Crowdfunding Nerds: Kickstarter Marketing, Business, & Beyond!

What does it take to come back to Kickstarter and nearly double your first campaign’s funding? Bigger spaceships help, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes! Scott Pease returns to Crowdfunding Nerds to unpack the Snap Ships Tactics expansion and reprint campaign, which raised over $550,000 in just 24 days. Andrew and Sean dig into the six-month pre-launch, the switch from collecting email leads to driving Kickstarter followers, and why a messy Gen Con photo outperformed polished advertising. We also explore how a $349 all-in pledge became the campaign’s most popular option, why Scott sometimes encouraged backers to buy less, and how scheduled unlocks kept people coming back without the scramble of traditional stretch goals. From Kickstarter promotion to responding to tough comments, this case study is packed with practical lessons for your next launch. And we’re not done yet! Part two will dig deeper into campaign numbers, referrals, payment options, and communicating with different audiences. Guest Bio: Scott Pease is the co-inventor of Snap Ships and a driving force behind Snap Ships Tactics, a tabletop miniatures game that lets players build and battle their own modular spacecraft. A veteran game developer, Scott spent 15 years at Neversoft as Studio Development Director, helping shape titles in the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty franchises. He brings that experience in product development and audience engagement to tabletop gaming, including the Snap Ships Tactics expansion and reprint Kickstarter campaign that raised over $550,000. Resources: Snap Ships Tactics: https://www.snapshipstactics.com/ Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/ Gamefound: https://gamefound.com/ Gen Con: https://www.gencon.com/ Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com/

More pledges don’t always mean more money in your pocket. Andrew is back, and between welcoming baby number eight and catching up with Sean, he’s got a few things to say about crowdfunding marketing fees. In this episode of Crowdfunding Nerds, we unpack Andrew’s experience with commission-based marketing, why a bigger campaign total isn’t the same as a healthier bottom line, and when it makes sense to spread your ad budget beyond Meta. Sean shares a recent Reddit ads success, his “delegate or die” approach to a busy season, and why copying your pitch into every Facebook group is a terrible marketing strategy. We also introduce the Crowdfunding Essentials course, discuss why the holidays can be an opportunity for prelaunch marketing, and explore a social platform that rewards useful contributions. Over 300 episodes in, we’re still talking marketing, making games, and occasionally getting interrupted by a reminder to take out the trash. Connect with Crowdfunding Nerds: Website: https://crowdfundingnerds.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crowdfundingnerdspodcast

What happens when AI can create artwork that’s almost impossible to distinguish from something made by a human? Sean, Donnie, and Jacob dive into the increasingly complicated relationship between AI-generated art and the board game industry. They discuss why publishers are tempted by AI’s speed and lower costs, why portions of the tabletop community remain strongly opposed to it, and whether human-made artwork could actually become more valuable as AI-generated content becomes commonplace. Ultimately, this episode isn't about handing publishers a simple yes-or-no answer on AI. It’s about asking better questions: What role should AI have in your workflow? What do you want your art to communicate? And what kind of creative process do you want behind the product you're asking people to support? Resources: Exit Through the Gift Shop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VmHFp6AkWo Wendell Berry: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wendell-berry Marshall McLuhan / Hot and Cold Media: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_Media Chapters For YouTube: 00:00 – AI Art and the Board Game Industry 00:53 – Why This AI Conversation Matters 03:22 – Jacob’s Background as an Artist 05:56 – How Fast Is AI Art Improving? 08:31 – Will Human-Made Art Become More Valuable? 12:12 – The Return to Physical Experiences 17:04 – Why Handmade Art Feels Different 17:58 – The Risk of Mixing AI and Human Art 20:24 – Why the Creative Struggle Matters 20:51 – AI Art in Board Game Design 23:47 – The Problem With “AI Slop” 24:42 – What Actually Makes Something Art? 28:41 – Art, Craft, and Creative Value 33:25 – Are We Losing Ownership? 37:26 – Convenience vs. the Creative Process 40:18 – AI, Creativity, and Human Identity 44:32 – Why Your Game’s Art Matters 46:26 – Hot vs. Cold Media 49:18 – Creativity Is a Muscle 52:19 – What’s Your Policy on AI? Connect with Crowdfunding Nerds: Website: https://crowdfundingnerds.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crowdfundingnerdspodcast

