KickstarterForum.org

Hi fellow Kickstarters, I am so relieved to find this forum. I'm in the process of running my first ever Kickstarter project and I'm having real trouble with promotion. I'm not the sort of person to be pushy and to be out there asking people to give me their money. A few friends have backed me and one generous Kickstarter but I'm falling short of the £500 I need.

I wondered if anyone here would be willing to share some tips or advice on promoting a project?

I've only got a week to go and would appreciate any help offered.

Sharon

Honestly, I don't really know of very effective means to promote a project in progress, most advice I'd have for you would require you to start a month or two before beginning a Kickstarter project - like creating a G+ or Facebook community, spend time recruiting "friends" to your community, the kind of posts to your community, etc. Or starting a blog months before and becoming an expert in your field - at least to your blog audience.

I got some boosts during my campaign though. One was getting an Email interview with a major blogger in my industry, another was writing as a guest author article in a popular blog and becoming a regular blog columnist.

Also if you look at my Mid-Funding Changes thread in the Advice Forum, I added some backer levels at the mid-point of funding, as well as right before the end. I was offering additional products that my patrons really wanted and both added backer levels brought immediate boosts to my funding, but neither were sustaining, more than a day's worth of attraction each - though something like that could be the boost you need to cross the "being funded" line in the sand.

Also, regarding "being pushy", I can honestly say, that I posted a "push" on my G+ page only once, on the last Friday and last weekend of my funding period. I noted to my G+ community members that I had 500+ G+ members, but only had 250 contributors to my Kickstarter, and that I really wanted to fund my last stretch goal, so if my G+ members really wanted to support the community, they'd need to make at least a minimum backer level of $15 to help make that happen.

I don't know if that "push" was the impetus, however, starting that Friday until the end of funding, I got 10 times the number of backers then any previous time during the funding period. I have to believe doing so, was combined with people having 24 hour alerts, and/or were waiting until the next/last payday to make their pledges. I think it was a combination of all of these things that brought such overwhelming success to my KS.

Another point about "being pushy", I've had some sales jobs over my lifetime, and trying to sell somebody else's product that I didn't necessarily believe in, made me a poor salesman. However, selling my work, my creation is completely different - I can sell "me" easily, and don't consider it being pushy. Since my project is my work in both writing and cartography, that is something I "believe in" thus can easily ask for orders. If you can't promote yourself, perhaps you shouldn't be creating and trying to promote your creation. If you don't believe in yourself, how can anyone else?

I have to admit that my project hit the minimum funding goal 8 days into a 30 day funding period, so our projects are kind of apples and oranges, in that you're still waiting to meet basic funding.

Also I was able to breakup my funding needs into 5 different funding levels, and not forced to put all under one goal price requirement. KS recommends that a goal of $3200 is optimum to meet funding, and I was able to get my goal requirements down to $3750 to meet goal (fairly close). If your goal is much higher, then it's problematic and not optimum, thus more difficult to meet funding. Of course whatever amount you need, is the amount you need whether it is optimal or not.

Great advice, Michael Tumeu. I also read your Mid Funding Changes thread and found some great advice there as well. It might be too late to save my current running campaign but will definitely help in the future if I do another campaign or try and help out other kickstarters. Thanks!

Hi Sharon,

First - I am assuming that this is your Kickstarter project, please let me know if it's not:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/103 ... s?ref=live

With nine days left in your campaign, my recommendation to you would be to focus on your local community where your influence and impact will be strongest. Your funding goals are reasonable and attainable. What you need to do is make your success important to your community by making your success and their rewards more concrete and valuable.

Here is what I would do:

First I would eliminate all non backed rewards. Combine several together, price them higher, but make them better value. Less options makes people more decisive.

Next I would modify your last two rewards for £12 and £20. Here is where you can add back some of what you’ve taken away above. I would increase the £12 to £20 and the £20 to £40 and increase writing sessions from one hour to two. I would also add a hotline to you plus a discussion and notes about your KS experience to these rewards. I would argue that spending £40 and getting one-on-one access to you is a greater value than your lesser priced rewards.The strategy is to try to reduce the amount of yeses needed to attain your goal.

Speak like a storyteller but provide insight and value like a business consultant. The value of your knowledge and skills is not just useful in storytelling but also in life, business and politics. Think about it like this - the most influential people are great storytellers - JFK, Churchill, Jobs. Wouldn’t everyone like to be able to speak and tell stories like them. Position your rewards not just for creative but for opportunistic storytellers as well. Your “small community with a thriving creative buzz” I assume are creative-business-people. Teaching them your storytelling skills benefits their creative as well as business needs. Direct access to a successful Kickstarter is a unique and valuable resource for anyone, particularly in the UK where KS is still very new. Position yourself as a leader in this movement - take ownership of that!

Finally, I think you should add more events now like “The taster session is next Thursday (12th September)”, it’s good but may be too late. Do some at night and some at lunchtime. If you break your £500 into smaller daily goals it will be easier to attain. Remember the butcher is waiting for the baker to back and the baker for the candlestick maker. One day at a time, one person at a time - build your backers.

Here are a few links that may help you:

Seth Godin: http://www.thegamewhisperer.com/2012/06 ... godin.html

Michael Margulis: http://www.getstoried.com/welcome Margulis:

Doug Morse: http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamepodca ... -morseGood luck.

Let me know if you need more.

Good luck