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Juggling a business is hard enough without adding the pressure of mastering multiple marketing channels. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, spreading yourself thin across social media, email, and who-knows-what-else. But what if there was a way to streamline your efforts and make your marketing work smarter, not harder?That's where multichannel marketing comes in. "When you use them together, you get a sum that's greater than the parts," says Aaron Wesley Means, Founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, emphasizing the power of combining channels like email and social media. In this episode of Constant Contact's Be a Marketer podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, welcomes back Constant Contact Community Coach Aaron. Aaron shares his expert insights on creating cohesive, impactful campaigns that extend your reach and boost your business growth.Tune in to learn how to leverage the unique strengths of each digital platform, discover how Constant Contact's Campaign Builder can streamline your multichannel strategy, and walk away with actionable advice to amplify your marketing impact.Additional Resources:Join The Ready, Set, Send ChallengeReady Set Send Challenge Week 4: Multi-channel Campaign CreationIntegrated Marketing Campaign Mastery: Transform Your MarketingCampaign Builder in Constant ContactQ&A: Achieve Your Goals with Multi-Channel Marketing CampaignsWelcome to the Constant Contact CommunityMeet Today's Guest: Aaron Wesley Means of Activate Business Solutions
Small business owners often juggle countless tasks, leaving marketing on the back burner. But what if there was a way to streamline marketing efforts and boost confidence?Enter Constant Contact's latest innovation: the AI-powered Campaign Builder. This tool promises to revolutionize how small businesses approach marketing, addressing the challenges uncovered in the Spring 2024 Small Business Report. "More than half of small businesses we polled — about 55% to 56% — told us that they have less than an hour a day to spend on marketing," reveals Michael Wood, Manager of North America External Communications at Constant Contact. This startling statistic underscores the need for efficient marketing solutions.The episode dives into the research findings, exploring why small businesses struggle with marketing and how the new Campaign Builder can help. Kate Conway, Constant Contact's Senior Product Marketing Manager, explains how the tool leverages AI and Constant Contact's decades of marketing expertise to create multi-channel campaigns tailored to specific business goals.Tune in to gain insights into the current state of small business marketing and learn how AI-driven tools can save time, boost confidence, and improve overall marketing strategies.Additional Resources:SBN ReportCampaign BuilderBrandKitHave you tried Campaign Builder? Let us know!Meet Today's Guests: Kate Conway and Michael Wood of Constant Contact
This episode's Community Champion Sponsor is Ossur. To learn more about their ‘Responsible for Tomorrow' Sustainability Campaign, and how you can get involved: CLICK HERE---Episode Overview: Key industry industry leaders are stepping up and shepherding healthcare organizations that are seeking new and innovative ways to engage patients and drive better outcomes. Our next guest, Will Johnson, is at the forefront of this revolution as Vice President & General Manager of +Oscar.With a background in healthcare strategy and a passion for solving consumer pain points, Will leads the charge in commercializing innovative tech solutions for providers and payers. Drawing from his extensive experience at Oscar Health Insurance, Will brings a unique perspective on leveraging technology to improve healthcare outcomes. While together, Will and I discuss how +Oscar's Campaign Builder is revolutionizing patient communication, driving better utilization, and ultimately creating healthier, happier populations. Join us to gain Will's insights on the future of personalized healthcare and how technology can empower both providers and patients in this rapidly evolving landscape. Let's go!Episode Highlights:Personal negative healthcare experience inspired Will's career path in consumer-centric solutionsPlus Oscar commercializes engagement technology and behavior change tools for payers and providersPlatform shows impressive results: 118% increase in wellness visits, 96% MA plan retentionEmphasis on personalized, scalable strategies for managing diverse and complex patient populationsFuture trend towards individualization in healthcare, with focus on near one-to-one communicationAbout our Guest: Will Johnson is the Vice President & General Manager of +Oscar, Modular Solutions, where he leads a team focused on commercializing discrete components of +Oscar's tech stack to both providers and payers. The team's current focus is on the growth of Campaign Builder, +Oscar's Engagement and Automation platform. The product is now serving 500K lives between external payors and provider clients across a variety of markets and LOBs.Prior to joining +Oscar, Will held many roles within Oscar Health Insurance and was a key driver of both their growth to 1M+ lives and their profitability efforts. With a particular focus on TX and Southeast markets, Will owned core Growth, P&L management, and Value-Based Care Strategy and Contracting functions for the regions throughout his seven year tenure with Oscar Health Insurance.Before joining Oscar, Will was an Associate Consultant at Bain and Company where he advised Telecomm, Technology, and Healthcare clients on Market Entry Strategy and Product Portfolio Management. Will is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he was also a member of their 2011 College World Series baseball program.Links Supporting This Episode: +Oscar Website: CLICK HEREWill Johnson LinkedIn page: CLICK HERE+Oscar LinkedIn page: CLICK HERE Mike Biselli LinkedIn page: CLICK HEREMike Biselli Twitter page: CLICK...
