Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

Ep 41: Marketing A Video Game Through Kickstarter With Ryan Wiancko of Fractured Veil - Part 2

The Crowdfunding Nerds continue the discussion with Ryan Wiancko of Paddle Creek Games while covering the importance of community building, and live streaming in video game marketing.
00:03:02 – What Advantages or Disadvantages Does Steam Have For Marketing Video Games?00:09:42 – Understanding Email Unsubscribe Rates And Abuse Reports00:17:56 – Navigating Video Game Kickstarter Stretch Goals00:23:32 – Video Game Pre-Marketing Play Testing00:32:09 – Developing A Video Game With eSports In Mind?00:37:23 – Video Game Live Stream Tips00:41:50 – It’s All About Community
ShownotesFractured Veil - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paddlecreekgames/fractured-veil-a-survival-and-base-building-multiplayer?ref=9gl60aRockyNoHands Streamer - https://www.twitch.tv/rockynohandsRestream - https://restream.io/Streamlabs - https://streamlabs.com/StreamElements - https://streamelements.com/Agorapulse Social Media Management - https://www.agorapulse.com/NLW Kickstarter Marketing Services - https://nextlevelweb.com/kickstarter-marketing-services/

Ep 40: Marketing A Video Game Through Kickstarter With Ryan Wiancko of Fractured Veil - Part 1

Ryan Wiancko of Paddle Creek Games (Also Iron Belly Studios) joins the Crowdfunding Nerds to discuss the Kickstarter pre-marketing for Fractured Veil, a massive-multiplayer online survival video game.
00:02:42 - What is Fractured Veil?00:07:11 - Marketing To Yourself 00:09:37 - Starting A Company Is A Grind00:10:31 - Find What Motivates You00:15:4 - Most Game-Changing Thing Ryan Learnt From The Podcast00:22:26 - You Need A Community-Driven Project00:25:24 - What Made You Hire Next Level Web For Marketing?00:34:24 - Marry The Imagery of Ads & Landing Pages00:37:44 - Facebook Form Ads Vs Lead Ads
Show NotesFractured Veil - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paddlecreekgames/fractured-veil-a-survival-and-base-building-multiplayer?ref=9gl60aGet Lamp Documentary - http://www.getlamp.com/Iron Belly Studios - https://ironbellystudios.com/Joe Girard's 13 Essential Rules of Selling - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15854768-joe-girard-s-13-essential-rules-of-sellingThriveSuite - https://thrivethemes.com/architect/

Ep 39: Diagnosing Problems With Your Facebook Ads

Andrew and Sexy Irish Sean tie SEO Wizard Rick in the closet and explain how to figure out what's wrong with your Facebook ads. 00:01:28 - Why Aren't My Facebook Ads Working?
00:04:35 - What Are Your Goals With Facebook Ads?00:05:33 - Target & Lookalike Audiences 00:11:12- Is The Product or Service The Problem? 00:15:29 - Get Fresh Eyes00:21:02 - If In Doubt, Create A New Campaign 00:24:04 - Are You Spending Too Much Money? 00:25:57 - Understanding Cost Per Impression (CPM)00:29:29 - Tips For Great Ads00:31:36- Separate Your Click Through Rate (CTR) & Link CTR 00:32:25 - The Importance of Social Proof On Ads 00:39:03 - The Solution To Poor Messaging In Ads00:40:35 - Tips For Describing Your Product 
Oros - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aescgames/oros

Ep 38: The Sunk Cost Fallacy And How To Craft A Welcome Email

In this episode, the Crowdfunding Nerds discuss the sunk cost fallacy and how it relates to Kickstarter marketing, as well as giving tips on how to craft an effective welcome email! 
00:01:47 - Conversions Vs Awareness In Marketing 00:07:02 - The Best Kind of Ads 00:09:36 - Tips For A Welcome Email 00:12:17 - The Purpose of A Welcome Email 00:18:04 - Recommended Community Sites 00:22:11 - What Platforms Does Your Target Audience Use? 00:23:24 - Having A Community On Your Own Website? 00:25:42 - What Is The Sunk Cost Fallacy?00:32:44 - The Fallacy Of Induction 00:43:41 - It's Like World of Warcraft 00:47:40 - Cost of Opportunity

Ep 37: Facebook Ad & Convention ROI For Kickstarter

Andrew explores the return on investment from his various pre-marketing efforts for Kickstarter and how it impacted his campaign's success. 
00:01:01 - Afraid To Dig Into The Data00:01:29 - How To Work Out Kickstarter Return On Ad Spend00:03:59 - Facebook Ads Will Impact Your Organic Marketing00:05:40 - Spend Limits To Facebook Ads00:07:56 - Understanding Your Cost Per Click00:11:17 - The Importance Of Email Lists00:13:09 - The Most Worth While Conventions00:25:19 - Facebook Ads Are An Auction 00:30:22 - Don't Start Your Ads Too Early 00:31:42 - What To Do If Organic Marketing Is Not Working00:34:30 - What To Do If You Can't Afford Conventions 
Show NotesGen Con - https://www.gencon.com/Norwescon - https://www.norwescon.org/Pax South - https://south.paxsite.com/Kingdom Con San Diego - http://www.kingdom-con.com/Dice Tower West - https://www.dicetowerwest.com/ShipQuest (TradeQuest) Convention Support - https://www.tradequest.co.ukIndie Game Alliance - https://www.indiegamealliance.com/The Game Crafter Events Sponsor - https://help.thegamecrafter.com/article/116-events

