Board Game Email Marketing Playbook

You've done all of the hard work, now let's make it count!

Marketing can feel a lot like playing Food Chain Magnate! If you don't know about the early game pitfalls, without a lucky guess, you're bound to find yourself with an inefficient and underdeveloped engine that is getting walloped by the players that knew to choose the "Trainer" or the "Recruiting Girl" on their first turn.

Also like Food Chain Magnate, successful marketing can be as simple as doubling down on the right tool for the job at the right time.

This is where email marketing comes in. When done right, email marketing is one of the most successful ways to reach your customers because it incorporates all of the benefits of the mailer, the billboard, the broadcast, and the skywriter. 

Okay, I'll admit I'm really milking these parallels for all they're worth. But, setting the Food Chain Magnate illustration aside, email is truly one of the best ways to communicate with your customers because it is ubiquitous, personal, and accessible. AND, as I alluded to above, you've probably already done the hardest part of email marketing, which is audience building. Any online creator knows that gaining traction in your industry is the hardest part and for most game designers, publishers, and content creators you already have traction. The next step is capturing their information so that you can introduce your audience to their next favorite game.

If you're at the "Capture your Audience" stage and you want to learn more, let's connect. Drop me a line through the contact form below.

As I've been working in the industry, I've noticed that publishers have done a great job of building substantial mailing lists. This is one of the huge advantages of selling a product online through a webstore, as part of check-out your customer gives you their email address. The problem is that publishers are tragically underutilizing their most precious commodity. It's almost as bad as having a city at the intersection of every hex that has produced this round and then having to discard down when the seven is inevitably rolled by the person taking their turn right before you.

The newsletter is a good starting spot, but it's only the tip of the email marketing iceberg. There are so many more opportunities to leverage the information you already have to level up your marketing impact, but chances are you just don't know them. This is where I come in. Before joining the staff at GMT Games, I spent two years working on audience growth and email marketing. And, like a good friend, who reads the rulebook and learns the rules for a new game before coming to game night, I want to pass on everything I've learned as simply and easily as possible.

So, I'm currently working on a "learn to play" guide that I'm calling The Board Game Email Marketing Playbook. The goal is to pass on the relevant lessons I've learned with specific application and tailoring for the Board Game industry. Whether you are a designer, publisher, or content creator, there is something in this guide for you.

BUT, while I have all of the information in my head, I haven't had a chance to get it down on paper. So, I invite you to do two things.

1) Follow Along

As I write the Board Game Email Marketing Playbook, I plan on sharing it with those that are following along. So, if you are interested in staying up to date on the development and getting a first look at the content, enter your name and email below. 

2) Reach Out

If you are interested in email marketing coaching right now, send me a message through the contact form below and we'll go from there. I'll happily exchange a few emails with you or set up a short exploration call for free. Ongoing coaching rates are determined using a sliding scale based on your audience size and start as low as $20 an hour. 

The Board Game Email Marketing Playbook

Projected Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Email Marketing
2. Capturing Your Audience
3. Leveraging Your Mailing List
4. The Right Tool For the Job
5. Automated Email Sequencing
6. Customer Segmentation and Tagging
7. Webstore Integration
8. Board Game Launch Template
9. Playtesting Organization
10. Reengagement Campaign