Accelerate has generated fantastic results in its testing phase, now joins Meta's Advantage+ and Pinterest's Performance+ as “AI-enabled” advertising tools. Steve Sipress, entrepreneur, marketing, advertising, sales, tips, ideas, help, wow, strategy, small business owner, direct response, tactics, success, profits, growth, results, marketing consultant, Linkedin, Accelerate, ads, advertising, AI, Meta, Advantage, Pinterest, Performance,
In this episode, we have 14 updates for you. Prime Day 2024 profit strategy. Amazon's new returns feature. FBA Analytics for inventory trends. Amazon Ads' new Audiences feature. Simplified SD campaign management. Non-branded search opportunities. Major FBA policy change. Google Ads' Performance Max for Marketplaces. Sponsored Brands ads with reviews. Fit Insights Tool in EU and IN. Product search journey insights. Product Listing Quality tool in Campaign Builder. Alexa's advanced AI upgrade. Canva's Amazon Ads connector.Stay informed with the latest Amazon insights and updates. Thank you for tuning in to Amazon Community Updates. RESOURCESRead our News Feed.Book an Amazon Advertising audit.Follow me on Twitter.Amazon design examples.Follow our team.$85 to $117k in 45 days. 2-minute breakdown of what we did.Message George.
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Bryan Barletta interviews Gumball CEO Marty Michael about the company's new Campaign Builder, Substack announces new Spotify integration, Radiodays North America to feature a seperately-ticketed podcast summit, the hard numbers on YouTube Shorts, and why women are driving True Crime's growth. Find links to every article mentioned, today's Database Snapshot, and the full writeup on Sounds Profitable.
Here's what you need to know for today in the business of podcasting: Bryan Barletta interviews Gumball CEO Marty Michael about the company's new Campaign Builder, Substack announces new Spotify integration, Radiodays North America to feature a seperately-ticketed podcast summit, the hard numbers on YouTube Shorts, and why women are driving True Crime's growth. Find links to every article mentioned, today's Database Snapshot, and the full writeup on Sounds Profitable.
What's the difference between a Lair and a Home? And how do you go about designing Lair Actions for your BBEG? In Dan's last episode of the Campaign Builder, he and Adam settle into their old routine to bring their experience and creativity to one of the most interesting mechanics of 5th Edition. Takeaways: - Regional Effects and Lair Actions have similar themes but very different functions - Every lair should have a personality and logic to itself - There should be a reason for everything within a lair - Ensure that the players can feel that they are in enemy territory Intro 0:00 Lairs 1:14 Designing a Lair 15:19 Unique Lair Actions 26:19 Outro 48:45 Post Credit 52:13 DON'T FORGET TO LIKE & SUBSCRIBE! Available On: Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/3Y19VxSxLKyfg0gY0yUeU1 Apple Podcasts at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/its-a-mimic/id1450770037 YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQmvEufzxPHWrFSZbB8uuw Info: Episode Guide at Episode Guide : ItsaMimic (reddit.com) Email at info@itsamimic.com Social: Website at https://www.itsamimic.com Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/ItsaMimic/ Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/itsamimic/?hl=en Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/itsamimic/ DM 1: Dan O'Coin DM 2: Adam Nason Written by: Adam Nason and Dan O'Coin Director: Dan O'Coin and Adam Nason Audio Editor: Adam Nason Video Editor: Adam Nason Executive Producer: Dan O'Coin and Adam Nason Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe All other music provided by Tyler Gibson at https://www.instagram.com/melodicasmusic Logo by: Katie Skidmore at https://www.instagram.com/clementineartportraits/ This post or video may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through our links. This episode is meant to be used as an inspirational supplement for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and tabletop roleplaying games in general. It's A Mimic! does not own the rights to any Wizards of the Coasts products. Artwork included in this episode's video visualizations is published and/or owned by Wizards of the Coast.
