Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

Let’s Talk Zombicide With Ross Thompson

The Crowdfunding Nerds continue their discussion with Ross Thompson on marketing big games while diving into the Zombicide Kickstarter campaign.
00:00:44 – Pricing Big Games00:06:48 – What Steamforged Games Does With Their Kickstarter Campaigns00:11:25 – Focus On The Experience of Big Games00:14:41 – The Need For A Schedule00:18:37 – Being Intentional With Social Media Feed Scrolling00:20:57 – Being Intentional About Sharing Politics On Social Media00:33:30 - Kickstarter Comment Moderation00:38:58 – The Zombicide Kickstarter Launch & Stretch Goals00:51:18 – Ross Thompson’s Marketing Advice For Today01:00:24 – Super Cool Marketing Lessons?
Elden Ring: The Board Game - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/elden-ring-the-board-game
Resident Evil™: The Board Game - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/resident-evil-board-game/
Adventures & Academia: First Class - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/russrmc/adventures-and-academia-first-class
RuneScape Kingdoms: Shadow of Elvarg - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/runescape-board-game
Epic Encounters: Local Legends - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/local-legends-1
Rivet Wars: Reloaded - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/rivet-wars-reloaded
Godtear - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/godtearElden Ring Press Event - https://steamforged.com/en-gb/blogs/brands/what-went-on-at-the-elden-ring-the-board-game-press-event
Amy Hennig On Gaming Experiences - https://youtu.be/caURIb9cOIg?t=4505
Facebook News Feed Eradicator Browser Extension - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/news-feed-eradicator/
Warhammer Moderation - https://www.warhammer-community.com/2021/11/19/the-imperium-is-driven-by-hate-warhammer-is-not/
Jamey Stegmaier Quits Twitter - https://stonemaiergames.com/why-i-quit-twitter-its-not-you-its-me/
Kickstarter Comment Moderation Update - https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/improving-comment-moderationpart-of-our-commitment-to-keeping-0
Zombicide - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmon/zombicide
Ogre Designer's Edition - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sjgames/ogre-designers-edition
TGN - https://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/ 
Beast of War - https://www.beastsofwar.com/
ICv2 - https://icv2.com/
Bell of Lost Souls - https://www.belloflostsouls.net/
Dropfleet Commander - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hawkwargames/dropfleet-commander
Polygon - https://www.polygon.com/
io9 - https://gizmodo.com/io9
Mojo Nation - https://mojo-nation.com/about-mojo/
Tabletop Game Jobs - https://www.facebook.com/groups/TabletopJobs
Ross Thompson LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-thompson-52a0b844/

Marketing BIG Games With Ross Thompson

Ross Thompson joins the Crowdfunding Nerds to chop marketing big board games.
00:03:18 - Who is Ross Thompson00:14:58 – Getting More People Into The Hobby00:22:32 – Integrating Apps With Board Games00:28:09 – When Is A Big Board Game Too Big?00:34:30 – What makes A Big Game?00:40:33 – Is Magic The Gathering A Big Game?
Miskatonic School for Girls - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1225737959/miskatonic-school-for-girls-deck-building-game
Zombicide - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cmon/zombicide
Iron Maiden Zombicide - https://cmon.com/pre-orders/iron-maiden
Ninja Division - https://ninjadivision.com/
Super Dungeon Explore - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sodapopminiatures/super-dungeon-explore-legends
IDW Publishing - https://www.idwpublishing.com/
Steamforged Games - https://steamforged.com/en-gb
Ex-illis - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/47475/ex-illis
Heroes of Might & Magic III The Board Game - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/archonstudio/homm3boardgame
Kingdom Death: Monster - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/poots/kingdom-death-monster
Heroscape Board Game - https://hasbropulse.com/collections/haslab/products/heroscape-age-of-annihilation-vanguard-edition

100th Episode Special + Behind The Scenes!

