Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #41-45 – Stonemaier Games

Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #41-45

Over the last 8 years, I’ve written over 800 articles on this blog to share my thoughts, observations, mistakes, and insights with my fellow creators. That’s a lot of content to go back and read for someone who is navigating the crowdfunding process for the first time, so in this series I continue to revisit my Kickstarter Lesson posts in chronological order, highlighting the core elements of each.
 
Etiquette in the Public Eye (#41): Kickstarter has an interesting impact on you as a public person. The second you launch on Kickstarter, you’re in the public eye in a way that you’ve probably never experienced. It’s different than Facebook or blogging. This fact doesn’t mean you can’t have opinions. Rather, it means that you need to think of the impact of everything you say online and in public. When in doubt, just remember to praise publicly and criticize privately.
 
The Backer Survey (#42): I generally advise sending out the backer survey within a few weeks of your project end date. This helps account for slow responses and also the survey is one of the most concrete ways to communicate to backers that you have your act together. Additionally, if you’re shipping pallets and bulk orders to fulfillment centers in different countries, you absolutely need to know where your backers are located way before individual shipments. For an example survey I used for Scythe (and alternatives to using the built-in Kickstarter survey), check out this whole article.
 
Press Releases (#43): The philosophy behind my previous articles on blogger outreach is that you try to figure out what you can do for them and you establish that relationship well in advance. Press releases are a different. Press releases are used to inform members of the media (including bloggers) that your Kickstarter campaign is coming up so they’re among the first to know. The key is that you’re getting the word out before you launch, maybe about 10 days in advance. Don’t expect a response from your press releases, and don’t pester anyone to see if they received it or if they’re going to announce it. Give them the time and space to decide if they want to announce that information, and don’t take it personally if they never mention it.
 
How to Kick It Forward Without Kicking It Forward (#44): “Kicking It Forward” has not stayed as relevant as many of these other topics, but let’s touch briefly on what it was and what it can teach us about Kickstarter marketing. Kicking It Forward is a pledge created by a Kickstarter creator who wanted to give successful project creators a way to commit to giving back to others on Kickstarter. Let’s narrow it down to three questions you can ask about any marketing strategy: Will this persuade people to back your project? Does it demonstrate the best use of backers funds? And is this the best way to accomplish the stated goal? In regard to this topic, I didn’t answer these questions favorably, but that doesn’t exclude the idea from having an intangible benefit on the Kickstarter community.
 
Partnership (#45): I would not have released a single game without my business partner, Alan Stone. It may seem like an obvious statement, but I can’t do everything. I have deficiencies that I couldn’t see–deficiencies of both time and talent. Perhaps you are similar. If you decided to take on a partner (or more than one), you’ll likely want more than just a verbal agreement. Sit down to talk about various roles and expectations. For that first meeting, I wouldn’t recommend dividing up shares of the company. You’re shooting in the dark at that point. Instead, wait a few months and meet again to review the original expectations. Things get a bit trickier when money is involved. It can skew perceptions because money is more quantifiable compared to time and talent. I would recommend being clear about how and when you will each get your money back…if you get it back at all.
 
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If you have any questions or thoughts about these topics, feel free to share in the comments!
 
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2 Comments on “Quick Kickstarter Lesson Recaps: #41-45

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  1. Nice summary of important aspects of building a business. Really, this applies to more than just KS. The etiquette is applicable in every life-situation I can think of.

  2. I just wanted to thank Joe for putting together these recaps! If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them below.

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