Kickstarter Advice

[jollyork]

Hey Ordos, my little comic book I've been working on for years (link in my signature) is finally ready for printing. I'm going to bundle the first five issues into a trade paperback. I'd like to run a Kickstarter campaign to help cover the production costs, pave the way for the next five issues, and ultimately generate some social media marketing buzz. I have both pledged to and run KS campaigns in the past, so I know the mechanics of KS, but I am curious what you all think makes a good campaign. What factors tip you from casually browsing a Kickstarter to making a pledge? Is it things like rewards and stretch goals, or is it simply a killer video that lures you in?

Any nuggets of knowledge and opinion are welcome. 

[andozane]

@JMGraham Would probably be an excellent resource for you....say nice things to him.  I have found that constantly mentioning his handsomeness works very well :)

 

[Burk]

stretch goals for me...hardly watch the videos.

 

[Purajh]

I recently started doing Kick starter and Humble Bundle this year. as someone fairly new to these platforms these are the things I tend to look for

With Games Usually what brings me there in the first place is good word of mouth from other sources (example the kick starters thread on these forums)

The second thing I judge a game on is the content and if it fits what me and my groups style.

Lastly is the Stretch goals with a focus on kick starter exclusives .

Things I have done in the past are mostly CMON and Munchkin kick starters, and pathfinder related humble bundles which have been paired with comic books.

So now that you have a base of my experience this would be my advice.

Look at the content you are producing and try to find avenues of media you can use to promote your project where the interest already exist. This is what will steer people to your project in the first place and allow them to judge the merit of the work.

Find a good example of the work in the content and provide that as a preview to get buy in. These are the people that will buy the kick starter for based on your initial content

The purpose of Stretch goals is to transition people from browser to supporter. Evaluate your production and shipping costs to determine your base starting point for your project stretch goals. keep in mind as you go along the cost of production and shipping of any additional physical materials that will add to the pledges. Use this information to develop well thought out stretch goals that may entice additional people to make the leap from browser to supporter. these are the people that are more likely to buy it as a collectors piece or something to resell on e-bay if it contains kick starter exclusives.

That is my 2 cents, take it for what its worth to you.

[Weav]

On 1/19/2018 at 10:57 AM, Burk said:

stretch goals for me...hardly watch the videos.

 

Same here

[scotthartman]

Awesome to hear! The projects I've worked on KS we always try to do a couple of things;

Showing off the artwork is key to grab attention, For a comic, I would make sure to have a few pages available for viewers to read and look at. 

Be very clear in your intentions. Tell people what the money is used for and what you hope this will do for you. 

Along with the above, be active in discussions and respond to questions. Try to avoid any possible arguments backers may pose in comments section, acknowledge and say you will consider (even if you wont at all).

I'm sure this is all common sense but sometimes its good to get back to basics.

Lastly, be sure to promote in forums and other places you frequent BEFORE and DURING your campaign. Before is really important to get a solid start of backers.

Best of luck and please post here when you do launch. Cheers

[Brick Bungalow]

 

I appreciate a lot of detail and background. I mainly back kick starters out of a desire to further some project I find interesting. It's rarely a case of just wanting a good deal on some good or service. I appreciate insight into the process, motivation, future goals, influences et cetera. 

Also, we can stock some copies for you if you like. We do fairly well with comic books. I think a local, indie title would do well. 

[jollyork]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. And extra thanks to Brick for the retail hookup! That would be very cool. I have done a first draft of the KS page, but I'm going back through to add some of the specific points here.  Coming Soon! 

[JMGraham]

Just saw this! I'll actually weigh in for the no stretch goal side of things. Pick a couple of reasonable rewards that are appropriately priced, and stay the hell away from stretch goals. You're a first timer, so it's really important that you deliver what you say you would, on time or early, and with good communication. I've seen too many new Kickstarter overcommit and develop a bad reputation when, if they would have stuck with what they originally offered, they would have done great.

Besides that, advertise and build a following in advance. Day one should be a big day. Make certain you price things appropriately, including shipping, Kickstarter fees, taxes, etc.

Good luck!