Ep 36: Essential Lessons From The Video Game Industry

What can board game developers learn from the current state of the video game industry? In this episode, the Crowdfunding Nerds talk about the importance of community and authenticity within game development.
00:01:21 - Current State of The Video Game Industry00:03:44 - By Corporations For Consumers 00:06:43 - Gabe Newell On Game Development00:09:33 - Using Game Development As Marketing 00:14:18 - Using Tabletop Simulator In Development/Marketing00:16:20 - No One Knows Your Product Better Than You00:17:19 - Building Up Your Community00:21:12 - The Most Valuable Thing Said On The Episode00:23:47 -When To Delete Comments 00:28:05 - Act Like A Fan of Your Own Game00:28:05 - Don't Surround Yourself With "Yes People."
Show Notes:Asmongold Video - https://youtu.be/kbBgOiqIrjoGabe Newell FULL Interview 2021 - https://youtu.be/Pl80LvMsnfo

Ep 35: The Tabletop Games That Don't Do Well On Kickstarter

The Crowdfunding Nerds dive into the types of games that generally don't do well on Kickstarter. They also explore the importance of building a brand and nurturing a community around our game. 
00:01:16 - Game That Don't Need Any Effort To Get Funded00:07:45 - What Does Not Funding On Kickstarter Mean?00:09:15 - Examples Of Games With Clear Target Markets 00:15:02 - Types Of Games That Generally Don't Do Well On Kickstarter 00:26:06 - Example Of A Big IP Doing Poorly On Kickstarter00:26:32 - Impact Of Influencers And Community On Game Development 00:36:42 - Treat Your Game Like A Band00:40:45 - Don't Use Game Mechanics As The Selling Point00:43:15 - Alternatives To Kickstarter00:44:09 - When Games Should Do Well On Kickstarter But Don't Shownotes
Steve Jackson on Game Design - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBAjrTxrgEsA Christmas Carol Adventure - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vergegames/a-christmas-carol-adventureBIRDIE! The Disc Golf Board Game - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bodabrothers/birdie-the-disc-golf-board-gameDistilled: A Spirited Strategy Game - https://distilledgame.com/pre-order/GameVaults: World of Warcraft® Edition - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gamevaults/gamevaults-world-of-warcraft-edition/Blizzard HATES Asmongold!? OG WoW Lead Dev Fires Back after Leak - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbBgOiqIrjoAuroboros: Coils of the Serpent - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/warchief/auroboros
 

Ep 34: Major Kickstarter Mistakes You Need To Learn From

On this weeks episode the Crowdfunding Nerds go over some real life blunders Kickstarter hopefuls have fallen prey to.
00:01:36 – Be Careful Launching Massive Miniatures!00:06:18 – Kickstarter Is Getting More Strict With Project Approvals00:12:43 – Dangers Of Not Incorporating As A Business00:19:31 – Slow Down & Communicate Clearly00:23:52 – Get Your Numbers Right00:26:07 – How Many Manufacturing Quotes Do You Need?00:32:54 – You Need Shipping Estimates00:35:32 – You Need A Back Up Plan00:39:08 – Scale With Results00:40:53 – Failing To Communicate With Fans
Shownotes 
4.5 Outcomes You Need To Consider Before Going To Kickstarter - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode5/
Jamy Stegmaiers’ KS Lessons - https://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter/full-list-chronological/
Board Game Design Lab - https://boardgamedesignlab.com/
James Mathe Game Manufacturers List - http://www.jamesmathe.com/hitchhikers-guide-to-game-manufacturers/
LongPack Games - https://www.longpackgames.com/
Quartermaster Logistics - https://www.qmlogistics.com/
ShipQuest - https://www.shipquest.co.uk/

Ep 33: Reflections After A Successful Kickstarter – What Worked Best

Andrew discusses the various successes and challenges he faced during his Deliverance Kickstarter campaign. As well as the Crowdfunding nerds talk about iOS 14 and the issues its causing.
00:01:15 – iOS 14 Update & Facebook Issues For Kickstarter00:10:16 – iOS 14 Update & Pledge Managers00:17:12 – Kickstarter Expectations00:18:43 – Kickstarter’s Pound of Flesh00:22:09 – Anomalies In Kickstarter’s Ranking System00:27:22 – Kickstarter Regrets?00:30:23 – Emotional State After A Kickstarter Campaign00:33:10 – Challenges In The Last Week of A Kickstarter Campaign00:39:16 – The Impact of Facebook Ads On A Live Campaign00:42:25 – Back Up Your Emails00:44:56 – The Most Effective Ads For Kickstarter
Shownotes
Backerkit - https://www.backerkit.com/
Kickstarter Referrals Explained - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/kickstarter-referrals-explained-deep-dive-into-4-tabletop-campaigns-that-funded-successfully/
Planet Unknown - https://www.kicktraq.com/projects/adamsapplegames/planet-unknown/

Ep 32: Interviewing Ant Lab Games: Part 2 – Dealing With Community Toxicity

Anthony and Frances of Ant Lab Games join the Crowdfunding Nerds in part 2 to discuss dealing with community and social media toxicity as a board game publisher.
00:01:32 - YouTube Views Don’t Necessarily Show An Engaged Community00:04:35 – How To Quantify Value From Content Creators00:07:49 – Find Content Creators Who Know Their Audience00:13:13 – How To Deal With Community Toxicity00:24:13 – Understanding Monetized Controversy00:24:53 – Community Toxicity Has Little Impact On Sales00:30:39 – How To Deal With Community Criticism00:34:32 – Be Careful Deleting Posts00:43:37 – Why Content Creators Are Very Careful When Describing Your Kickstarter Board Game