Uncommon and In-Person Marketing Methods for Board Game Crowdfunding
Non-Social Media Marketing Channels for Kickstarter Campaign (9/10)
(This blog post is part nine in a series on marketing your board game with crowdfunding campaigns like Kickstarter, Backerkit, and Gamefound)
Time to write about the aspects and options of Kickstarter marketing that didn’t fit neatly into any of the other blog posts…
Traditional Press
By “press” I mean newspapers, radio, tv stations, magazines, etc. Standard journalists who report the news to the general population. If they feel that your board game crowdfunding campaign is relevant to their readers, they may reach out and ask for a press kit or an interview.
NOTE: a press kit is a packet you hand journalists with relevant information about your business, story, timelines, quotes, and goals. It is information that helps them write the article without having to do a lengthy interview
Now… full disclosure… I haven’t written a press kit for a board game Kickstarter before. I have written one for a FLGS that was opening a new location in their city. And because they were opening a brick-and-mortar location that would shape a community, it made a lot of sense to have a press kit prepared.
But I’m not v4rey embarassed by that, for the following two reasons:
1) The brand messaging packets I write cover 90% of what a journalist would request in a press kit anyways
2) If a journalist is reaching out to write about your Gamefound crowdfunding campaign, that means you have already struck gold and have blown past your goals and are massively successful.
So, yes, the article will bring more backers to your campaign… but it’s more “icing on the cake”/
The next method is a much more “meat and potatoes” kind of tactic…
All the images for “guest posts” suck, so here is an image of summer tomatoes. It is tomato season, and they are DELICIOUS.
Guest Posts
A guest post is when you go to a website and offer to write a blog post for them on a topic of your choice. In this case, it would be directly about your game or something tangential to your game.
There are two goals behind guest posting:
write an SEO optimized blog post and, combined with the site’s authority, target a high-traffic keyword (target audience: anyone on the internet that searches that keyword)
Write an excellent and readable post on a topic their readership is genuinely interested in (target audience: the regular readership of the website)
It is similar to paying an influencer to do a video review of your game, except in this instance, it is you who are creating the content. Which begs the question: why not just post on your own site?
The answer is simple: because their site is a trusted, authoritative brand in the space that people visit frequently. They already have the readership and SEO in place to gather traffic.
Which is why many of these sites charge a small fee for sponsored blog posts like this. Some charge nothing (you are providing free content after all), but it is not unreasonable for them to ask you to pay a fee in the range of $500-$100.
If they charge, and if they are big enough, you need to insist (maybe even write in a contract) that they not only post your blog post on your requested date, but ALSO feature your blog post in several newsletters or emails they send out. You are paying for total access to their reader and subscriber base! And follow up with them on certain KPIs like click rate and dwell time. If they numbers are above average, ask if they would also be willing to send an email after your campaign launches.
“But what about non-digital marketing?”
Kickstarter is a digital platform, so it make sense that the majority of your marketing is going to be on digital channels. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some physical marketing too.
Local Meetups and FLGS
“FLGS” means your friendly local game store. And unless you live in the middle of nowhere, Timbuktu, or on the moon… there will be some friendly local game you can visit. A quick talk can often turn into a new pledge from a backer.
And you should definitely visit, and visit often. Because:
These people should be your play testers
These people should be your initial testimonials
These people should be your first backers
How do you make this happen? Easy: offer to host a free event. Promise free drinks and food to whoever comes (donuts, bagels, burgers… whatever). All you ask in return is that they play and give feedback. At least 25% will feel emotionally connected to the game and determined to see its success and will not only promote your game, but often offer to help free of charge.
And to encourage the other 75%, you create a referral rewards incentive. You can give your friends some cool rewards for helping you out, such as early access to your limited editions or discounts on their pledge. Encouraging these people, who can personally vouch for you, to share on social media or tell others about your kickstarter helps boost the visibility of the campaign.
Board Game Conventions
Here is what the ai feature on my blogging platform said about conventions for your board game Kickstarter campaing:
Connecting with other fans at board game conventions and local meetups can really help your Kickstarter campaign. These places are great for making real connections and getting to show your card game to others in person. You should bring simple prototypes for your card game or board game. Make sure to also bring your landing page with your value proposition. People at the event often like to talk about new ideas with their friends, which helps increase your visibility and can make the backer experience better. It is an easy way to turn a chat into someone supporting your Kickstarter.
Meeting your target audience face-to-face is a good way to help your Kickstarter project get more visibility. You can go to board game conventions or even local meetups. When you do this, you have the chance to show your Kickstarter project to people and talk to them in person. This is a good way to build trust, and it can also make the backer experience better. You should bring a few prototypes and some swag, because it's an easy way to get people interested. While you are at it, you might also get to know other fun gamers and share ideas about kickstarter projects.
Launching a Kickstarter project can be a wild and fun time, especially when you see your funding goal met. You need to keep your target audience interested in what you do. The backer experience should be just as important as your creative idea. Try to use things like referral programs and special rewards. These can help get people to share your project with their friends. Use Kickstarter’s community features and stay busy on social media too. If you give people a good value proposition and a strong landing page, you can lift your kickstarter’s visibility. Each thing you do can make your campaign better and help you reach more people.
Gross. A working definition of AI slop…
But here is why I’m not going to write a ton about it:
I personally dislike conventions, have none nearby, and do not attend them.
If you are like me, then you also will not go, no matter what I say.
You love conventions, you are already going, and just need advice on how to promote your game there.
My only advice is this: MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN.
Have a banner that grabs attention and summarizes the key benefits of the game
Have QR codes that direct to a clear, mobile-optimized website
Have a prototype of the game people can play
Rehearse your elevator pitch of the game
Rehearse how to teach people to play
Have exclusive access and discounts for other convention attendees.
These are just basic marketing principles and applying them to a convention. Grab attention… build curiosity… make an offer with urgency. For more information, here is a post by Board Game Geek that can help prepare you.