Boss fights are iconic, traditional, and memorable, but how do you build up to a good one? How do you find the balance and keep the players on the edge of their seats? In this long-overdue episode, Dan and Adam sit down and discuss their inspirations and their tactics for handling Big Bad Evil Guys. Takeaways: - There's more than one way to monologue for your bad guys - Setting is key - A boss fight doesn't have to end with a kill - Have some loose contingencies Disclaimer 0:00 Intro 0:38 Boss Battles 1:55 Encounters 42:41 Outro 1:08:17 DON'T FORGET TO LIKE & SUBSCRIBE! Available On: Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/3Y19VxSxLKyfg0gY0yUeU1 Apple Podcasts at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/its-a-mimic/id1450770037 YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQmvEufzxPHWrFSZbB8uuw Info: Episode Guide at Episode Guide : ItsaMimic (reddit.com) Email at info@itsamimic.com Social: Website at https://www.itsamimic.com Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/ItsaMimic/ Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/itsamimic/?hl=en Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/itsamimic/ DM 1: Dan O'Coin DM 2: Adam Nason Written by: Adam Nason and Dan O'Coin Director: Dan O'Coin and Adam Nason Audio Editor: Adam Nason Video Editor: Adam Nason Executive Producer: Dan O'Coin and Adam Nason Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe All other music provided by Tyler Gibson at https://www.instagram.com/melodicasmusic Logo by: Katie Skidmore at https://www.instagram.com/clementineartportraits/ This post or video may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through our links. This episode is meant to be used as an inspirational supplement for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition and tabletop roleplaying games in general. It's A Mimic! does not own the rights to any Wizards of the Coasts products. Artwork included in this episode's video visualizations is published and/or owned by Wizards of the Coast.
So much of our favourite pop culture is based upon destroying the status quo, making a hair-brained scheme, and then fighting the insurmountable odds, but in D&D the hair-brained scheme is often overlooked. So how do you offer opportunity and agency without having the session go wildly off the rails? Adam and Dan walk you through what it means to go from storyteller to audience, and why Dungeon Masters should not necessarily be concerned with the realism surrounding player schemes. Takeaways:- When the party plots and schemes while the tension ratchets up, and the Dungeon Master steps back to a reactionary role, the campaign is operating at peak performance.- Revenge is a major motivating factor for most players, but they might try to surprise their DM. If this is the case, be cognizant of whether or not this is because they want to have a big cool moment, or if they just don't trust you as the Dungeon Master.- One of the major issues with giving the players total agency over a story beat is simply that analysis paralysis might set in. Providing boundaries and nudges might be required to keep them on track.- Dungeon Masters should take more notes than the players to maintain consistency.- Using enemy powers and tactics against the players in this session may inspire them to use similar powers and tactics in the next session against the big boss fight. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Aha! Bet you didn't see it coming! Out of nowhere, here comes an episode on the worst kind of surprises in D&D: Betrayals! This episode sees Dan and Adam break down the why, when, and how of using effective, meaningful betrayals in your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Takeaways:- Some players will blame the Dungeon Master for a betrayal, and focus on the DM as the adversary. The best way to avoid this is by having the betrayal be plausible.- Squash the impulse to talk about the betrayal after the session. The players still working through it and analyzing all the small details. Hearing about how you designed the betrayal will put the attention on you and not the character.- You can use your own attitudes and language to subtly imply that there is a distance between yourself and the villain you are revealing. Swapping from first-person perspective to third-person perspective is a good tool for this.- Knowing the layout of the story in advance allows you to introduce some ideas quietly in the background of the plot while major issues, raising stakes, and resolutions are in full swing. This gives you the opportunity to drop hints about a betrayal early, so the players can look back on the plot later and see that the traitor was always there.- Having a strong motivation is key to planning a betrayal. Without a proper motivation, this will seem like it's just a Dungeon Master adding a twist for their own selfish reasons. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Overland travel, wilderness encounters, and chases aside, there's another common kind of activity in the wild: Scouting. On this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam encourage their players to get proactive and take the fight to their enemies. Takeaways: - Scouting relies on stealth, self-sufficiency, strategy, and speed- Patrols and guards are the direct opposition to scouts. - The frequency of patrols are dependent upon a number of factors, including landscape, enemy, and alertness.- There are more dangers to scouts that just enemy forces. The wilderness is fraught with many dangers.- Counter intelligence scouting should be a real threat. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Cooperative Game. Collaborative Storytelling. Teamwork. On this episode of the Campaign Builder, we sit down together and shine the light on different aspects of tabletop roleplaying games that new Dungeon Masters should think about when prepping for sessions. It's never too late to start promoting cohesion among the party members, and a lot of the time, there are things that DM's can do to help encourage the party to work as a single unit. Takeaways:- Degrees of success and failure are key aspects of good storytelling that uses random chance.- Communicating or hiding conditions for success can add a level of tension in certain circumstances.- Allow the players to think outside the box, execute their plans, and use creative outcomes to accomplish their goals. It is okay to reward them if they earn it.