You are probably pretty confused.
I can hardly blame you.
But anyone who grew up in this great group of leadership, exploration and learning can certainly see the truth. A Boy Scout is always prepared.
You never know what will happen so plan for the best, prepare for the worst.
After speaking with many many campaign creators this message of preparedness continually comes up. These great inventors, ideators and designers all espouse similar sayings on the importance of readiness when launching.
It isn’t sexy. It is not fun. But busting your butt and doing the legwork is the most important way you can contribute to creating a successful, funded campaign.
Prepare for Blast Off
When your project pushes off it instantly becomes a whirlwind of excitement, action and stress. The last thing you need is much marketing still to be done.
Despite the obvious benefits of readiness we as aggressive creators often look to push the envelope and deploy early. Our anticipation is often our undoing. This is downright dangerous in the Kickstarter game. Your project has but one shot at success. What will you do?
Don’t botch the build up with poor prep work.
That said your strategies to shine in the early days is entirely up to you. Our awesome inventors have shared super successful strategies we can briefly overview but honestly every situation is unique. Take these tactics to see which work well for your goals.
Blogger Outreach
In our age of social media, superstar bloggers and information overload outreach is an extraordinarily powerful strategy to build buzz. Today’s top blogs command massive followings and feed industry related awesomeness to their readers in ruthlessly efficient ways.
Get on their radar.
In the months leading up to a campaign launch look to build relationships with these key influencers. Share your story and mission and make them evangelists for your ideas. Their audiences often eat it up and it gives the blogger background and a super story to share.
Free samples and sharing your products will likely result in incredibly effective opportunity where reviews and outpourings of awesome backers ultimately arrive.
Press Releases
Depending on your project and purpose, press releases may or may not be effective. I have seen entrepreneurs flip flop on this time tested method of building PR and cannot confidently give an all size answer.
Typically companies with truly massive markets and high customer appeal fair best in pushing PR. When your story and substance are exciting for others and appeal to powerful segments of society this strategy can be awesome. The sexier the idea, invention or aesthetics of your endeavors the greatly glory publications can receive by showcasing your stuff. Such situations of win-win engagement are the ultimate goal but quite cumbersome to acquire.
Friends and Family
This is the bread and butter of a beautifully successful campaign launch. You need to hit the popular lists of Kickstarter to create buzz and build organic interest in your products.
One stellar strategy employed by the majority of past guests has been that of family and friends to fuel the fire. By firming up your goals and getting support from those biologically built to love you you stand a much great chance of success. Get all the great people of your life looking to purchase to help push off from the starting block. Strategically time your supporter sales and watch your rankings climb. As they do others will ride the wave and help your soar.
Forums
Don’t be a spammer. People will hate you.
Although negative publicity is almost as awesome as positive in putting your campaign into the eyes of others it will probably push you back in the long haul.
Places like Reddit, Hacker News and various other interesting sites all adore new and creative ideas. There are communities around every possible niche. You need only find these areas of excitement, contribute to the community and eventually open conversation around your creation.
People love creativity and learning about new things related to their passions. Just don’t but pushing push your products down their throats.
Social Media
Throughout the hideaway holes of the internet there are support structures for even the most obscure of hobbies. From Facebook groups, influential Tweeters and tremendously successful Instagram aficionados there is almost always a way to work social media for crushing crowdfunding.
By building a following before launching you instantly acquire loyal lovers of your ideas willing to spread these seed of invention. These early adopters and fans of your ideas are the lifeblood of building a business.
If you’re unable to build a bountiful following on mega media sites consider convincing powerful people to join your cause. Find the frequented influencers of your industry and offer sweepstakes, trials or other oddly inventive promotion ideas to push your products.
Better yet build a relationship with the royalty of your region. This solidifies your position post-Kickstarter and creates an environment in which your company can thrive.
Make Sharing Sexy
Backers believe in what you are doing. They can help you shine. Give these guys the power to push the product and mission out into the world.
Seriously these awesome individuals want to help. Make it inherently easy.
By easing the effort needed to share the story with the world many will take you up on the offer to contribute. Creating a page or post imploring backers to spread the world is wicked effective.
Social proof powers over all obstacles.
Look to allow others to become and feel more involved in the success or failure of your idea. This is the story of your company, the story of innovation and it makes us feel awesome to be a part of that.
Build those bonds between backer and builder. I hear it helps.
Sharing is caring. If this post pushed you forward please share it. Hopefully let’s help other amazing inventors shine. Innovation is everything.
