You’ve gathered the players and GM. You have a story to tell and are about to start recording.

Stop.

How are you going to get your actual play in front of the right people?
Sure, you’ve probably got social media accounts and probably a Discord. You might have even got some artwork for your player characters done by one of the amazing artists in the community, but unless people know about your AP, where to find it, when to watch it, and what they can do to support your efforts, you’re going to be just another voice in the void.

So, how do you get your work in front of the right people to grow your audience?

Find the right audience

Having a good idea of who would be the right audience is the first step. Fans of the game system you’re playing is a good start, as is the genre of story you’re playing.

Use the right language

This will help you word things correctly for them. For example, using “D&D” if you’re playing Call of Cthulhu might attract some people, but it’s not going to bring your primary audience – those people who will come to see what you’re doing differently.

Find the right platform(s)

It’s no good putting your work on one platform, if no one is there. This is where diversifying your publishing becomes important. Live playing on platforms like Twitch is great for initial views if your audience is awake and ready to watch at the same time, but if they want to go back and watch later, you’re going to need to think about somewhere like YouTube where videos can live on in posterity. Long tail views account for a large portion of your overall audience viewership in APs, and YouTube works really well in conjunction with a website to get visibility of your group in search.

Be strategic

Not unlike heading into a lair of some eldritch being, going in with all guns blazing might bag you a few hits, but ultimately it’s going to lead to more misses. By the same token, if a strategy isn’t working, you and your team might need to adapt and change tactics mid-battle. Knowing what you’re doing to spread the word of your work is vitally important, and having everyone on the same page (liking and resharing posts on social media for instance) means more people to help build momentum behind your project.

Planning what you’re going to post out on social media ahead of schedule allows you ensure continuity of messaging. Take a look at the 2025 Social Media Planner if you’re looking for an easy planning tool.

Community is golden

The TTRPG community is a goldmine of connections and cheerleaders. There are many avenues to share what you’re working on with people who are actively invested in the thing’s you’re making,s o be active int he community – not just to share what you’re doing but to support others in the community too. Positive sentiment is rocket fuel for creatives, and reciprocity is rife amongst TTRPG players and writers, so get involved!

My top tips

• Make a stand-alone website as a home for your project or group. It doesn’t hve to be fancy but it has to help folks find you in search.
• Have a unified, branded look for your website and all social media. Logo, name, handle, links all help people recall you and your project.
• Use a link aggregator like Beacon or Linktree to share links in social media profiles, etc. It’s way easier to update links in one place and have it roll out.
• Be an active part of the TTRPG community. We all want this community to thrive and you might find your next superfan amongst them!
• Make sure your players and crew are all sharing any posts. It’s an easy way for them to support the work everyone is doing.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff. It takes time to build an audience and time to make an impact. Focus on having fun and telling the story in your heart.