- The flanking variant rule often acts like the Help action in combat, without using a part of the character's turn.- Blue Streak: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181316/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0- Taking the time to promote teamwork in subtle ways with common information and inclusive language will set the tone at the table.- A major part of successful teamwork is putting the other players' fun first. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Well, the party has been captured and all hope is lost... I guess the only thing left to do is... ESCAPE! In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam run you through the ins and outs of running a manhunt and keeping the party on the run! Takeaways:- Applying degrees of success and failures is incredibly useful when dealing with a scenario as reliant upon skill checks as escape- Players choose characters because of the characters' strengths, so don't punish ignore the base factors of the character's mechanics- There are many different skills abilities besides Stealth and Sleight of Hand checks that can help with an escape- Keep the pressure up. It's not an engaging escape if the player characters can just stroll out- Communicate clearly about timelines, threats, distances, and other details of the escape Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Stop. Put down your dice. Sit back and listen. Because in this episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder, we're taking away agency from the people around the table. Capture and imprisonment are old standards for Dungeons and Dragons, but they often result in real people getting really upset. So how do you handle this as a DM? Well, if you trust us... Just sit for a bit and listen to what it means to face Destined Loss. Takeaways:- Before taking away real agency from a player, be aware that this is going to frustrate and anger the party- Building a good relationship between the DM and players for a week or two in advance will give a solid foundation for removing agency- Sometimes metagaming is the easiest and simplest solution to defusing a situation- Agency should be all or nothing. Minor scraps of agency give false hope and result in discouragement- Never call your creatures or foes by name the first time your party meets them- Slowly and subtly draining player characters' resources will result in a more subdued party when it comes time to remove their agency Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
What exists between urban and wilderness settings? Well, the farmland, of course! Join Dan and Adam this week as they take a stroll down some dusty roads to find out what farming might look like in a magical setting, how people might react to a party's presence, and what dynamic encounters they can bring to the table as they slowly begin to gear up for the next big plot reveal. Takeaways:- While rural settings can feel open and isolated, there is usually friendly help within yelling distance.- People in rural settings are very resourceful by necessity, but there's a pride and honour in being so self-sufficient.- Folk in the country may enjoy the freedom and simplicity of life away from the city, but they're not stupid and they have their own forms of political structures and information trafficking.- Farmers and other rural inhabitants will still have access to magic, but will probably use it in different and unique ways.- The priorities of people outside the city are very different from the people who live in the city.- Ending on a warm, wholesome note without a pressing need or impending doom will allow you players to relax and enjoy a different kind of happy ending to a session. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Being a part of a caravan can be very different than escorting an NPC or two, and in this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam sit down and look at what travelling looks like when the party isn't necessarily calling the shots. From boxing matches to purple worms, this episode has a surprising amount of action for a scenario with supposedly-little combat! Takeaways:- Caravans should be thought of as nomadic civilizations, and there will be many of the same characters and issues that a town face during a long trek.- Think about the kinds of environments your campaign is in, and what domesticated magical beasts people would use to help with travel through some of the unique challenges.- Some of the challenges when dealing with large groups of NPC's present are balancing combat, pacing encounters, and handling non-social players.- Caravans leave little opportunity for exploration, so side quests and smaller missions may be a welcomed break from monotony.- Caravans are filled with many people with many jobs, many motivations, and many secrets. Also, beware the arachnacamel! Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Why do urban encounters feel so different from wilderness encounters, and what are some common themes or interesting additions that Dungeon Masters can use to flesh out the locations of their games? In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam look at what unique and interesting opportunities some different locations have to offer. Takeaways:- Oft-overlooked aspects of wilderness travel are things like weather, seasons, isolation, animal territories, and terrain variety.- Creating unique calendars, while interesting, may add a level of complication to your world that discourages players.- Interesting ideas to add depth to urban life include sporting events, docks, parks, rural outskirts, libraries, and rooftops.- Variety in locations can give a sense of accomplishment and moving forward in the story, but also provides opportunities for different characters, monsters, and items to take the spotlight.- While some published adventure modules and campaign settings touch on some locations, there is a lot of room to explore further. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
