Are You Ready to Launch? – Creating a Successful Kickstarter Timeline

Over the years, many brands have found factories on Maker’s Row to start exploring options for their product ideas.  In between the sample/prototype phase and first batch production, brands use Kickstarter, Indiegogo and other funding options to help support production.  In addition to funding, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are great launch platforms to test your initial product concepts in the market.

It All Starts Before Launch

You will need at least 2 months dedicated to setting up the project. The more thought and attention you give your Kickstarter “pre-launch” the more likely your chances are for a successful campaign. Brands on Maker’s Row  have successfully raised more than $1 million on Kickstarter. Here are the top planning tips they shared with us in order to raise the funds and test the market.

[ctt tweet=”Crowdfunding is all about the planning hustle. If you launch a poorly built rocket ship, it’s not going to go very far. @Nomiku @MakersRow” coverup=”f05iR“]

Planning: 30-60 days pre-launch

Find Press

• Find journalists and bloggers so you can spread the good word. A great way to get promised press is to give an exclusive. This means you have to give an exclusive to that media source when you launch, so make sure you select one with the right audience reach and exposure for you.

Plan Out Campaign

• Start building out your page. Register on Kickstarter and learn all the information you will need. Also take time to see who else is doing well and learn from them.
• Figure out your rewards.  Keep your backer reward options simple and streamlined. It’s tempting to add more variables and bonuses but this can overcomplicate things. Keep your backer reward options simple and streamlined. It’s tempting to add more variables and bonuses but this can overcomplicate things.  More options can always be added later.
• Plan Visuals. Plan to create beautiful visuals that display your product and share your mission.  Your product photos and video should educate potential backers about your product and hook them on a personal and emotional level.  Decide what type of photos you will take and start writing a script for your promo video.

Action: 0-30 days pre-launch

• Create visuals. Allow 2-3 weeks for your video alone. The video might take one week to film and two weeks to edit. The final week before your project, you should have every picture, video, and piece of copy confirmed and your press all lined up.
• Finalize Page. Make sure all your information is accurate, presentable, and succinct. Have a few people you trust look at it for feedback.
• Plan Social Media/Marketing Campaign. Make use off all social networks that your target customers have. Share your campaign visuals, info about your product, and status of your campaign.
• Get people to commit before you launch. Have you ever made a prototype or sold something to someone before this crowdfunding campaign? Well, the easiest sale to make is to a customer you already have. Consider doing an email poll and in order to get majority of the customers you already have to commit to project. This loyal following base will help you gain traction on your first day live. Ideally, you should have at least 30% committed before you even launch.

Live: launch + campaign

• Treat backers with customer service. Your backers are what make your campaign succeed. Treat them as valued customers and take care of them. Take the time to communicate with backers more frequently to keep them in the loop with what was happening.
• Build Momentum. When you first launch, you want to have alot of activity on your page so that the crowdfunding site takes notice and features you as a popular project. Be ready to respond to backer questions via email and social.  A project gets love if it’s well funded and shared, and your responsibility is to make that happen.

More Kickstarter Tips

• How We Hustled to Raise $1.3 Million Through Kickstarter
• How I Successfully Overfunded my Kickstarter Goal by $28,000
• How to Prepare for a Successful Kickstarter Campaign 
• 5 Tips for Launching Your Product Through Kickstarter

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