In this special 100 episode celebration the Crowdfunding Nerds discuss the top 5 game changer moments since launching the podcast. The episode also includes a bonus episode where we talk about random things we love.
00:02:18 – Nerds News + Kickstarter Pixel Update00:07:46 – How Many People Did Kickstarter Bring In For Deliverance?00:11:44 – The 5 Most Mind Blowing Things From Crowdfunding Nerds That Will Bring You To The Next Level & Transform Your Life00:13:08 – Game Changer #1 - Landing Page & Ads00:15:13 - Game Changer #2 – Using Landing Pages On Live Kickstarter Projects00:18:51 - Game Changer #3 – Backer Kit Referral Codes00:24:50 - Game Changer #4 – Surveying Your Audience00:25:34 – Game Changer #5 – Redundancy
Shownotes 
The Last of Us: Escape the Dark - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/themeborne/the-last-of-us-escape-the-dark
Kickstarter Facebook Pixel Update - https://updates.kickstarter.com/new-tools-to-help-creators-market-their-projects/
Snap Ships Tactics - https://ks.snapshipstactics.com/
Fractured Veil - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paddlecreekgames/fractured-veil-a-survival-and-base-building-multiplayer
Backerkit Referral Links & Widgets - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode90/
Surveying Your Community – Why & How You Should Do It - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode99/
5 Profitable Things You Can Do During Your Kickstarter Mid-Campaign Slump - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode29/
Escape From Stalingrad Z - https://gamefound.com/projects/rayboxgames/escape-from-sttalingrad-z#/section/project-overview
Dofus MMORPG - https://www.dofus.com/en/prehome
How To Run A Successful Tabletop Business With Chris Birch Of Modiphius Entertainment - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode50/
Discord App Directory - https://discord.com/blog/building-the-future-of-discord
2022 Crowdfunding Predictions & Forecasts - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode52/
Skyrim On Gamefound - https://gamefound.com/projects/modiphius/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-the-board-game
Crowdfunding Nerds Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds

Surveying Your Kickstarter Community – Why & How You Should Do It

The crowdfunding nerds surveyed the Deliverance Board Game community and share valuable insights and tips to survey your own community.
00:01:39 – Substack Chat00:05:34 – Facebook Metaverse – Does It Have A Future?00:16:21 – Why Survey Your Community?00:18:24 – When To Survey Your Community00:19:39 – Using Sections In Your Survey00:23:56 – How To Motivate Fans To Do You Survey00:29:30 – Why You Should Use Google Forms To Survey00:30:48 – First Question To Ask00:35:01 – Have Cheaper Pledge Options00:37:32 – Ask How People Heard About Your Game00:44:26 – Ask What They Want To See Next From You00:50:58 – Ask How Often They Want Updates
Shownotes
Substack Chat Update - https://on.substack.com/p/chat
Ingress Game - https://ingress.com/
Riot Games MMO - https://www.riotgames.com/en/mmo-recruiting
Brave Browser RSS feeds - https://brave.com/brave-today-rss/
Google Forms - https://www.google.com/forms/about/
Poem of Buvaisar Saitiev - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJoccjJ5KYw
Deliverance Survey Example - https://forms.gle/yBMPr4WR2nDd77VR8

How Being Positive Makes You More Money

The Crowdfunding Nerds talk about being positive on purpose, even when things are mostly negative, and how it can aid you in winning favor with your backers!
00:07:08 – Defining Positivity00:11:49 – Constructive Criticism00:17:49 – Don’t Feed The Trolls00:24:11 – Turning Something Negative Into Something Positive00:30:55 – How A Positive Framing Impacts Your Business00:35:26 – Balancing Positivity With Authenticity
Shownotes
Oathsworn: Into The Deepwood (2nd Edition) - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shadowborne-games/oathsworn-into-the-deepwood-second-printing/
Zoo Tycoon: The Board Game - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/marcduer/zoo-tycoon-the-board-game/
Bayonetta Voice Actor Responds To Backlash - https://www.gamespot.com/articles/original-bayonetta-voice-actor-responds-to-backlash-confirms-she-was-offered-15k-for-bayonetta-3/1100-6508548/
Deliverance Ratings - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/273814/deliverance/ratings
Pastor Watch - https://nypost.com/2022/08/17/missouri-pastor-berates-congregation-for-not-buying-him-new-watch/

