As a tabletop game retailer, you’re in the business of selling storytelling and shared experiences. You are a purveyor of good times. A connoisseur of fun with friends and family. A dispenser of quests and epic adventures.
You’re selling products that I would argue literally make the world a better place to be in.
While that’s all true, this often leads to one of the biggest mistakes I see store owners make with marketing their business.
They fall into the role of passive characters in the stories of their customer’s lives, instead of acting like the main character in their own story.
You may have seen this sentiment from other retailers online or felt it yourself.
You feel like you’re just an NPC in the background of your customer’s fun, providing the proverbial equipment they need to slay the dragon.
And NPC’s are by definition passive. They exist only to serve the narrative the players are exploring. NPC’s aren’t out there in the world, trying to change the story. They wait behind the counter for people to come to them.
While this works just fine for an RPG campaign, if you want your game store to be as successful as it could be, you need to ditch the NPC mindset and become the main character of your tale.
This means fully embodying the fact that your friendly local game store is providing a crucial service to your community. In a variety of small personal ways, you are actually saving the world.
Feel it. Believe it. Now channel that energy into confidence.
When it comes to marketing your business, this means spreading the good word of what your game store is and how your products solve a massive pain point in your customer’s lives, hint: it’s human connection.
Nearly every game store owner I’ve spoken to over the years was a hobbyist before they got into the business, and up until relatively recently, being a tabletop nerd (I say this lovingly, being a proud nerd myself) was something to hide.
We were the outcasts. It wasn’t cool to play Dungeons and Dragons or Magic, and we often found our place in the local game stores of yore. Our hero personas only existed on the tabletop.
If you want to find success in the game business, you need to become the main character, take bold action, and be proactive. You need to become a hero that solves problems, takes the lead, and rallies people together.
Heroes don’t just stand behind the counter waiting for adventurers. They step out, wave the banner, and sound the call to gather a party.
Here are three ways you can do exactly that:
#1 Don’t be afraid to tell people about what you do
When someone comes into your store for the first time, they’re expressing an interest in the hobby. That is an invitation for you to reach out to them and help them find the right experience.
If they had a great experience or found something cool they’re excited about, ask them to tell their friends!
Game stores can be intimidating for people just entering the space, and many of them will appreciate a friendly guide to help them navigate the insane number of options for fun that fill your shelves.
But it’s not just about being proactive with the people who are coming into your store to shop, you need to get out into the world and tell people about your store, both physically and metaphorically speaking.
Go into other businesses near your location with a business card and a smile, and let them know about your shop. If it makes sense, offer to collaborate with them. Cafes and restaurants are natural allies of local game stores!
Connect with community centers, libraries, and schools, and offer to organize events and clubs or provide them with products in exchange for promoting your store.
Post flyers around. Put out a sandwich board on your sidewalk near your front door. Rep your store by wearing your own merchandise when you go out.
Get out there and talk to people about your awesome store!
#2 Post more often in more places
Social media is a noisy place and attention is a premium currency online. Organic reach is lower than ever, with roughly 5% of your audience seeing any given post, so don’t be afraid to bang the drum more than once.
You should post multiple times about an upcoming event or release on multiple platforms. Leverage your Facebook and Instagram pages with multiple posts, while also posting in local FB groups.
Mix up the formats and create Stories and Reels, as well as written posts and images. Variation keeps things fresh. Leverage the power of live video and talk about what’s happening in your store and why people should check it out.
Put some gas in your tank by running paid ad campaigns on Meta and Google. Get the good word of what you offer out into the world! If posting on social media and creating content every day sounds like a nightmare to you, paid ads are right up your alley. Campaigns can run for as long as you want and once you get them set up with the right messaging, it’s just a matter of checking in a tweaking the numbers.
If you want to find out how we can make that process easy, set up a call with us and we’ll show you our system for generating tons of foot traffic and sales with Meta and Google ads!
#3 Build a consistent, personalized outreach system
Don’t just rely on someone remembering to drop by. Be the hero who sends out a personal call-to-adventure.
Establish an email newsletter that goes beyond just listing products—tell short stories about what’s happening at the store, share staff recommendations for new titles, highlight customer success stories, and preview upcoming events.
Combine this with a well-structured in-store opt-in system (e.g., a tablet at checkout) to gather email addresses.
Consistent, narrative-driven messaging builds a stronger relationship with customers and encourages them to return, again and again.
The bottom line is this: If you want to level up your business, you need to step into your role as the hero of your own story. Stop seeing yourself as just another vendor on the sidelines and embrace the fact that you’re a community builder, a storyteller, and a catalyst for connection.
The more proactive you become, the more your customers will see your store as the hub of a vibrant, welcoming gaming scene—not just a place to grab a box and head home.
Let the world know who you are, what you stand for, and why your store matters!