Why Research Matters in Gaming Journalism

by | Dec 3, 2024 | Writing

Lazy Gaming Articles

I’m a gamer, plain and simple. I’ve platinumed a few games, pre-ordered plenty, and spent more hours playing than I’d care to admit—especially since my mom might read this. My gaming habits span everything from RPGs and open-world adventures to MMOs on console. That’s right, consoles. And when it comes to certain franchises, I’m the first to smash the pre-order button the moment they’re announced.

Lately, in my house our gaming sessions have revolved around Control, Cyberpunk 2077, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Naturally, as someone who lives and breathes games, I’ve scoured countless gaming magazines and online articles. They’re a goldmine for walkthroughs, answers to those tricky in-game questions, and updates on old favorites.

The Rise of Low-Effort Content

However, here’s where the story takes a frustrating turn: the sheer laziness in some gaming articles is, frankly, astounding. Lazy gaming articles are a sad waste of a reader’s time.

You’ve probably seen them too; those slapdash pieces that writers cobble together after skimming Reddit or X (formerly Twitter) for the quickest, easiest content. Sure, sometimes it’s nice to see that Destiny 2 dropped a new shader or a cool outfit. But is that worth an entire article?

Take this for example: one writer went all in on a post about someone’s Destiny 2 Hunter looking like Skeletor. Don’t get me wrong, I love a creative Guardian as much as the next player; my own Hunter is currently channeling a displacer beast, thanks to Bungie’s brilliant D&D crossover. She’s also been Skeletor, Cobra Commander, Moon Knight, and even a cosplaying Cayde-6. But dedicating a few hundred words to a single Redditor’s post about Skeletor? Come on. Really? Like really really?!

Readers Expect More Than Surface-Level Takes

If you’re writing 400–600 words based on a single social media post, I have one request: stop. These articles aren’t engaging or insightful because most readers have already seen the same content firsthand. Worse, centering an article around a single Reddit post is a missed opportunity to dive into the real gold: the responses. The comedy alone is 100% worth the read. Why not dig a little deeper?

For instance, instead of rehashing one user’s comment, why not explore the creative trends in player customization? What inspires these designs, and how does the community build on them? By digging deeper, you can turn shallow content into a truly compelling read. Build that lazy gaming article into your own Piper Wright approved masterpiece of wordsmithing! My fingers are crossed you get that reference.

The Bigger Problem: Research Is Missing

Lazy articles highlight a bigger problem in gaming journalism: the lack of research. This issue becomes painfully clear when writers publish posts about “new discoveries” in games that have been around for years.

As someone who has logged over 1,000 hours in certain games (and well over that in a few), I can’t help but roll my eyes when I see articles marveling at “rare” items or “astounding” achievements. Nine times out of ten, a quick thread click or a basic Google search would reveal how common those finds actually are.

This isn’t just about gaming; it’s about credibility as a brand and as a writer. Research doesn’t just enhance an article; it defines its value.

Lazy Writing Damages Credibility

Lazy writing doesn’t just frustrate readers; it damages the writer’s reputation and the platform hosting the article. Imagine reading about restoring a 1972 AMC Javelin SST. You’d expect the author to provide detailed insights into the rebuild process, right? Skimming the surface wouldn’t cut it. Listing a single part also doesn’t cut it.

The same standard should apply to gaming journalism. Writers owe it to their audience to do their homework, go beyond the obvious, and deliver content that informs, engages, and entertains.

A Challenge to Writers

Gaming journalism has the potential to be incredible, but lazy articles are holding it back. If you’re serious about writing in this space, challenge yourself to research thoroughly and create content that resonates.

We as readers deserve better. Gaming deserves better. And your brand deserves better.

 

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner @ Atomic Dumpling LLC.

Once upon a time—okay, maybe not a million years ago, but it feels like it—I served in the Navy. After my sea adventures, I found myself working for a variety of companies, only to realize that their business practices often felt like they were running on autopilot… in the wrong direction. Fast forward to today, and I’m channeling that experience into helping small businesses and freelancers navigate their own brand journeys, minus the common pitfalls. Need a guide for your branding adventure?

Visit Atomic Dumpling at this link.

Or drop me a line anna@atomicdumpling.com!

Free Marketing Tips For Small Business

by | Nov 12, 2024 | Marketing, Writing

Hand holding a bullhorn with a text bubble that says 'Did you say freeish?' referencing strategies for marketing your small business for little to no cost.

