Gas Range And Marketing Tools
Currently my wife and I are in the process of updating decrepit parts of our house. Mostly some plumbing and heating, but it also includes the kitchen.And while it is a minor upgrade… cabinets, layout, and countertop are all the same… the effects of these changes will be monumental, for one simple reason:
WE GOT A GAS RANGE.
Quick sneak peak behind the curtain: I LOVE cooking. I’m not good enough for my own restaurant, and I’m certainly not good enough to have my own youtube channel.
But… I am good enough that 75% of the stuff on menu’s at most restaurants is “off-limits” now because deep down I know I can make it better at home, or at least just as good, for a fraction of the price. I’m looking at YOU roach chicken quarters, pork chops, and every gawd dayum burger at every gawd dayum brewery.
(Fish and chips, sushi, and lasagna are still good options tho)
And for me, gas ranges live up to the hype. The open flame roasts better, cooks more evenly, and heats up in an instant. They are just (*chefs kiss motion), and after 14 years of loving cooking, you can bet your bottom dollar I was READY for a gas range.
Of course, the good ones ain’t cheap, and they don’t make them like they used to. But after hoooours on facebook marketplace, I managed to find a Wolf brand gas range from 1989 for $1000 just 10 minutes down the road.
In my opinion… THAT IS A STEAL, but installing it certainly wasn’t:
The thing weighs like it is made of solid gold…
And I had to borrow my friends truck…
And I had to go to home depot to get an appliance dolly…
And another friend had to help me move it…
And then it sat outside my house until the plumbers could come and extend the gas line to the kitchen…
But after aaaaaaall that work, the gas range was in! All I had to do was plug it in….
“What th-… the plugs don’t match?”
The outlet had three holes. The gas range had four prongs. Even though it was a gas range it had FOUR prongs. It was old, but not THAT old. Without the power, it couldn’t spark, couldn’t bake, and wasn’t very safe to use.
The next two weeks involved dealing with my electrician, and adding a whopping additional 33% to our kitchen “remodel” budget.
Now don’t get me wrong… I am cool as a cucumber with my new oven, but I definitely would have thought twice had I known I also needed to pay for 25 yards of new wiring to the kitchen.
And here is why that is relevant for board game marketing:
Before you pursue a marketing channel, make sure you can afford EVERYTHING that is needed for it to work.
For example, if you are doing email, you will need A) an email provider (like Mailchimp), B) an email address warmer (like Mailreach), C) email deliverability software/expert to monitor, D) an email marketing strategy OR copywriter to write the emails and strategize it.
And if you are doing SEO you will need software for backlinks, guest posts, social media signals, and analytics. Not to mention high quality images, a graphic designer, a copywriter, and just paying for the damn site!
My point is… all these different marketing channels are really complex and have a lot of interlocking parts. Not only that, but gone are the days of “if you do “x”, you’ll rank!” There is just way too much competition and you need every little advantage you can (more on that NEXT week).
If you want to get the results you expect, the type of results these platforms promote as possible, you need to use every single necessary tool. Missing even a single one will give you completely underwhelming results.
Because it doesn’t matter if you have a great gas range in a beautiful kitchen and a new gas line with an excited cook… if the plug doesn’t match the outlet, its just a really big paper weight.
