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fter running three successful Kickstarter projects now, each with over 1,000 backers and all funded well before deadline, I thought I’d share my top tips for campaigns.
To do well on Kickstarter you need to have an idea that hasn’t been done before and fulfils a need, and you have to communicate that need to potential backers. It goes without saying that it’s crucial to supply a video and make sure it’s clear.
Successful crowdfunding is all about good communication. If you can show your enthusiasm for your idea, people will be infected by it. Your Kickstarter page should be well written and have plenty of photos of your prototype doing cool things, but you also need find appealing ways to add value. Your page should be designed to help generate interest, as well as appealing to influential community members who can promote your project. You also need to set a realistic financial target and offer a series of well thought out backer rewards. HDMIPi, for instance, was a blockbuster because it ticked all of the above.
If you don’t have a big following yourself, you’ll need to catch the imagination of those who do. Kickstarter is all about building buzz, but a project has to be pretty special these days to appeal to bloggers.
Before pitching your project carefully cost your product, including shipping costs. You also need to consider what might happen if you have a mega success and hit the VAT threshold. Once launched, work your campaign. It’s relatively easy to get £1,000 worth of backing (say 100 people at £10), but once your target goes over a few thousand it gets much harder. When your campaign is over communicate at every step whether good or bad news. People like to be kept informed.
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