How to develop a great Kickstarter project
Get your idea backed on Kickstarter
So doubtlessly there are many of you who are just biting at the chomp to launch your own Kickstarter. It’s pretty tempting for anyone with the soul of an entrepreneur and half an idea. Kickstarter is a crowded place, so to launch a successful campaign it’s important to know what you will need ahead of time. Specifically, what you're selling, how to make it look fancy, and making certain you know your numbers.
What you’re selling
The first part is the most obvious but oddly the most difficult in my experience. What are you going to make? This is where you must come up with something new or at least a twist on something old. This is the core of your Kickstarter and what you will be pouring your time and energy into for a long time.
I wish I could give more advice on this but coming up with the next cool thing is really difficult! Our own Kickstarter idea, D&D one-shots, just hit us one day while we were talking.
There is no magic formula to come up with a good idea, but if you think you have one then Kickstarter is the place to bring it to life!
Make it look fancy
Once you know what you want, it's time to make it look fancy! Take a good look at other Kickstarters you like or have backed. What drew you in enough to click the back button?
Solid chance it was the art. The way it was presented, the images, and just the overall quality of the presentation says alot to potential backers. Though Kickstarter is there to help you raise money, a lot of them spend a good amount of money to make their campaign rise above the rest, aiming for that elusive goal of “looking pro.”
Your goal should be the same. There are a lot of Kickstarters out there that look like they were slapped together by people who just didn’t realize how much work goes into launching a campaign. You must rise above that!
Remember your favorite campaigns? Every piece of art and every word of dialogue was commissioned or typed. And all of it costs time and/or money.
Do whatever it takes to make certain that your project is above the bar. Get it to the place where your backers will say, “These guys know what they are doing.”
Know your numbers
This last part is one of the most hated jobs for any entrepreneur. You got to know your numbers. Numbers have wrecked way more than a few KS campaigns in the past. This involves figuring out the price of your kickstarter, the minimum you need, and an estimate of how much you think you will make. This is crucial. Most start-ups fail because they just do not have their numbers down. Everyone thinks they have a million dollar idea. But if you spend half a million on the campaign then you have already spent half your money.
But this goes just beyond the prices and campaign total. Do you have publishers lined up to create your project? The Pebble Watch was one of the most successful Kickstarters ever raising over $20 million. It failed entirely because it couldn’t get someone to produce their watches on the scale they needed. Is your project physically feasible? Ogre was a massive success on Kickstarter bringing an old classic to life with almost $1 million. But the box was so physically big that shipping and storing it became extraordinarily expensive and the project collapsed.
Know your numbers, or be crushed by them.
Last Thoughts
So there are the three keys to develop a great Kickstarter project. Get a great idea, make it fancy, and know your numbers. If you can get those three things down you have yourself a pretty solid Kickstarter. And, more importantly, one that will be successful no matter how big your campaign goes.
Got a great Kickstarter project you’d like to share? Send me a message or link it in the comments below!
Remember, all the organization in the world is helpful. But with a DnD campaign, chaos is likely.
#NumberOneJosiah
Jo is our co-founder, resident DM for Hire and a philosopher of tabletop gaming.
Jessie CM
Jessie is our marketing guru, lover of #NumberOneJosiah and a published author.
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Kickstarter is a crowded place, so to launch a successful campaign it’s important to know what you will need ahead of time. Specifically, what you're selling, how to make it look fancy, and making certain you know your numbers.