Why You Need to “Count the Cost” Before Marketing Your Tabletop Game
And a Story of Getting my Gas Range to Bring the Point Home
It’s no surprise that board game developers are more excited about making a board game than marketing a board game.
Usually, making the tabletop game takes A LOT of time and energy. So much so that the developer isn’t in the mood for another huge marketing project, and their perspective is:
“What is the least I can do to be successful?”
And while this mentality is reasonable and sorta-kinda financially responsible…
It’s not a recipe for success.
A better approach would be to take the same comprehensive attitude you had when making the game and apply it to marketing the game. Because otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure.
And by “failure” I don’t mean some sort of catastrophe, where everything crashes and burns around you. I mean earning or raising any amount of money that does not make the game development worth it. Or worse, spending more money on marketing than you make back!
And when you do not approach board game marketing with a holistic, robust, comprehensive strategy…
The risk of “failure” increases dramatically.
And to make my point, I want to share the story of how I finally installed my gas range.
It’s Important to Count the Cost
Before Investing in Marketing
My wife and I are in the process of updating certain aspects of our house. Mostly some plumbing and heating, but it also includes the kitchen. And while cabinets, layout, and countertop will all remain the same, the effects of these changes will be monumental.
For one simple reason:
WE GOT A GAS RANGE.
This is a big deal because I LOVE cooking.
I’m not good enough for a restaurant or youtube channel. But I am good enough that 75% of the stuff on menu’s at most restaurants is “off-limits” now. Because deep down, I know I can make a lot of menu items better at home, or at least just as good, for a fraction of the price
(I’m looking at YOU roast chicken quarters, pork chops, and every gawd dayum burger at every gawd dayum brewpub. Fish and chips, sushi, and lasagna are still good options though)
And in my opinion, gas ranges live up to the hype.
The open flame roasts better, cooks more evenly, and heats up instantly. They are just (*chefs kiss motion), and after 14 years of loving cooking, you can bet your bottom dollar I was READY for a gas range.
Of course, the good ones ain’t cheap, and they don’t make them like they used to. But after hoooours on facebook marketplace, I managed to find a Wolf brand gas range from 1989 for $1000… just 5 minutes down the road.
That price is a STEAL. And that location is UNBEATABLE. But moving and installing the darn thing certainly wasn’t:
The range weighs like it is made of solid lead. You can’t just “get a couple of friends” and load it into the back of your 4Runner.
You gotta 1) find a friend with a truck, 2) rent an appliance dolly and ramp.
Thankfully, one particularly generous friend agreed to help me move it. And luckily, the oven had wheels, and the previous owner had steps we could back up within reach of the ramp. So getting it in the truck was easy peazy.
Getting it out was… DIFFERENT.
My friend and I are in reasonable lifting shape, and we figured that, if we were careful, we could slowly roll it down the ramp. So go on either side, threw our weight against it, slightly bent the appliance dolly, and slowly began to back up.
But the range (and gravity) didn’t care…
It started going downhill…
So we started going downhill.
That thing pushed us down like we were on rag dolls on roller skates.
Until, with a big THUD, it landed on my driveway.
We laughed and thanked our lucky stars that it didn’t break either of our feet, and loaded up to return everything to Home Depot.
The range sat covered in my backyard for a week until the plumbers could extend the gas line into the kitchen.
But FINALLY the day came to hook it up
But after aaaaaaall that work, the gas range was in! All I had to do was plug it in….
“What th-… the plugs don’t match?”
The outlet had three holes.
The gas range had four prongs.
Four prongs are only for super-duper electrical household appliances.
And this was a GAS range
But because, for some stupid reason, the oven temp dials were digital, it required FOUR prongs.
Without the power, it couldn’t spark and couldn’t bake.
And more importantly, it wasn’t very safe to use.
The next two weeks involved dealing with my electrician, and adding a whopping additional 33% to our kitchen “remodel” budget.
Now don’t get me wrong… I am cool as a cucumber with my new oven, but I definitely would have thought twice had I known I also needed to pay for 25 yards of new wiring to the kitchen.
Now I know that was a somewhat long-winded story, but here is why it is a cautionary tale for your board game marketing plans:
A single missing piece can render the whole marketing strategy useless.
I proved that it doesn’t matter if you have a great gas range in a beautiful kitchen and a new gas line with an excited cook… if the plug doesn’t match the outlet, it’s just a really big paper weight or door stop!
Well, in the same way, it doesn’t matter if you have a great marketing strategy if your brand doesn’t resonate with customers… or your social media ads don’t compel… or your website is confusing and doesn’t convert.
A marketing strategy is the strategic use of marketing channels to persuade people to become buyers. A marketing channel is the path or system used by a business to deliver its product or message to customers. And the unfortunate truth is this:
Each channel is different
Each channel is complex
Each channel relies on the other ones to be effective in a strategy.
To get any use out of them, you have to use them properly.
And if any channel is dependent on another, then a single failure (like my 4-pronged plug) can render the entire strategy useless.
Here are the common marketing channels that will comprise your e-commerce strategy, and what they need to be effective:
Branding: vision and mission, brand tone, brand identity, logos and graphics, competitor analysis, benefits, customer journey, sales funnel, heaven/hell imagery.
Email: an email provider (like Mailchimp), an email address warmer (like Mailreach), email deliverability software/expert to monitor, an email marketing strategy OR a copywriter to write the emails and strategize it.
Social Media: social media expert, several channels, content strategy, social media analysis tool.
Website: website service provider (like Squarespace), Google Business account optimization, copywriter, graphic designer, logos, images from a professional photographer, positive reviews or proof, SaaS software management, commerce platform (like Shopify),
SEO: And if you are doing SEO you will need software for backlinks, guest posts, social media signals, and analytics. Not to mention high quality images, a graphic designer, a copywriter, and just paying for the damn site!
Crowdfunding: everything for a website, plus a crowdfunding strategist, videos, gifs,
That is A LOT of different stuff. And sure, you do not need to have them all at 100% right away…
But you will want most of them to be very good in the near future.
And while a lot of it you can do on your own…
A lot of it requires a professional’s touch.
The lesson is simple: count the cost before you start.
Gone are the days of “if you do “x”, you’ll rank!” There is just way too much competition. You need every little advantage you can (more on that NEXT week).
If you want to get the best results possible, the type of results these platforms promote as possible, you need to use every single necessary tool. Missing even a single one increases your risk of underwhelming results.
So consider how much time, energy, and money it will take to successfully bring your board game to market! Otherwise, any investment you make will be a waste!