It's the end of Level Three in this week's episode of the Campaign Builder on It's A Mimic!, and it's time for some much-needed catharsis for the players. Twelve episodes is a long time, and the campaign is just now starting to get rolling, so Dan and Adam look at how to help the players wrap up their first major storyline and feel good doing it! Takeaways:- Catharsis is a unique and powerful reward that is often overlooked by new Dungeon Masters.- Knowing what a party does when given power over their enemies is an invaluable tool for Dungeon Masters to understand their players.- The resolution of the first subplot should establish a new status quo for the party.- Positive NPC reactions to finished quests give the players an incredible pride and sense of accomplishment.- Very subtly introducing new details of the world and NPC's during the lead up to cathartic moments will help make all your different subplots feel like a cohesive, organic story.- Raising the stakes just before the payoff will help give a sense of more intense victory as everything comes to a head and is suddenly, finally over.- Be careful not to let the next plot hook steamroll the emotional catharsis of the current victory. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
On this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam sit down to give you some solid advice about using NPC's. Or do they? This week is all about characters who may or may not be able to be trusted, how to keep the players from killing them, how to encourage trust or breed mistrust, and tactics for Dungeon Masters to use when designing ambiguous Non-Playable Characters. Takeaways:- Unreliable NPC's add a weight to a campaign that may make players pay more attention to what's happening around them.- A lot of adventuring parties like to kill unreliable NPC's, so make certain that you have some tactic for endearing the NPC to the party before they reveal that they're unreliable.- Too much confidence or not enough confidence can make players stop and question whether or not an NPC is as useful as they might appear at first.- A Non-Playable Character with a sense of humour is a great way to keep the players defending the NPC, regardless of their reliability.- Sometimes having a character that seems too good to be true is enough to make the party incredibly suspicious of any help they may offer.- Having strange customs or a language barrier may also provide confusion that will keep the players guessing about an NPC's reliability and motivation. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Fantastic settings for fantastic campaigns! How do you encourage a party to explore a bizarre new setting, and keep the tone and feeling different from their hometown? In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam look into crazy settings and how to have your players intereact with the new environment in easy, organic, and interesting ways. Takeaways:- When designing a fantastical location, spend some time thinking about how daily life would be effected by unique geography.- Incredible landmarks often breed outlandish religions and worshippers.- Knowing only the general geography of a town, and not specific points of interest, allows you to listen to your players' needs and explore a town organically.- When introducing a complicated world or setting, start simple and slowly introduce complexity to your players so they don't become overwhelmed.- Injecting real life tactile puzzles, board games, and escape rooms into a session is a great way to break up a routine, especially if the outcomes directly affect in-game situations.- New settings provides the opportunity to introduce many new NPC's, and that means many new kinds of relationships.- Reintroducing street-level danger is adding a sense of distrust is a great way to subtly shift the tone and emphasize a new kind of location. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
The enemies are escaping to a distant city, so what does that mean? It's time for a chase! In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Adam and Dan look at how to make a chase feel like more than just another skill challenge, especially in regards to overland movement. So saddle up and get ready, because it's a grueling race across the desert as we start to explore Dungeon Mastering for a level three party. Takeaways:- There is a perfectly serviceable chase mechanic in the Dungeon Master's Guide that not many people seem to utilize. It operates almost as a mini-game.- Pacing is one of the most important aspects of running a chase.- Environment is an integral part of any chase, large or small.- Decoys, distractions, and red herrings are fine, but if the party doesn't understand the stakes, these may derail the chase.- The benefit of an overland chase is that it adds a clear goal and sense of pressure to an entire session.- It can be very effective to disrupt a dynamic encounter with a cliffhanger. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
The first few sessions have been bursting at the seams with a variety of urban encounters, but urban encounters mean lots of Non-Playable Characters. And how do you create NPC's? What should you focus on? In this episodes of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam sit down and go over their checklist of what's important for NPC creation, and why. Important Physical Details:- Race- Status- Class and/or Job- Age- Gender/Sexuality- Height/Weight- Colouring (hair, complexion, eyes)- Cleanliness- Clothing- Accessories- Posture- Voice- Mannerisms - Scars/Tattoos- Location Important Personality Details:- Family- Romantic Interests- Contacts- Attitudes- Faith- Preferences/Prejudices- Sense of Humour- Transparency- Needs- Goals- Desires- Pet Peeves - Fears- Triggers- Secrets- Adaptability Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
The party has won, and their enemies are on the run! But before they can give chase, the public steps forward to reward them! Fame and fortune and love and titles and rewards and boons and favours... The game has now changed, at least locally. But what does that mean, and how do you reward such a low-level party? Takeaways:- Heroism is a double-edged sword. Becoming famous can be just as much a challenge as a reward.- Even dark and gritty campaigns rely on the feeling of success.- Clarity about risk, rewards, and boundaries will give definition and the feeling of accomplishments.- From a Dungeon Master's perspective, the illusion of progress is sometimes more important than the progress itself.- Rewards that focus on providing services and opportunities are very effective, and often give a better sense of in-game achievement than NPC favours or shiny new items.- Heroic status comes with responsibilities, and larger organizations will probably take interest in new players on the scene. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