Market Your Business for ‘Free’-ish

Free marketing tips for small business

First, you should probably know that according to the Office of Advocacy, 99.9% of all business in the US is small business. That means there are 33,185,550 small businesses un the US. Which means there’s a lot of competition out there for the products and services your business provides. But there’s also a lot of opportunities that you can tap into as a small business owner for free marketing tips for small business. Creating opportunities for your business is important and that’s why you do need to market it.

Why market your business?

Because there are other businesses that offer what you offer or something close to it. You must explain to people why they should choose your offerings. If you want to make money you have to market your business.

Can I do this for free?

Sort of, there are several ways you can market your business for free or a nominal charge. But I’ll be honest here – this is a full-time job. Creating content isn’t easy and will require skills. It can either be rewarding or frustrating. You’ll need to decide for yourself if this is something you want to do or hire out for. Marketing, even if you’re the one doing it for your business is going to have a cost, be it time or money.

What’s the Free-ish Way of Marketing?

Understanding Your Market

If your small business is scrappy and saving money is your goal, you can create your own marketing endeavor.  It would be the same as working with an agency like Atomic Dumpling. However, you’d need several things in your marketing toolbox to get started. First, you’re going to make mistakes. This is a way for you to grow – so just accept the mess-ups and look ahead. Second, you’re going to evolve your plan – so be flexible.

All marketing and advertising have budgets and goals in common. If you’re going the DIY route, then you need to know HOW TO do this. Here’s the list of what you need:

  1. A product,
  2. Pricing,
  3. A location or place,
  4. How you plan to communicate a promotion.

So far so good, right? This is commonly referred to as the 4Ps of Marketing. You’ll need to flex your creativity for this as you think about each of the Ps. Each P represents a component of marketing for your small business you’ll need to be able to address.

Why are each P important?

Well, each is a component of thought that surrounds your business. Let’s break it down into bit sized chunks.

The Product

When I say product, I’m talking about something that’s either a good or a service. My small business, Atomic Dumpling provides a service. We provide social media marketing and business writing services. Your business might provide a good, such as telescopes or hot peppers. No matter the product, you’ll need to define what it is and why someone needs to have it.

Just as important to what and why, you need to also be able to define somethings lifecycle. Think of it as the birth of your product, its growth, the maturity of the product, then its decline. For example, if you are developing an electronic device, that device will have an introduction to the public, it will then be adapted, that device will mature, then it will reach a point where it becomes obsolete. Understanding that cycle is the first step in understanding your product.

I’ll caution you here, you’ll need to know both the benefits and drawbacks of your product lifecycle. If you aren’t sure what those are, you might want to consider getting external help with this. I’ll recommend the Investopedia article on Product Life Cycles as a good starting point for you.

Price & All-Powerful Buck

What are people willing to pay for your product? If you are making something brand new to the market – chances are you’re going to be setting the pricing based on costs and profit margin. (Yes, I know there’s more to it than that, but that isn’t what this article is about. I’m simplifying this down to cost-plus pricing. If you want more, there are specialist in the field. But for reference, here’s the Harvard Business Review.)

In your DYI marketing, you need to clearly outline your pricing, value, and any discounts you might offer. Now here’s the thing – that pricing should also consider competitors and any other sensitivities to pricing your small business may encounter that could throw a wrench into your marketing strategy.

I’m also going to throw out my own personal pet peeves about pricing because you made it this far into the article. When I go to your website because I saw that cool item or service, I want to know the cost upfront. If it takes longer than 10 seconds to find your pricing or if I have to ‘Where’s Waldo’ hunt for it, I’m going to lose interest fast. Seeing no price, I can conclude it means it’s probably too high. If it’s on there but too low, it’s probably a scam. If you’re looking for a starting point for pricing, here are two starting points: HubSpot and Harvard Business Review.

The Place: Your Product & Marketing

Where your product is located and where you market are both important.

Yes, that sentence needed to be its own paragraph. People need to know where they can make a purchase and where they will want to make purchases. This is a big deal, and I can point to one of the reasons Nike was having so many problems (I’ll ignore lack of innovation for a moment.) You have to tell people where they can buy your stuff. If your product is sneakers, you’ll probably want to be getting those sneakers into stores other than your own (Nike, are you listening?)

You’ll also need to know where your customers are and how to reach them. There are a few ‘free’ and low-cost ways you should be marketing. Obviously, you need a website, that’s the first step. The next steps are easy, which include:

  1. Google My Business
  2. Yelp
  3. Better Business Bureau
  4. Yellow Pages
  5. Bing
  6. Local Chamber of Commerce
  7. Other online locations based on the type of product such as Angi, Upwork, etc.
  8. Social Media Platforms
  9. Email Lists

Each of these methods is not a one and done. They all will have their own variable cost or time consideration. Most will require a level of updating too. These are managed either by someone like me or by the business owner. However, each offer a unique way to reach new and existing clients. So, let’s talk about these for a minute because some are not that well known.

