1. Account Creation and Initial Preparations

• Create a Kickstarter Account Visit Kickstarter's website and sign up using your email or a social media account. Complete your personal information to build trust. Kickstarter requires project creators to be legal adults, at least 18 years old, and verified with a legitimate identity. Verify your email and activate your account to ensure smooth usage.
• Prepare Core Project Materials
  • Product Concept: Clearly outline your idea. Make sure it is concise yet compelling enough to resonate with your target audience.
  • Project Video: A high-quality video is critical for crowdfunding success. Create a 1-2 minute video to showcase your product, team, or story behind the idea. This video will be your key tool to attract backers.
  • Product Images and Copy: Include high-quality images to visually showcase your product, paired with a rich and consistent copy that clearly describes the product and the vision behind it.

2. Set Crowdfunding Goals and Budget Planning

• Set Your Fundraising Goal It's crucial to set a realistic fundraising goal. Consider production costs, reward tier creation, advertising expenses, shipping fees, etc.
  • Platform Fees: Kickstarter charges a 5% fee for using the platform. Payment processing services typically charge about 3-5% fees. Be sure to factor in these additional costs when setting your target goal.
  • Emergency Fund: It is wise to include a buffer in your fundraising target to cover unexpected costs or delays.
• Choose a Funding Model: All-or-Nothing vs. Flexible Funding
  • All-or-Nothing Funding: This is the most common and recommended model. Funds are only disbursed if your fundraising goal is met or exceeded. If the goal is not met, backers are refunded, and no funds are collected. This model minimizes risk and is more attractive to backers.
  • Flexible Funding: In this model, funds are collected regardless of whether the target is reached. It is suitable for projects that are less dependent on reaching a specific financial target but is generally less appealing to backers.

3. Creating and Optimizing Your Project Page

• Project Page Content
  • Title and Description: Choose a creative and attention-grabbing title. Keep your project description clear and engaging, explaining your project’s core idea and its benefits.
  • Risks and Challenges: Be transparent and upfront about any potential challenges. Kickstarter encourages project creators to be clear about risks. This builds credibility and helps backers feel more confident about supporting the project.
  • Project Timeline: Include a detailed timeline outlining milestones, including production phases, reward fulfillment, and potential setbacks. Being clear and realistic helps you gain trust from backers.
  • Multimedia: Use high-quality images and videos, 3D models, or mock-ups to illustrate your concept. Showcase your product and creative vision with engaging visual content.
• Reward Tiers Design
  • Develop reward tiers that offer value for various backer levels. Consider offering early bird pricing, limited-edition items, or exclusive experiences to entice backers.
  • Be mindful of setting tier prices that make sense for the value of the product and do not overwhelm backers with too many options.

4. Promotion and Marketing: Pre-Launch and Execution

• Pre-Launch Phase: Build Your Audience Before your project goes live, start building a community of potential backers through social media and other marketing channels.
  • Social Media Teasers: Share teasers, behind-the-scenes content, and updates to create buzz about your project before launching.
  • Email Subscribers: Collect email addresses through your website or other marketing platforms to notify your audience as soon as your Kickstarter campaign goes live.
• Marketing Strategy
  • Influencer Marketing: Partner with influencers or bloggers in your niche who can reach your target audience. Their endorsement can significantly boost your visibility.
  • Targeted Ads: Use social media advertising to precisely target potential backers interested in your niche.
  • Media Exposure: Reach out to media outlets, bloggers, and podcasts to spread the word about your project, helping to create more buzz and backer engagement.
• Launching and Early Momentum Your first 48 hours are crucial for the success of your Kickstarter campaign. Aim to generate as many pledges as possible in this time to gain visibility and support on Kickstarter. Be ready to promote quickly through your email list and social channels once the campaign is live.

5. Track Progress and Engage with Backers

• Update and Transparent Communication Regularly update your backers on the progress of your project, especially after reaching significant milestones. Transparency is key to maintaining backer trust throughout the campaign.
  • Feedback and Questions: Engage with your backers actively. Respond to comments and questions promptly to build a loyal backer community. Address any concerns promptly and professionally.

6. Fulfilling Rewards and Delivering the Project

• Reward Fulfillment Once the project is funded, it's time to deliver on the rewards. Make sure to finalize production, prepare packaging, and ship the rewards to your backers. Quality and timely delivery of rewards are essential for maintaining a positive reputation.
• Addressing Customer Relations Stay in touch with your backers even after fulfillment. Consider providing updates on future product releases or related projects to maintain ongoing relationships with your supporters.

7. Post-Campaign and Future Growth

• Iterating and Developing the Product Post-funding, use feedback from your backers to improve and iterate on your product. This engagement can help establish long-term support for your brand.
• Platform Transition If you used Kickstarter for your initial launch, consider extending sales to other platforms or your own website after successfully funding, helping you transition your crowdfunding product into a market-ready one.

PhotonPay helps Kickstarter collect payments

PhotonPay Global Accounts Advantages

• Open domestic accounts in up to 14 currencies, and save on unnecessary bank charges.
• A single account to manage your global payments and finances.
• Collection from major marketplaces such as Amazon, Shopify, and eBay directly.

• Segmentation of statement information to improve reconciliation efficiency.
• Seamlessly manage across all of your business entities from one unified platform.
• Customizable role-based workflow, improving information security and teamwork efficiency.