels

There's nothing necessarily wrong with that information — it just doesn't give a creator much to work with.

They can probably learn all of it within a few seconds of looking at your store page.

Instead, ask yourself:

What do we know about this game that could give a creator an interesting video idea?

That's where talking points become useful.

Give creators angles, not just features​

A feature can absolutely make a good talking point — if you explain why it's interesting.

Instead of:

Unique voice-controlled spellcasting system

you might tell creators:

You actually cast spells using your microphone — saying the spell incorrectly can completely change what happens.

The second version immediately starts generating ideas.

A creator could showcase the mechanic, intentionally pronounce spells incorrectly, capture their friends trying it, explain how it works, or simply use it as the hook for introducing the game.

You're not prescribing any of those videos.

You're giving creators raw material from which they can find their own angle.

Tell creators what they wouldn't otherwise know​

Some of the best talking points have nothing to do with gameplay.

Interesting context around the developer, game's creation, community, reception, or development story can be just as valuable.

For example:

This game was made by just eight developers in France.

or:

The developer sold their car to help fund development because making this game had been their dream.

or even:

The developers are based in Iceland, where frogs don't naturally exist. The developer had been fascinated by frogs since childhood, which eventually inspired them to make an entire game about them.

None of these are traditional game features.

But each one could be the opening sentence of a video.

In one Jestr campaign, a creator used that last story to open their video with:

Did you know there are no frogs in Iceland?

The resulting video generated more than 1 million views.

That's what great talking points can unlock.

Social proof can be a talking point too​

Creators don't necessarily know everything that's happened around your game.

If something noteworthy has happened, tell them.

That could include:

  • A major sales milestone
  • An unusually strong review score
  • A successful demo or playtest
  • A ranking during Steam Next Fest
  • An award or nomination
  • A community milestone
  • A recent viral moment
  • A surprising development milestone

For example:

More than 500,000 copies sold in the first week.

or:

The demo reached 99% positive reviews from more than 6,000 players.

or:

One of the most-played demos during Steam Next Fest — built by a team of only eight people.

These give creators credibility hooks they can use to explain why their audience should pay attention.

Think in potential video directions​

Another way to approach talking points is to stop thinking about facts you want mentioned and start thinking about videos you'd be excited to see creators make.

For a gameplay campaign, that might include:

  • Interesting builds or combinations
  • Tier lists
  • Guides for difficult bosses or levels
  • Beginner tips
  • Funny gameplay moments
  • Challenges
  • Unexpected mechanics
  • Hidden details
  • Comparisons or recommendations
  • Interesting developer stories
  • Recent milestones or community reactions

For example, instead of simply telling creators:

There are 25 spells.

you could give them:

What happens when you combine different elements? There are a ton of unusual spell combinations worth experimenting with.

Or:

Some combinations can create completely broken builds — we'd love to see what creators manage to discover.

The information is still accurate, but now it suggests possibilities for content.

Suggestions should feel like suggestions​

Talking points aren't Campaign Guidelines.

Creators should be able to look through them, find the ideas relevant to their content style, and ignore the rest.

We like framing them accordingly:

Here are some topics and angles we'd love to see covered if they fit your content:

  • The game was built by a team of only eight developers.
  • Experiment with different spell combinations and broken builds.
  • Weapon, spell, or item tier lists.
  • Guides for difficult levels, bosses, or mechanics.
  • Funny gameplay moments with friends.
  • The game just passed 500,000 copies sold.
  • It's approachable solo, but completely changes when playing with friends.

Notice that these don't tell the creator what their hook should be, what opinion they should have, or exactly what they need to say.

They're starting points, and that's what makes them so great.

Don't write the creator's video for them​

There's a point where a detailed talking point becomes a script.

For example:

HOOK: AAA studios need 500 developers to make this. Ten guys made something better. Tell viewers AAA gaming is DEAD and ask them to argue with you in the comments.

That's no longer giving the creator useful information. It's prescribing the content, opinion, and delivery.

Even when you have a great potential hook in mind, it's usually better to give creators the underlying information and let them decide how to use it.

Creators understand their own audiences, personalities, and formats better than you do.

Give them the ammunition. Let them decide how to fire it.

Quality matters more than quantity​

You don't need an enormous list of talking points.

Creators are unlikely to carefully study several pages of suggestions before deciding what to make.

Prioritize the information with the greatest potential to inspire content.

A useful test is to look at every talking point and ask:

Could I imagine someone building a video around this?

If the answer is no, consider whether it actually needs to be there.

Five genuinely interesting angles can be considerably more useful than twenty generic features.

Keep your talking points current​

Talking points don't have to stay the same throughout your game's lifecycle.

In fact, some of the best talking points only become available after people start playing your game.

Before launch, you might focus on:

  • The development story
  • Interesting mechanics
  • Demo reception
  • Developer background

After launch, entirely new angles may emerge:

  • Sales milestones
  • Community discoveries
  • Popular builds
  • Difficult bosses
  • Player-created strategies
  • Viral moments
  • Reviews and reception
  • Updates or upcoming events

If something interesting happens while your campaign is running, you can update your talking points to give creators fresh ideas.

For particularly important updates, you can also use Creator Announcements to let participating creators know what's changed.

Give each campaign something new to say​

This is also worth considering when running multiple campaigns for the same game.

Ideally, each new campaign gives creators something new to talk about.

That might be:

  • A new announcement or release date
  • A playtest or demo becoming available
  • New gameplay or footage
  • A major update or new feature
  • A launch or Early Access release
  • A sales or player milestone
  • A community discovery or emerging trend
  • An event, showcase, or sale
  • A meaningful new story around the game or its development

If you're running another campaign but there's no new talking points, no new footage, and no meaningful new beat, creators may struggle to find a reason to cover the game again.

At best, they may end up repeating the same angles they used previously. At worst, creators who have already covered the game may simply skip the campaign until there's something new worth talking about.

This doesn't mean every campaign needs a major announcement. Even a new gameplay angle, community milestone, or interesting piece of context can give creators fresh material.

But before running another campaign, it's worth asking:

What's new for creators to talk about this time?

If there isn't a good answer yet, it may be better to wait until there is.

For more guidance on choosing meaningful campaign beats throughout your game's lifecycle, see When to Run Jestr Campaigns.

Talking points vs. Campaign Guidelines​

The distinction is simple:

Talking Points → things creators could talk about

Campaign Guidelines → things creators must follow

If you need every creator to do something, don't bury it inside your talking points.

Likewise, don't turn an optional idea into a guideline simply because you'd like creators to mention it.

For more information, see Campaign Guidelines.

Give creators something they can run with​

Good talking points don't need to dictate the final video.

They just need to make the creator think:

"Oh, I could make something out of that."

Give creators the interesting mechanics, stories, milestones, context, and ideas that aren't immediately obvious from looking at your store page.

Then give them the freedom to turn those ingredients into something that fits their content.

Next step: Building Great Asset Packs​

Talking points give creators ideas for what they could make.

The next step is giving them the footage and resources they need to actually make it.

Continue to Building Great Asset Packs for recommendations on putting together useful creator assets without overwhelming them.