Promoting Your Business

Google My Business is a great way promote visibly easily and for free. This is that side frame you see anytime you Google something like fried chicken. You’ll see business information like reviews, the website address, the map location, and phone number for a business.

Yelp is its own application that great for everything from restaurant reviews to making reservation. Yelp is highly popular and great for local business listings.

For younger people, the Yellow Pages used to be the worst thing to carry home from the mailbox. It was big, heavy, but you could find anyone’s name, address, and phone number in it. It was a household item back in the day. It was everywhere, from public phones to the bowling alley. Today, the Yellow Pages available online for a low cost to get listed and depending on your target audience, it may be worth it.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has been around since 1912 to prevent consumers from being taken advantage of. For service based businesses, the BBB helps build consumer trust, but the cost of membership may not be worth it for your business.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms offer different things to different audiences. The largest mixed content platform is Facebook. Facebook boasts 3 billion users, and the reach potential is truly a wonder. Next up is YouTube at 2.5 billion, followed by WhatsApp at 2 billion. Every social media platform has a potential to help your business, but you need to cater specifically to what content you should create to you target audience.  I’ll caution you here that you also can create paid content to get a larger reach, but it can end up cost your business a pretty penny. Start your social media campaigns organically and grow from there.

Email lists are another way to reach existing and future clients. There are a number of different email tools, ranging from Mailchimp to Zoho to Constant Contact. You’ll find a wide variety of price points based on services, number of users, and other options. Brevo offers a starter kit for free.

The Long & Short of Marketing Yourself

In the end there’s more to marketing than just making a TikTok or two. Creating a plan and understanding who your target audience are important. Following that, having a pricing model, an understanding of where to market, and how to promote your business are paramount. Self-marketing your business is possible!

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner @ Atomic Dumpling LLC.

Once upon a time—okay, maybe not a million years ago, but it feels like it—I served in the Navy. After my sea adventures, I found myself working for a variety of companies, only to realize that their business practices often felt like they were running on autopilot… in the wrong direction. Fast forward to today, and I’m channeling that experience into helping small businesses and freelancers navigate their own brand journeys, minus the common pitfalls. Need a guide for your branding adventure?

Visit Atomic Dumpling at this link.

Or drop me a line anna@atomicdumpling.com!

First Website for Your Small Business or Job Search

by | Nov 15, 2022 | Marketing

desktop with oversized graphic of a web design ux/ui

What to think about for your very first website for small business or as a job seeker.

Never had a website before? Start here.

Let’s first address who this entire article is for. I’m not talking to people who’ve had websites in the past or run a massive corporation. I’m talking to people that are just getting started with a small business, in independent contracting, or even as a job seeker. Here’s what you’re goign to need for a first website for small business or as a job seeker.

I’m pretty sure if someone like my dad was starting up his own business, he’d be asking for help with everything from logo design to website help. Which got me thinking. People don’t necessarily know what to ask for or where to start if they’re just starting up their own small business or for contracting or looking for a job.

In fact, based on past calls i received, they don’t know how web designers may charge them for help with website development. Having knowledge on where to get started, is important when you’re figuring out how much money you’ll need to have in your cost analysis for the business plan and understanding your initial budget.

The delicate balance of a website’s needs & budget – Website domains & hosting

First off, what’s in your wallet?

Anytime you look for tech to help you with a problem, you’ll have to create a budget. This isn’t a willy-nilly process since there are realistic costs upfront to even having a website to begin with. Best thing to do, is to start with a list of basic costs and create a realistic understanding of how to create your initial budget. This means you’re looking at initial costs of (at a minimum) of $154usd just to have a website plan that works online.

Description Cost Notes
Ip address $10.00 Annual – base minimum
WordPress $8.00 Personal – per month
WordPress business $12.00 Business – per month
Shopify $29.99 Base plan – per month
Wix $16.00 Personal – per month
Squarespace $16.00 Personal – per month

Investigate the costs further, what i didn’t mention is that the ip address can cost up to a few thousand dollars depending on what you’re looking for. The ballpark is around $10 to $20 dollars per year. Finding a domain and purchasing one can be done in a number of places (here are a few of your options).

If you’re a job seeker (or a contractor) you can use a personal plan without a hitch for the basic price of about $154 per year. They’re simple to set up on your own, or with a professional’s help. Most places offer guided instructions to help you, so you can do this without spending extra cash.

