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.
Cross-Promotion Between Kickstarter Projects (#51): If you run a Kickstarter, you’ll get the same offers I did. Mention someone else’s campaign in a project update and they’ll mention yours. While this may seem mutually beneficial, it’s important to consider retaining as many update subscribers as you can. If the cross-promotion has no link between you and your project, many subscribers will consider this spam. When I’m considering promoting another project in my backer updates, I’ll stick to a few priorities: 1.) I’ll expect nothing in return (no agreement for cross-promotion), 2.) I have a connection with the project and/or the creator that I’m linking, and 3.) I truly believe my backers will benefit from knowing about this project.
Write a Blog (#52): I started writing a blog before I ran my first Kickstarter! This article has many tips on how to start (and how to continue) writing. But in brief, some benefits may include: teaching yourself how to connect with people online, developing a readership online, and giving content to keep people in the loop. If you’re reading these lessons so you can find a way to connect with people and add value to their lives, starting a blog is a great place to start.
Replacement Parts (#53): One part of running a publishing company (as opposed to being a game designer) is dealing with replacement parts after your product has shipped. Even with our manufacturer’s 99% perfection rate, the remaining errors are quite a hassle. For that 1% of customers missing a component you have an opportunity to offer great customer service. My advice here is to exceed your customers’ expectations. Reply to them right away and send them what they need within a few days. People remember great customer service and they might even tell the story of their experience to their friends. Whether you’re running a single Kickstarter project or you’re trying to create a lasting brand, it can never hurt to have people saying good things about you.
Reward Levels: The Premium Option (#54): The “premium option” is still just as relevant today as it was 8 years ago. The premium option is a separate reward that is tantalizingly close to the anchor price, but SO much better (the opposite of the anchor price). It should give people a truly compelling reason to upgrade, or simply an outlet to spend more on the project if they want to help you reach more stretch goals. The premium option is the backbone of Kickstarter today because if someone believes in your project, it’s very likely they want the best possible version of your dream to be a reality. I would encourage you to offer that option to your backers.
Starting and Sustaining a Kickstarter-Driven Business (#55): A shorter “lesson” with a link to a podcast where Richard Bliss of Funding the Dream interviews me about Kickstarter. Certainly not required listening, but it’s an interesting time capsule. We compare and contrast past campaigns (including my own) and also talk about the future of Kickstarter. Kickstarter certainly didn’t turn out to be a “bubble”!
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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: #51-55”
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Great articles! Thanks for linking them.
You have a small typo on “Write a blog” on the last sentence. It should say “you’re” not “you’r”
Thanks! I fixed it.