What does order look like, and what are some fundamental kinds of laws and orders that a Dungeons & Dragons party might run into? In this week's episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam dig into their unique definitions of law, and how they think about applying rules within their D&D worlds. Because, after all, rules are meant to be broken... Different Kinds of Law and Order:- Religious Law- Legal Law- Organization Law- Customs- Status (Honour)- Popularity (Reputation)- Morality or Ill-Repute- Survival of the Fittest- Magical Law Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
In Dungeons & Dragons, nNot every day is a walk in the park, and not every walk in the park happens during the day. The frightening, the weird, and the outright malicious lay just around the corner of most adventures, but how do you raise the tension and build horror around the table? This week, the Campaign Builder focuses on how to bring horror to your table, even at low levels. It's not just ghosts and ghoulies in this episode. Adam and Dan talk about pushing boundaries, reading the table, and understanding the different types of Horror. Different Threats in Horror:- Bizarre- Cosmic- Creature- Monster- Phobic- Religious- Stalker- Undead The Five Pillars of Horror:- Disgust- Dread- Suspense- Helplessness- Pain Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Riots! Urban unrest! Mobs and crowds and chaos! This episode focuses on what happens when an urban environment descends into chaos and how to disrupt the status quo! Dan and Adam are at it again, this time with angry and frightened citizens, insane religious leaders, and overwhelmed city officials! It's mayhem, havoc, and disruption as far as they eye can see, so brace yourselves for another episode of the Campaign Builder. Because things are about to get messy! Takeaways:- A world-shaking event should feel chaotic and out of control by keeping the pressure on the players.- Disrupting the status quo doesn't mean punishing the players or taking away their recent rewards.- The simple act of making impactful, positive decisions during a riot will steer your players toward community leadership roles.- As Dungeon Masters help the players learn the world in early sessions, it is equally important for the Dungeon Masters to observe and learn how the characters react to their world.- If players don't take the bait on some dynamic encounters during the chaos, let it go. Don't remove agency by forcing their hands.- Dragging the party out into the city will allow them to continue to explore and map out the city as they fight to keep the city from tearing itself apart. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Dynamic Encounters can add chaos and complications... for good or for ill. So how do you keep it on the side of good? In this episode, Dan and Adam run through the common issues that they've run into with designing and managing dynamic encounters and how they've managed to troubleshoot these issues. From downtime to puzzles to interrupting a conversation with combat, they cover the gamut of dynamic encounters and even cover when to bail on the encounter and just move on. Takeaways:- Variety is the spice of life for encounters.- Know the difference between dwindling resources and character fatigue.- Occasionally tempting or goading the players forward can have their own agency drag them into the next part of a dynamic encounter.- Understand what your triggering action is, and why it will trigger.- At higher levels, when the players are operating like experts and superheroes, start to require combinations of skill checks to pass some encounters.- Not every failure has to be life and death. But every failure - and every success - does need to have a consequence. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Beginnings and endings are the same thing in early levels, as Dan and Adam resolve the first mission and launch the campaign, blurring the two together. Rewards, accolades, foreshadowing, and mystery greet our party when they return back to town with their ward, and the players will have more opportunities to discover their place in the guild, the town, and the religious landscape! Takeaways:- Resolving the first mission can give a lot of insight to the player types around the table.- Early item rewards can help mitigate minor unwanted game mechanics.- Having the party members reward each other can be a satisfying way to bring the party together.- Resolutions can be excellent opportunities to provide foreshadowing and tonal hints.- Not every mystery needs to have a clear answer, and NPC's may have conflicting information and hunches.- Establishing mechanics early will allow you to focus on plot and not mechanics at later levels. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
This week, we meet the potion merchant in need of help, Zelmar Alviante, the Summer Eladrin, and his gigantic (and tempermental) Iguana named Jim. But the party is still level one, so how much help can they give? Quite a lot, it would seem, as the desert is fraught with dangers, opportunities, and challenges that will make these early levels both fun and memorable. Takeaways:- There needs to be a reason why the person/object needs to be escorted- Escorted NPC's should have stronger personalities than regular NPC's, because the party is far more likely to have multiple interactions with them- A successfully escorted NPC may be an opening to future quests or a source of information.- NPC's needing protection are inherently sympathetic.- Retreading familiar territory should present recognizable - if different - encounters that build off of previous themes or scenarios.- Escort missions change the game from offense to defense. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