For business owners, a basic business plan is a great way to get started. In this case, you’re looking at around a base of $310usd (minimum) per year to have a domain and website hosting. You’ll need the extra options as a business for integrations and themes that you’ll want to have.

Content is LIT!

Content is a mixed bag of items. Typically, when you hear or read the word “content” you should be thinking about, text, graphics, photography, and video. It’s what’s contained in a website and on the web. So, it should go without saying that you’ll either be handing over your content to a having it created for you, giving it to a web designer, or posting it yourself.

Copywriters are required

If you need content written or edited by a professional, there’s going to be a charge for it. Rates for good writing will vary, but there’s a typical range you will see that’s asked for in the industry. And there are a couple of ways a writer will charge you for their work, either per word or by the hour. Both usually work out to about roughly the same price. If you aren’t writing your own content, you’ll need to budget on a copywriter.

Copywriter rates
Min Max
Per word $0.10 $0.50
Per hour $40 $100

Graphic art for description and clear understanding

Art is important as part of the content of your brand, and it isn’t free. This can include your logo, typography, and digital art. The things that make up your brand should be included, even on a bare-bones website. A digital graphic artist can range from $50-$150 per hour based on their skills sets.

Photographers for products, teams, or yourself!

Professional photography makes a significant difference in content & sales. If you’re business or personal website needs either you or products to look good, you’ll probably want to consider a photographer. Photographers my offer a package for their work, but the standard rate is around $100-$125 per hour.

Web designers are your builders

Depending on the type of website you’re in need of, your price range for a web developer will range from $100-$180usd. I’ll point out here, the more complex the work, the more expensive it becomes. A ui/ux designer might charge a little less than a back-end software developer, but overall, you’ll still need to consider that you’ll spend on average $125 per individual per hour.

Ready to get your website up & running?

It’s pen and paper time.

When you call your friendly web designer (you can read this as: me), we’re going to ask you some basic questions. When i get calls it’s always “how much do you charge?” Well, that answer, as you probably guessed by now, varies. There’s a better way to get started to save yourself some time and energy when you make that call.

In fact, here’s a list of questions you’ll need to be able to answer for any web designer:

  1. What is your website for?
  2. Who are you targeting?
  3. Can you show me 3 to 5 websites that you like from your competitors?
  4. Can you provide examples on those websites of things you do not like?
  5. What features do you want to include on your website?
  6. What is the timeline to start and when would you like to launch?
  7. What’s the overall style of your website that you are imagining?

Therefore, you’re first question should not be “how much do you charge?” It should be, “can we discuss the different types of websites you create?” This will get you pointed in the right direction of getting help you need to create a website that works on your budget.

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner @ Atomic Dumpling LLC.

Once upon a time—okay, maybe not a million years ago, but it feels like it—I served in the Navy. After my sea adventures, I found myself working for a variety of companies, only to realize that their business practices often felt like they were running on autopilot… in the wrong direction. Fast forward to today, and I’m channeling that experience into helping small businesses and freelancers navigate their own brand journeys, minus the common pitfalls. Need a guide for your branding adventure?

Visit Atomic Dumpling at this link.

Or drop me a line anna@atomicdumpling.com!

Importance of Writing in Business

by | Sep 22, 2022 | Writing

Typed page in typewriter that says "Bestest English for gooder grammar."

Writing Requires Work & Then Some

The importance of writing in business

Not everyone is a good writer. Yes, I said it out loud. You know what? It’s perfectly fine if that’s not your skill set. But writing is a requirement for business. It’s time to understand why writing is important. It will help you make better business decisions and improve communication.

Forms Of Written Communication & Their Importance

Writing is communication, plain and simple. What isn’t as simple as identifying the various forms of writing and their purposes that can help your business. We also need to establish why good written communication is essential for business.

All forms of writing require skill, thought, and most importantly, the realization you are a mere mortal. Writing for any purpose outside of a wedding invitation requires an incredible amount of work. To undertake a piece of writing will take you through several emotions, at least one life-changing moment, and several stressful situations.

Outside of that, it’s a piece of cake.

Ok, I lied. It’s not as glamorous as cake. In fact, let’s just forget I talked about cake. Let’s talk about writing and why it’s a business requirement.

Day-to-Day Business Writing

We can start simple and think about the different ways we use writing in our business dealings. Just thinking about day-to-day communications from emails to reports, we’re using our skills to communicate with clients and coworkers. Digging deeper into it, businesses and freelancers need to have good writing skills to create everyday items. The shortlist of daily writing would be emails, memos, reports, meeting notes, and agendas.  

