While listening to the latest episode of the Covenant Cast in preparation for a podcast with them today, I found myself making notes of the words of wisdom from industry leader Rodney Smith of Watch It Played. Below are 4 incredibly insightful things that Rodney mentioned in the podcast (which I’d highly recommend listening to).
- “No one owes me anything.” Rodney says this around 21:20 in the podcast, and he’s referring to a mentality that even though people have supported his channel financially in the past doesn’t mean that he expects them to support him in the future. He has to earn and maintain trust every day. I ascribe to this mentality too (though it’s important that I remind myself of it). Fans of our past games don’t owe me any loyalty–each game or expansion is a new consideration for which I must forge new trust. Readers and viewers don’t owe me anything–I’m trying to serve you. Our partners and independent contractors don’t owe me anything–I pay them for goods and services, and they provide those goods and services.
- Set goals you have control over. Rodney delves into this around the 24:00 mark. He’s specifically referring to how he views progress for his channel–instead of setting goals he can’t control like “have X subscribers,” he focuses on what he can control, like, “post 1 new video every week for the next 2 months.” I think this is so important for finding satisfaction in my work. I can’t control how many people buy our games, but I can control the quality of what we create and the passion I put into our projects.
- Build relationships, not a network. This philosophy of Rodney’s is very similar to how I’ve talked about treating backers/customers as individual people, not numbers. When you’re connecting with people on social media, are you focused on your total followers, or are you more interested in the genuine connections you’re making with people? This doesn’t mean I need to have a full conversation with everyone who comments on my posts, but I do read every comment and try to answer every question. We’re just having fun together.
- You have an impact on the welfare of others. Rodney goes into this late in the podcast. Once people started paying attention to what Rodney had to say online, he realized that he had the opportunity to uplift people by posting about what he likes and enjoys…or he could spend his social currency complaining, disliking, and bashing. I really appreciate the outward focus and awareness here: Your approach may be different than Rodney’s, but I think the key is to be aware of how you impact other people. And in turn, you can choose who you follow on social media, because the way they talk about other people, games, and topics probably has an impact on your psyche too.
Thank you, Rodney, for sharing your wisdom and positivity. I’d love to hear what others think about these tips!
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12 Comments on “4 Social Media Tips from an Industry Leader”
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Hello, thanks for all your advice, 2 questions from my side: do you know of any other youtubers/ channels that make video’s about board game development? & how do you split your different media channels? what you use Facebook for, what Instagram, what Youtube, what for Twitter?
Kinder regards,
Hendrik
Hm, YouTube channels that talk specifically about game design and development? I’m sure there are, but mostly I get that from podcasts like Ludology, the Board Game Design Lab, and the Game Design Roundtable (see here: https://stonemaiergames.com/kickstarter/how-to-design-a-tabletop-game/). I use this blog to discuss entrepreneurship, YouTube for game design, Instagram to talk about other games (sometimes our games and sometimes my cats), Facebook groups for discussions about specific games, Twitter for sharing links to all of the above, and BoardGameGeek for answering questions about our games.
EXACTLY…when you operate from a place of anger and hate, it is only hurting you, and reflecting poorly on whatever you are trying to communicate. Focusing on the problematic constantly is soul destroying. When you lead from a place of real love and empathy, you may make mistakes, but you will have no regrets, and a clear conscience. I just want to emerge from this dark period with my humanity and integrity intact. #decencyFTW.
BTW I just caught your video on laborious setups, I had not watched you live in awhile. You look so healthy and happy! Being in a relationship suits you well! I loved seeing Biddy and Walter too!!!
Thanks Candy! And I really like this: “When you lead from a place of real love and empathy, you may make mistakes, but you will have no regrets, and a clear conscience.”
While they all resonate with me, the one regarding “Set Goals You Have Control Over” has the greatest impact, as I’ve lived my life with a slight twist on this one, which is, “Don’t spend time worrying about the things that you can’t control.” For me and my business, I focus on the needs of each client instead of trying to set a goal of 4-6 new clients per year. With each client, I set expectations, maintain frequent contact, and deliver what I have promised.
I like that philosophy, Joe!
100%. These types of things are very important for ones mental health. It’s easy to succumb to others and their “demands” when it comes to trying to make it in any industry. But the key in everything is to do it because you love it. We love taking photos of all sorts. And we do it for others. Nothing is more gratifying then when someone loves something you create. What’s even better is when you create friends. Which I have come to find has grown in the space.
Great Post.
Well said, Nathan–I really value the friends I’ve formed through Stonemaier Games.
I really like this – Rodney is a positive ambassador in the way he interacts. I think we can all learn from the positive way he conducts himself. There are a lot of blood sweat and tears that people put into their games and their art every day and it pays to support designers and artists through our words and actions. I think that positivity can be magnetic when it comes to social media – I don’t want to read someone dumping all over someone’s art or ideas – be constructive and we become a community all supporting each other to be better.
“Positivity can be magnetic”–I absolutely agree, Paul!
Rodney Smith is a credit to the industry. As far as I can tell, he’s hardly the only one, which is one thing that attracts me to this hobby.
I agree, Steven–there’s a lot of positivity in the gaming industry/community.