Symptoms:
- I am would like my asset to be part of a sale or deal on the Asset Store.
- I wish to apply for an Asset Store sale.
- I want to get my asset included in an upcoming sale.
- I would like more users to see what my asset has to offer them by promoting it in a sale.
- I would like to know how to increase my chances of being accepted as part of an Asset Store sale.
Cause:
The Unity Asset Store runs several sales throughout the year. Sales come in various forms, including multiple asset types and varieties, such as length, discount, theme etc.
Assets are invited on a per-sale basis. While criteria may be different for each sale, and the overall selection process may change, there are basic guidelines that, in general, will increase the chance that any given asset will be invited to a sale.
Resolution:
We know that most publishers would like their assets to be featured in sales. However, with tens of thousands of paid assets on the store, the majority will not be invited to participate.
Publishers do not apply to be part of sales, instead are selected and invited to participate by our internal team. Invitations are sent via email to the “Business Contact” email address you provide for your Asset Store account.
Please safe list any @Unity.com or @Unity3d.com email domains and monitor your inbox to ensure invitations are not missed.
The following guidelines will increase the chance of an asset being invited to participate in sales:
- The assets must be highly rated by users. Having a 5-star average with great reviews from genuine customers is a plus.
- Make regular updates to the assets and deliver quality customer support. Assets that appear to be abandoned will often be removed from invitation lists.
- Have wide appeal. For example, a one-eyed spotted alien reindeer is less likely to be selected than a more mainstream package. Simply put, more users who may be interested in an asset will generally mean more sales.
- Great key images. We can not stress the value of this enough. Whether we like it or not, the visual aspect is essential when promoting your asset - both in and out of a sale.
- Many sales will exclude assets priced under $19.99.
One of the best predictors for on-sale success is non-discounted revenue generated in the preceding months. Our major sales will almost always include this value as a key metric for selection.
Our data indicates that, while being in a sale will almost always provide a revenue boost, it is not enough to generate an “engine” that keeps sales going during non-discount periods.
The best way to increase revenue during non-sale periods is through community building, strong marketing (key images, etc), and updates to ensure a high-quality product.
Even top performers during sales may not be invited back to the next sale if their revenue drops during non-discount periods. It is imperative that publishers continually work to build, maintain, and grow their community of users.
Remember, all publishers can release assets with the “New Release Discount” applied using the new publisher portal, which generally increases launch revenue. This is available to all new packages on launch, priced at $15 or higher.
Publishers can also offer their own discounts by following the steps in our article Am I able to offer a discount on my own assets?.