Recorded at Metatopia 2018

Presented by Philip Vecchione, Senda Linaugh, Monica Speca.

Podcasting is the new blogging. Fame, fortune, influence. Or...software glitches, audience-building, busy cohosts. Let's talk about the complications and joys of being a podcaster in a roundtable format.

Recorded at Metatopia 2018

Presented by: Beth Rimmels, Mike Roberts & Mandy Perry.

Learn the answers to your specific marketing & promotion questions from the experts. Beth Rimmels & Mike Roberts work for a digital marketing agency and are experts in social media marketing and SEO (how people find you on Google). Mandy Perry is an expert in tumblr marketing who just wrapped their first highly successful Kickstarter. This interactive workshop will also include live analysis of web sites as time allows. Bring your questions and learn how to get the word out about your product and establish a professional presence online. 

Recorded at Metatopia 2018

Presented by James D'Amato and Senda Linaugh.

Being a guest on podcasts is a fantastic way to promote your game and build your brand. Our moderators will talk about how this might work and things you should know in advance to be a good guest. This will be run as a roundtable discussion.

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by James D'Amato, Jim McClure, Laura Simpson.

It is tempting to pour money into marketing a crowdfunding project. We'll discuss strategies you can use that take your project further without breaking your marketing budget.

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by Steve Radabaugh, Beth Rimmels, Jason Pitre

Developing A Marketing Plan For Your Game. We will be taking what Marketing Genius Seth Godin teaches about Marketing and helping you apply it to your game/brand. You will work in a small group to discuss how the information applies to you, and you will fill out a marketing plan template.  

Note: This is a shorter panel as the second half was dedicated to filling in the template.

Marketing Plan Questions

1. What Change are you trying to make?
2. Who are you trying to change?
3. What is the promise that you’re making?
4. Pick 2 desireable things to the people you are trying to change. What is your position on these axes? What are you committed to being on behalf of the people you are trying to change?
5. People like us do things like this. Who is the US, and what is the THIS?
6. Why don’t people choose you?

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by John Adamus, Jacqueline Bryk.

Sales Pitches That Set A Positive Tone.. Building a pitch that captures the atmosphere of the game in a positive, rather than exclusionary way is a huge part of growing an audience and a community around your work. It sets a tone and conveys a lot of info. Let's give you a roadmap for success!

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by Jennifer Gutterman, Joshua Yearsley, Melissa Lewis-Gentry, Zev Shlasinger.

You made a game! Congratulations! Now explain your incredible game in one sentence. That isn't as easy as it sounds. You want people to buy into your game as players, as investors, or as retailers. You will only have one chance to make that first impression. It needs to have impact. If you want to see your game successful on a crowdfunding site, or sold by your local game store, then you need to know what kind of pitch types and styles to maximize both what you say and target the right audience. This panel will cover it all, from the one sentence pitch through pitches for retailers, and the many options in between.

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by Brian Dalrymple, Jason Walters, Melissa Lewis-Gentry.

Getting your game(s) into stores usually means dealing with distributors. How do you get their attention? What do they expect from you? If you're planning on going direct to retailers, what's the best way to do that? If you're planning on operating outside of traditional distribution, are you leaving money on the table? This is panel gives an overview of the 3-tier distribution system, including its strengths, weaknesses, and alternatives.

Recorded at Metatopia 2017

Presented by Melissa Lewis-Gentry, Brian Dalrymple.

So you're planning crowdfunding for your game, and have heard that Retail is important. Maybe you did a retail tier in a previous Kickstarter and had no one buy it, or maybe you lost money by creating that tier. Regardless, the industry is changing faster than we can keep up. Learn from Retailers on what they want and what they won't back for 2018 Kickstarters & IndieGoGos. Learn from Expert Campaigners on the pitfalls of building tiers. Be sure to bring questions about your upcoming campaign, we want to hear them.

Recorded at Metatopia 2016

Presented by Christopher Badell, Jason Walters, Marie Poole.

Planning and running a Kickstarter campaign can be like designing and playing another game. Will you hack an existing formula or take a risk on an unusual approach? Will it include lots of fiddly mechanics and rewards or will you take a more artistic direction? When you're running the campaign, how do you play the roles of marketer, designer, publisher, business person, and artist? Join panelists as they talk about the design and management of Kickstarter campaigns themselves. In what ways have they evolved into established systems (stretch goals, etc.) and how are some creators breaking those conventions?