How To Interact With Fans In Real Life

Andrew is back from a convention where he interacted with many super fans. He shares some tips and advice when interacting with fans face to face.
00:00:39 – Monty Python Kickstarter & Launching TTRPG’s Off Known IPs00:04:28 – Meta Stock (Facebook) Down 60% In A Year00:08:31 – Sean’s Theory On Marketing00:10:05 – Richard’s Conspiracy Theory00:10:52 – Kickstarter’s New CEO, Everette Taylor00:18:48 – The Goal Of Engaging Fans At Conventions00:25:06 – Investing In Your Fans00:27:29 – Ask Questions & Listen00:29:41 – Tips For Meeting Fans For The First Time00:33:35 – Motivations Of Small Conventions 00:35:58 – Treat People Like They Matter
Shownotes
Monty Python's Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/exaltedfuneral/monty-pythons-cocurricular-mediaeval-reenactment-programme
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magpiegames/avatar-legends-the-roleplaying-game
Twitch Con 2022 Madness - https://www.dailydot.com/debug/adriana-chechik-breaks-back-twitchcon-ball-pit/
Kickstarter's New CEO, Everette Taylor - https://updates.kickstarter.com/hello/
Kickstarter’s Forward Funds Program - https://updates.kickstarter.com/building-a-more-diverse-creative/

Self-Promotion Without Andrew Lowen

Uh oh ... Andrew is away and someone thought it was a good idea to allow Rick and Sean to do the podcast by themselves! They talk internet privacy, censorship and self-promotion done wrong.
00:01:10 – PayPal Goes Full Dystopian00:05:30 – Why Big Tech TOS Are Meaningless00:16:44 – Crowdfunding Nerds Course Overview00:21:53 – Self-Promotion: The “I” Must Die00:27:17 - Self-Promotion: Don’t Spam Ma'am00:32:25 – Self-Promotion: Delete, “Delete If Not Allowed” From Your Life00:34:40 – Self-Promotion: Meme’s Are Not For Selling00:37:43 – Self-Promotion: Follow For Follow00:43:09 – Spaces To Find Organic Traffic00:45:42 – Richard’s Secret (And Untested) Source Of Organic Traffic
PayPal ‘Misinformation’ Article - https://www.nationalreview.com/news/new-paypal-policy-permits-company-to-fine-users-2500-for-misinformation/
When To Spend $10,000 On A Kickstarter Video With Ori Kagan of Kagan Productions - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode93/
PayPal Founder, David Marcus Tweet - https://twitter.com/davidmarcus/status/1578795041719750663
Monero - https://www.getmonero.org/
Panquake Social - https://panquake.com/
Zion Social - https://www.zion.fyi/
The Virtuous Cycle of Kickstarter Marketing - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/the-virtuous-cycle-of-kickstarter-marketing/
Hygiene Factors Of Your Kickstarter Campaign - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode18/
4.5 Outcomes You Need To Consider Before Going To Kickstarter - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode5/
Crowdfunding Nerds Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds
Self-Promotion Mistakes: Avoid These Pitfalls For Effective Organic Marketing - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/self-promotion-mistakes-to-avoid/
How to properly market on Reddit (and get over a million views) - https://pegasusgames.medium.com/how-to-properly-market-on-reddit-and-get-over-a-million-views-94b582bd9792
Odysee - https://odysee.com/$/invite/@Crowdfundingnerds
Mailerlite - https://www.mailerlite.com/