The party is squishy, but that doesn't mean you can't challenge them. From untrustworthy NPC's to various creatures looking for a meal and an environment that works against you, life beyond the safety of home is fraught with peril. Join Dan and Adam this week as they provide inspiration and insight about how to keep low-level travel both interesting and engaging. Takeaways:- The world beyond the city walls should be immediately dangerous.- Subtly setting themes and ideas early is a good idea.- Challenge your party, but don't go for the kill at Level One.- The environment itself can hold dangers and secrets.- Even seemingly random encounters can provide opportunities for follow-ups and sequels. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Every campaign begins somewhere, and when the meta discussions are over and Session Zero has come and gone, it's time to roll dice. But is Session One too early to introduce dynamic encounters? Of course not! Dan and Adam each discuss three examples of dynamic encounters for Session One in their own campaign, and demonstrate that more complex encounters can add intrigue and depth, even in the opening moments of a campaign. Takeaways:- Quest-givers should be complex characters that can provide multiple emotional reaction early.- Session One should focus on Exploration and Roleplay, but not ignore other options.- Setting the tone and establishing a constant enemy early can bring a party together.- Revealing the quest does not necessarily mean that a quest has begun.- Allowing your players to explore a hometown in the early stages, can provide insight to the playstyles at the table, and flesh out a map that will matter to them. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Dynamic Encounters are encounters that have more than a single action, and add depth beyond normal Dungeons & Dragons scenarios that players have seen before. They provide an infinite number of opportunities for surprises, improv, and creative reactions by players and dungeon masters alike. In this episode, Dan and Adam discuss the following: Dynamic Encounters:- combat-to-combat- combat-to-exploration- combat-to-roleplaying- exploration-to-combat- exploration-to-exploration- exploration-to-roleplaying- roleplaying-to-combat- roleplaying-to-exploration- roleplaying-to-roleplaying- skill challenges- downtime- party politics Other Dynamic Encounters:- tactics (in-combat decisions)- strategy (out-of-combat decisions)- planning (meta decisions)- puzzles (environmental problem-solving)- riddles (language problem-solving) Takeaways:- dynamic encounters take place in a static location, using unexpected problems and stakes to increase engagement, while maintaining the same initiative- downtime includes quest fulfillment, shopping, crafting, drinking, making money, and building relationships, among other simple character- or world-enhancing options- action economy and initiative can be equally important tools to have in non-combat encounters- know who the focus of every encounter is, and give everyone a rewarding turn in the spotlight- "No plan survives contact with the enemy." - Moltke the Elder, Prussian Field Marshall- "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything." - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American President Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Campaign Builder continues building the basic foundation of their campaign, by looking to factions, and creating a guild from the ground up. With a smattering of NPCs and a constant eye on what opportunities may be presented to the party, the Dungeon Masters . Keeping it simple, they lay out a basic breakdown of interesting environments to the North, South, East, and West, as well as important landmarks in each of these directions. And while they discuss the reasons for their decisions, they also make certain to discuss themes, the necessity of variety, and limitations. Takeaways:- A starting faction is great tool for hitting the ground running in a new campaign.- Starting low status with pathetic allies gives the party the opportunity to sympathize early and grow later.- Strong personalities and simple mission statements keep early sessions clean and to the point.- Generic NPCs are useful when building early sessions before player characters are fully established.- Setting up opposing factions will create easy-to-understand conflicts and an early focus for players.- When creating guilds, think of the emotional reaction you are trying to create in your players. BONUS: Remember to stay tuned after the credits to hear their original pitches to each other about potential guilds and guid members. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
The third episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder has the hosts set aside the what and who, and start looking at the where. Keeping it simple, they lay out a basic breakdown of interesting environments to the North, South, East, and West, as well as important landmarks in each of these directions. And while they discuss the reasons for their decisions, they also make certain to discuss themes, the necessity of variety, and limitations. Takeaways:- Contrast leads to exciting adventuring.- Locations should have a basic past fleshed out, as well as potential future plothooks.- Each direction should have some sort of relevance to the main plot, even if the players never go there.- Fantasy settings should have fantastical settings to explore.- Don't start in the place you want to end up within.- Some locations should have provide opportunities for setpiece encounters, like defending a homestead, mining in a sacred land, shifting swamps, or recent sites of major disasters. BONUS: Remember to stay tuned after the credits to hear their original pitches to each other about starting locations, before they incorporated them into the setting... And don't forget that every idea has the ability to become something more fantastic if you don't hold on too tightly. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
In the second episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder, the hosts go from WHAT the plot is going to be, to WHO the the conflicts will be with. Deciding to focus on one arch enemy, and four lieutenants (one per tier), Dan and Adam discuss some unorthodox options and why they like them. So sit tight and listen to what we have to say about our five different villains, including a couple of famous Dungeons & Dragons enemies and three unique concepts for enemies! Takeaways:- There are many different kinds of villains, so have many different motivations.- Having a villain for each tier, as well as a villain for the end of the campaign, will give a sense of accomplishment.- Changing the location and theme is a good opportunity to introduce a new villain.- Not every villain has to stay a villain, and not every friend has to stay a friend.- Subverting expectations with shifting villain motivations will add a sense of organic storytelling to your campaign.- Despite the differing locations and motivations, every major villain should serve the main story line. BONUS: Remember to stay tuned after the credits to hear 20 villain pitches that Dan and Adam throw back and forth in preparation for this episode. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
