As a new indie board game creator hoping to share games in a bustling crowdfunding campaign later this year, I recently embarked on a strategic adventure into Instagram advertising. The challenge ahead was formidable: attract 1000 signups on a BackerKit teaser page for a small game I’m working on (called Mouse vs. Cheese – details at the end of the post) to secure 50 pledges, all without a vast following or large established networks.
What unfolded was a revelatory adventure (it felt at times like a game) in marketing/advertisement that reshaped my understanding of the digital landscape and its nuanced engagement gears, and it all happened within a week!
Navigating through the intricacies of Instagram advertisements, I was intrigued by the power of post Boosting (Insta’s Ad programme). Be it directing potential backers to a URL, leading them to my profile page, or inviting direct messaging, the platforms’ versatility is useful to seek out board gamers who might be interested in this new project. Opting for an automatic audience demographic (you can specify audiences in more detail, including age, gender, location, interests, ect.), mirroring my existing social circle, I ventured into this experiment!
The execution involved a teaser video, encapsulating the excitement of the game. Over two days, I deployed £10 across campaigns, generating a thousand viewers of my Insta post (1700 to be precise), from which about 5% clicked through to the BackerKit page (exactly 51).
These figures spotlighted a critical learning curve in digital advertising – the concept of filters (there’s an Insta post about this here). From initial engagement to the final action, each stage acted as a sieve, scrutinising the alignment of content with viewer expectations and interests. Earlier in the week, I’d run a £1 advert, and quickly realised that, yes, more advertising money gets you more views (duh)!
However, the journey didn’t end with click-throughs (don’t worry I didn’t cry too much). Despite drawing 51 intrigued visitors to the BackerKit page, the leap to actual sign-ups remained elusive – 0. This outcome needed a deeper introspection into the mismatch between the engaging high energy of the Instagram post and the detailed, subdued tone of the BackerKit page. It was a revelation about the importance of consistent messaging and meeting raised expectations.
It’s worth noting that Backerkit has a useful feature for understanding this audience pathway. The link to the teaser page can include a reference added by me, so rather than look at all people coming through to the project, I can see the specific pathways they’re using (the reference for the ad was instaAd1). The observant amongst you will notice that Instagram says 51 clicked, and Backerkit say this was 154 views – I’m not sure why there’s a different between these two numbers, it’s something for me to explore further.
The exploration also showed me the significance of audience alignment. The initial targeting was ‘automatic’, it targeted my existing followers’ interests in board games. Yet, my project might better resonate more with creatives, artists, and doodlers – a mismatch that may explain the lack of sign ups (the problem is a gnarly one, so in reality there’ll be loads of reasons why someone might not sign up).
In retrospect, this journey through Instagram advertising was a great learning experience. It underlined the importance of understanding and aligning with the target audience, crafting consistent messaging, and getting to grips with the art of engagement through digital filters. As I prepare to revise my approach and venture into another round of advertising, the lessons learned pave the way for more nuanced strategies and, hopefully, better outcomes!
This exploration into the realms of Instagram ads, BackerKit engagements, and the pivotal need for alignment has not only develop my marketing skills, but also prepared me for the exciting challenges that lie ahead in the world of board game creation and crowdfunding success!
If you’re intrigued by Mouse vs Cheese, you can take a look at the project here.
