Welcome Everyone! I’m Sol and this one goes out to all the creative developers out there trying to make it in the tabletop gaming market. I’m going to share with you some important wisdom on why and how you should approach marketing to the community and how you can become not only a better more successful company, but a more considerate member of the community. You’re also going to learn a lot about how to respectfully interact with communities outside your own. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a long one.
Matthew from Abyssal Brews was recently talking in the Hope4TTRPGs Discord about what they felt made them successful. They pointed out that their relationships with the community was really what made their launch of Campfire such a success, and they struggled to express exactly why that was. He knew, deep down, exactly how important community relationships were to build a successful platform but didn’t have the words. I was inspired to share my insight as a Public Health Education specialist and he encouraged me to post here, so let’s dive into it.
The tabletop roleplaying community is insular. While it is becoming more mainstream to play games like Dungeons and Dragons, it is still something of a defensive and small community. Small communities are self-protective, they critically eye outsiders and are astute to being marketed to. It is extremely difficult to develop and sustain a long-term program in such a community, no matter what value it may be delivering. Speaking from a public health perspective you would be surprised by exactly how many free services are offered and never taken advantage of, because a community does not trust an outsider. Importantly, they are often correct in that mistrust!
It is a fact that without the informed consent of a population you are unlikely to have any long-term success interacting with them. To get that informed consent there is little gain in appealing to the community at large. The louder you are, the more insistent you are, the more you push your product as a solution, the less likely you are to succeed. So how do you get that consent? How do you build trust and confidence?
Well, if you are lucky then you are already part of the community before you try to develop or sell anything. You could be a high-profile, well-known person who is already speaking and acting within those community spaces. By already being part of the community, you are already past those first barriers. Not to say that you won’t be critically viewed, but it’s much easier when people already know and trust you as part of the collective.
If you are new, or an outsider, then things get more difficult. This is where Matthew really had an intuitive idea of what he needed to do and how do it. As a newcomer or outsider, you must do two things; respectfully establish yourself as a resource for the community and develop relationships with people in positions of respect.
Giving something away for free, with no pretense and no sales rhetoric, can show that you are invested in the community. Investing in the wellbeing of a community is the key here, it isn’t about giving away merchandise or advice, it is about giving away time and emotional labor. Small communities see bribes of all sorts to try to buy their good will. They know what’s going on. Giving your time, your value, your self, patiently and respectfully is an investment that is genuine. It will take time to develop this sort of trust and it will be a constant ongoing project.
The second part, developing relationships with people in positions of respect, is equally important. Communities look to leaders, not authority figures, leaders. Being able to identify who really sets a tone and opinion in a community is vital, often it is not the people you first expect. You will probably listen to your grandmother’s opinion on someone more than you will the Mayor’s opinion, for example. Having those key relationships, and honoring them, is how you develop actual social capital that will allow you to interact with the community and help.
So how do you develop that connection? The same as any other decent human relationship; respect, patience, and kindness. You cannot approach these leaders and lay out your plan wholesale and expect instant agreement. You need to develop that kindness to the people they care most about and show respect to their position in the community. Give of yourself and listen to the person you are working with. Do not force your opinion, do not suggest, or advise when not asked. Simply listen, be patient, and help where you are able.
Helping is what this is all about, right? You’re not here trying to make money, you’re here because you believe that what you’ve developed is going to help someone, right? Because let me tell you, if you get this far, build those connections, and then betray them? There is no way to recover from that. On the other hand, if you build those connections and work constantly beside folks, you not only help that community, but you widen your own. You now are part of a wider more connected, more compassionate world. Even if you don’t sell a single thing, isn’t that worth the effort?
I hope you enjoyed this article and I hope you reach out to a new community and join it with trust and kindness. If you found value in this article it would mean the world to me for you to follow my Ko-fi and become a member. Thank you in advance!
Sol's Roles 
Leave a comment