In the first episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder, the hosts have to sit down and determine WHAT they want to build so they know WHY they are going to build sessions in a particular way. Knowing your overarching plot points from the beginning is a powerful tool that allows you to ask: What are the broad strokes, how can we get there, and why is it important to do it in this way? Takeaways:- Your overarching plot should be simple enough to summarize in a few words.- Your secondary plot should be unrelated at face value.- You don't need to have all the answers at Tier One, but you should start thinking about the questions.- Tier Two is a good place to demonstrate the dire nature of the situation and to raise the stakes, while resolving the initial calls to action.- When outlining a basic idea for Tier Three, consider resolving the secondary plot, and give clear (if somewhat daunting) objectives moving forward.- Tier Four play will allow you, as a Dungeon Master, to stop creating and simply react to the players' whims while revealing the final aspects of the mystery. BONUS: Remember to stay tuned after the credits to hear 40 campaign pitches that Adam and Dan throw back and forth in preparation for this episode. Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Introduction to the Campaign Builder SerieHere we go with a new project: With the assistance of some pals I am going to be creating an entire campaign setting from scratch. I am going to try and use as much improvisational writing as I can while also keeping true to themes my friends and I prefer.In this episode we discuss what a campaign setting is and what sorts of moods, themes, and atmosphere we most enjoy as well as the pitfalls of under and over defining a campaign setting.Support Yung Grognard: A Dungeons and Dragons Podcast by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/yung-grognardFind out more at https://yung-grognard.pinecast.coThis podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Inbound Marketing Expert Wes Schaeffer The Sales Whisperer® Hosts The CRM Sushi Podcast
http://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/sharpspring-crm http://ReferWes.com http://BestCRMForMe.com ConvertFlow helps you be relevant Like Amazon, he also does on-site retargeting Works on any CMS or HubSpot COS Add to header of site. Integrates with Infusionsoft, HubSpot, Drip, AWeber, MailChimp, autopilot, Intercom, ActiveCampaign, mailerlite Social CRM update. Starts at $49/mo Offers a “pre-hook” to nudge visitors. (49% opt-in) Turns into a “side hook” with three options 1) Start a free trial 2) Learn on-site retargeting 3) Watch an on-demand demo Uses HotJar Duplicate Templates, Re-use them Focused on automating the on-site experience. Flows—like a Campaign Builder for your website. Stages are like lifecycle stages in the HubSpot Buyer’s Journey. Broadcast—broadcast a CTA on your site for things like a webinar. Agency option with Accounts
Jason Hartman has Wes Schaeffer founder of The Sales Whisperer joining the show to talk about business marketing and the Infusionsoft Cheat Sheet. Key Takeaways 00:56 – The Sales Whisperer was started in 2006 after Wes realized he wanted to do sales and marketing, and later became certified with Infusionsoft. 02:14 – People need to have a process for their business and the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs do with starting their business. 05:52 – Cheat Sheet is a giant lead generator, that have many versions, one can order to read through. 07:27 – Cheat Sheet also helps manage contacts, goals, follow-ups sequences, and a Campaign Builder you can use to create anything type of web format. 09:22– Cheat Sheet can segment your contacts list, so you don't send out irrelevant emails to clients that are not in the local area for events that are happening. This way you don't wear out your welcoming. Infusionsoft is thought as outbound marketing engine, which can be, but it is just as powerful for internal marketing or internal work flow. 15:41 – It seems like the market has gone back to 1926 because of the internet as it's a community driven type of selling and marketing. Where you can get recommendations and look up things for what you need. 19:48 – If an ad is informative and has content people want then they may sit through a low quality video, but making sure that it's great quality will insure more people listening to what you have and buying it. You don't have to spend so much money on ads, if you do ads for two weeks at most, and it doesn't work then you know to try a different ad and try again until you get one that works. 23:38 – The Definitive Guide To Infusionsoft does have some information for other type of software but it's made for Infusionsoft and get that on Amazon or bestcrmbook also a non Infusionsoft book called It Takes More Than a Big Smile, a Good Idea & a Twitter Account To Build a Business That Lasts and more thoughts at thesaleswhisperer.com and for both books. Mentioned in this episode thesaleswhisperer.com/ The Definitive Guide To Infusionsoft by Wes Schaefer. It Takes More Than a Big Smile, a Good Idea & a Twitter Account To Build a Business That Lasts by Wes Schaefer
https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/paul-sokol-infusionsoft-crm-software ( https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/paul-sokol-infusionsoft-crm-software ) http://MakeEverySale.com * How to leverage "If/Then" logic to grow with Infusionsoft, HubSpot, Ontraport and others CRMs and marketing automation tools to grow your sales * How to work yourself out of a job...so you can invent another one to develop multiple streams of income * How to fail multiple times so you can succeed faster * How "abundantly" applies in multiple areas if you are to succeed * Why you need to seek to serve to grow * What Frank Kern says about finding a need and getting paid handsomly for filling it * How to get to Inbox Zero Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-sales-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy