Do you already have a board game to sell? Great! But do you know every single player in the world who might also want this game? Probably not or find a csuf writing center. In order to get the word out about your awesome board game, follow these 10 ways to immediately start selling BOARD GAMES:
How can you start selling board games instantly?
1. Start a Blog
Just like blogging about movies or music can get you into the world of film and music, blogging about board games can get you into the board game community. Start off by listing your top 10 favorite games and then rate new ones as they come out. When possible, also review them.
2. Get on BoardGameGeek.com
This is THE site for all things board games (BGG). It is a giant community of gamers who cover every aspect of the hobby, from games purchased at their local game store to the best games on BGG. In addition to posting about your favorite games, you can post reviews for them. Your rating will determine where in the list your game appears so the more votes you get, the higher up in the list it appears.
3. Review Board Games on BoardGameGeek
The same thing goes for board game reviews. Choose a board game to review and then start sucking up some votes!
4. Get with Local Game Stores
Most people that play board games go into their local gaming store at least once a week. In addition to selling games, stores also host gaming events, tournaments and regular play nights. If you are lucky enough to find a local game store that is willing to stock your board game, get it on their shelves. Being available in-store is sometimes enough for people to take notice.
5. Attend Local Events
If your game has an age group or theme that is particularly popular in your area, attend the conventions and conferences related to it. For example, if your game is about dragons, attend DragonCon in Atlanta or the Renaissance Faire in California. If your game is a party game for kids, go to BrickFair or ComicCon and set up a booth with lots of copies of the game for people to play.
6. Approach Toy Retailers
Board games, especially family-themed games, are big at big toy and children’s retailers. Toys R Us, Target and Walmart all carry board games. If your game is suitable for kids and you’ve been able to get it into a family-friendly toy store chain, then talk to them about the possibility of you becoming a vendor.
7. Get Your Game in Stores near College Campuses
College students make great gamers! They have the time for gaming (especially if they don’t have other responsibilities like paying bills or raising children) and often have their own apartments or houses with spaces to play in. Collegiate stores are especially good at stocking board games. Get a business card and an email address, get some copies of the game, then go to one store in your general direction and introduce yourself. Ask about stocking your game, or if there is space in the back or a side table in their games area to place some copies of your game.
8. Craft Beer Distributors Can Also Sell Board Games
Once again, staying on the cutting edge of things can help you market your board game more successfully. Craft beer is all the rage right now and many communities have their own craft beer distributors. If you live in a town with an established craft beer scene, contact these distributors to see if they are interested in buying games from you.
9. Attend Craft Beer Events
This is where it pays to be on top of the trends! Craft beer goes hand-in-hand with board games. Both hobbies are also usually filled with young people who love meeting new people, trying new things and having a good time doing it! The more board game events you attend, the more likely your game will be successful at selling!
10. The Internet
The Internet is the future of sales. Marketing and advertising through the web is everywhere nowadays, and it can often be more cost-effective than many other types of marketing. If you are interested in starting a blog, then start with your blog about board games. If you want to start advertising your game on BGG, then sign up for a free account (and start posting reviews). If you want to market your game directly to consumers rather than only retailers, then there are many great internet sales sites that will allow you as an individual or company acquire new customers and sell directly from your website to them.
Conclusion of this article:
So there you have it, 10 ways to get started right now selling your board game. If you are serious about your game, then use these strategies and tips to start getting into the world of board gaming right away.
Some great ideas there but I’d like to point out that a website is not necessary. In fact, in my opinion people who create their own websites are much less likely to succeed because it’s another expense they must maintain and keeping an online store updated on a regular basis is no simple task. BGG is a great platform for selling games, especially for publishers selling direct to retailers.