Performance-based marketing sounds like an easy win: no big agency fee upfront, someone else handles the ads, and they only get paid when they generate results. But is the deal actually as aligned with publishers as it sounds? In this episode, Sean and Donnie break down the realities of performance-based marketing for crowdfunding campaigns. They discuss the challenges of accurately attributing sales, how commission-based incentives can encourage aggressive ad spending, and why publishers need to understand exactly who owns their pixel, ad account, targeting data, and audience information. They also explore one of the biggest long-term considerations: data ownership. Your crowdfunding campaign shouldn't just generate pledges; it should help build an audience you can reach for your next campaign, your e-commerce store, and future releases. Guest Bio: Donnie is part of the Crowdfunding Nerds team, where he works alongside publishers and creators navigating the marketing side of crowdfunding. Through his work with Crowdfunding Nerds, he has developed firsthand insight into advertising strategy, audience development, data ownership, and the challenges creators face when turning a great game into a sustainable business. Resources: Crowdfunding Nerds Community: https://crowdfundingnerds.com/academy/ Board Game Design Lab: https://boardgamedesignlab.com/ Hive Interactive / Hive Pledge Manager: https://www.hiveinteractive.net/pledgemanager Meta Ads Library: https://transparency.meta.com/researchtools/ad-library-tools/ Meta Ads: https://www.facebookblueprint.com/student/path/219703-ads-manager-basics Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/ Gamefound: https://gamefound.com/en Reddit / Subreddits & Facebook Groups BoardGameGeek: https://boardgamegeek.com/ Google Ads: https://business.google.com/us/google-ads/ Connect with Crowdfunding Nerds: Website: https://crowdfundingnerds.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crowdfundingnerdspodcast

What assets do you actually need to create a bangarang crowdfunding landing page—and ads that convert? Sean is joined by Crowdfunding Nerds team members Jacob Cecil and Donnie to break down the creative assets every board game and RPG creator should have ready before launching a marketing campaign. They explain why a 3D box render is practically non-negotiable, what types of artwork and component shots make landing pages more compelling, and why some of the simplest ad creatives can outperform highly polished productions. They also dig into what they've learned from running and testing crowdfunding ads: thematic artwork, lifestyle photos, quick unboxing videos, GIFs, simple product shots, and even images taken straight from Tabletop Simulator can all have a place in your campaign. They discuss how to design assets for mobile scrolling, why vertical, square, and horizontal formats matter, and how layered Photoshop files can give marketers much more flexibility when creating ads and landing pages. Guest Bios: Jacob Cecil is a member of the Crowdfunding Nerds team who specializes in developing crowdfunding landing pages and turning a game's creative assets into compelling marketing experiences. His work focuses on communicating what a game is, immersing potential backers in its world, and structuring landing pages that turn ad traffic into interested leads. In this episode, Jacob shares practical guidance on box renders, component photography, layered artwork, thematic storytelling, image formats, and even using Tabletop Simulator when a physical prototype isn't available. Donnie Chase is part of the Crowdfunding Nerds team with hands-on experience developing and testing advertising creatives for tabletop crowdfunding campaigns. Through working across board game and RPG campaigns, he's seen firsthand which creative formats consistently attract attention—from box renders and thematic artwork to GIFs, lifestyle photography and simple unboxing videos. In this episode, Donnie breaks down why authentic creative can sometimes outperform polished advertising and how creators can develop assets that better match what board gamers and RPG players naturally respond to. Resources: https://kaganproductions.com/tutorials/ https://stonemaiergames.com/a-new-twist-on-showcasing-our-games-on-facebook/ Connect with Crowdfunding Nerds: Website: https://crowdfundingnerds.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crowdfundingnerds/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crowdfundingnerdspodcast