Arguably, good writing is the most important skill set you have for your work, whatever it is. It allows you to lay out a logical path for others to follow. Providing comprehensive and informative written information creates structure and clarity for people.

Copywriting is Motivational

I love reading good copy and so do you. Copywriting inspires confidence and curiosity about a brand’s products and services. It’s motivational and persuasive, which is why it’s used for marketing, websites, social media, and newsletters. It’s also the reason we love it. Copywriting pieces are communication, just on a different level. It taps into the parts of our psyche that wants to be wowed by something cool.

It is essential to appreciate a great writer who can get you thinking about a product or service. 

The power of persuasion is almost everything for text content in marketing (we’ll get back to this point in a minute.)  

Complex Communications Through Technical Writing

On the tech side, technical writing is in three distinct areas, instruction, argumentative, and communication. 

Of course, all three are still communication, but let’s talk about the specific role of technical writing.

The goal of technical writing is to always provide complex ideas to readers in a way they can understand even if they are not experts in a particular field. This means that a technical writer must take the information and create text explanations for any reader to understand. In business, the role of a technical writer is expansive covering everything from training to safety to production.  

Good Writing Is Critical to the Importance of Writing in Business

For your business, you probably use a mix of both copywriting and technical writing. Understanding your business’s deficiencies in communication is critical in improving your brand. Your business should be constantly communicating to the public your work. 

This can happen in several ways that include client or employee training, social media, your website, newsletters, or reports. Any business’s amazing story can be told through writing. It’s up to you how you tell it, and no matter the routes you take, you’ll need great writers to do it.  

 

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner @ Atomic Dumpling LLC.

Once upon a time—okay, maybe not a million years ago, but it feels like it—I served in the Navy. After my sea adventures, I found myself working for a variety of companies, only to realize that their business practices often felt like they were running on autopilot… in the wrong direction. Fast forward to today, and I’m channeling that experience into helping small businesses and freelancers navigate their own brand journeys, minus the common pitfalls. Need a guide for your branding adventure?

Visit Atomic Dumpling at this link.

Or drop me a line anna@atomicdumpling.com!

Do You Need a Business Plan?

by | Sep 13, 2022 | Writing

image of newspaper clip for a job advertisement

Do you need a business plan?

When I launched Atomic Dumpling with my business partner, we didn’t have a business plan. Instead, we had an idea checklist and stuck with it. The reality is that we had set up the checklist to think about the things we wanted to do with our side project, which for all intents and purposes, is what Atomic Dumpling started as. We didn’t think we needed a business plan until we realized we did need one.  So do you need a business plan or not?

Yes, and I know it sounds confusing, but a business plan is essentially a guide. After a few months of working together, we realized that a plan would help us be clear on our mission.  

A business plan takes you along the stops of starting up and running your business from its infancy. Now what makes it a great tool is that this document is continuously updated as your business grows. It communicates succinct information to partners and investors.

How long is too long?

Your business plan needs to be long enough to convey important information. What do you consider “important”? That is a question specific to each business if you are writing to interest investors and partners.

Start out by listing a series of questions that will help you determine what style of business plan you need.  

  1. What is your business going to offer as far as products or services?
  2. What are your resources & activities?
  3. What will the cost structures & revenue streams be?
  4. How do you plan to set up your customer relations?
  5. What is your marketing plan & strategy?
  6. Do you have a funding request?
  7. Will you have financial projections for Q1 or A1?

Depending on your answers, you can narrow down how long your plan will be. You can also determine which form of business plan you would like to use. Traditional business plans tend to be longer than a single page, unlike a Lean business plan.  

What are the differences between plans?

There are two styles of business plans both are well known. The first, aptly, is called the traditional business plan and is sectionally written and typically has multiple pages. The second is called a Lean business plan and is more simplistic.  You can download free examples of either from the Small Business Administration. You can create either to suit any business need. It boils down to your style of writing and what information you feel is important to convey.

Anna Pilette

Anna Pilette

Owner @ Atomic Dumpling LLC.

Once upon a time—okay, maybe not a million years ago, but it feels like it—I served in the Navy. After my sea adventures, I found myself working for a variety of companies, only to realize that their business practices often felt like they were running on autopilot… in the wrong direction. Fast forward to today, and I’m channeling that experience into helping small businesses and freelancers navigate their own brand journeys, minus the common pitfalls. Need a guide for your branding adventure?

Visit Atomic Dumpling at this link.

Or drop me a line anna@atomicdumpling.com!