Playing Around Intellectual Properties with Max Dennis

The Crowdfunding Nerds interview Max Dennis of Millian Games to discuss his campaign Sauria: The Dinosaur Park Survival Game, while navigating a product that includes many references to a larger Intellectual property.
00:10:11 – How Sauria Came To Be00:13:22 – Being Careful Not To Step On A Large IPs Toes00:16:11 – Capturing The Feeling of The IP00:17:43 – How To Get People To Buy Into Your Idea00:21:52 – Involving Your Backers In The Process00:27:57 – The Impact of Tabletop Simulator On A Campaign00:29:08 – Max’s Regrets – Fiver & Upwork00:29:08 – Thinking of Expansions After A Successful Kickstarter00:38:46 – Opportunities That Can Open Up After A Kickstarter Campaign00:49:11 – Examples Of IP References00:56:28 – Mall Cop Backers
Shownotes
5 Profitable Things You Can Do During Your Kickstarter Mid-Campaign Slump - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode29/
Hero Time Manufacturing - https://www.herotime1.com/
Sauria - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milliangames/sauria-the-dinosaur-park-survival-game
Sauria Kicktraq - https://www.kicktraq.com/projects/milliangames/sauria-the-dinosaur-park-survival-game/#chart-daily
How To Make An Awesome Kickstarter Video w/ David Diaz - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode67/
When To Spend $10,000 On A Kickstarter Video With Ori Kagan of Kagan Productions - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode93/
Upper Deck - https://upperdeckstore.com/games/legendary.html
Temtem - https://store.steampowered.com/app/745920/Temtem/
Croc Gloves Cease & Desist - https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/co6h3d/i_got_a_cease_and_desist_for_making_the_crocs/
Millian Games - https://milliangames.com/
Sauria Survivors Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1574880479570531

Your ”Pitch” Is Kind Of A Big Deal

The Corwdfunding Nerds are joined by Willem Delventhal of the Indie Game Academy to discuss video game marketing and the benefits of publicly pitching your game to peers, with a pit stop into how to swoon Facebook.
00:01:08 - Facebook Ad Account Restrictions00:05:39 – Sean’s Heart-warming Message To Meta00:07:45 – Advantages of Running Ads Through An Agency00:11:26 – Buy An Oculus If Your Account Is Restricted00:16:37 – Who Is Willem Delventhal00:20:46 – The Advantage of Publicly Pitching Your Game Idea00:27:22 – The Power of Gamification00:40:42 – How To Stand Out In A Crowded Market00:46:24 – Willem’s Advice On Publishing Video Games
Shownotes
Indie Game Academy - https://indiegameacademy.com/
Together Labs - https://togetherlabs.com/
Delve Bros - https://www.delvebros.com/
Guy Kawasaki  - https://www.gravitasinv.com/reading-book/art-start-2-0-guy-kawasaki/Gather - https://www.gather.town/
Mew and Me App - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mam.mewandme.mewandme&hl=en_US&gl=US
Taelmoor - https://tlm.gg/
How do you crowdfund your video game? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oNe2dJgFY8
Willem on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifyouwillem/
IGA Lunch Hour Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/iga-lunch-hour/id1597786388

When To Spend $10K On a Kickstarter Video

The Crowdfunding Nerds are joined by Ori Kagan to discuss Kickstarter video production, and when it makes sense to spend $10,000 on a Kickstarter video.
00:00:47 – Why Invest In A Video If The Return Cannot Be Calculated?00:07:19 – Facebook Ad Tip00:12:37 – What Influences Conversion Rates?00:22:04 – The Importance Of Your Kickstarter Story00:24:12 – Not All Marketing Efforts Have The Same Goal00:26:20 – Kickstarter Video Game Videos?00:28:23 – How To Write A Good Script For Your Kickstarter Video00:32:06 – Use Your Marketing Budget To Find & Excite Your Most Loyal Fans
Shownotes
Kickstarter Videos On A Budget With Ori Kagan (Kagan Productions) - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode91/
Hygiene Factors Of Your Kickstarter Campaign - https://crowdfundingnerds.com/episode18/
Dawn of Ulos – https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thunderworks/dawn-of-ulos?ref=ebku4t
Board Game Blender Kit – https://kaganproductionsstore.myshopify.com/discount/CROWDFUNDINGNERDS?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fboard-game-blender-kit-fix
10% Board Game Blender Kit Discount Code: CROWDFUNDINGNERDS