A successful Kickstarter campaign takes careful, methodical planning. In fact, it’s important to spend most of your time planning how you can get off to a great start on day one. The ability to crowdfund any unique project via Kickstarter is what makes the platform so great for entrepreneurs; however, most first-time crowdfunders struggle when preparing to launch a campaign.
Digital outreach is the most powerful aspect of crowdfunding, but if you do not align your Kickstarter goals with your offline, in-person activities, you may be unnecessarily limiting your results. Hosting a Kickstarter launch party provides a prime opportunity to reach more people and kick off your project with a bang.
How can a launch party help my Kickstarter campaign?
Organizing a Kickstarter launch party is a fun way to connect with new backers on a personal level, which increases your chances of achieving your fundraising goal. If you start a campaign online, a launch party can help boost your initial funding and help you find generous backers who may be new to your project.
Many people still don’t know what makes crowdfunding so unique, so think of a launch party as a means to introduce people to crowdfunding and promote your project simultaneously.
Remember that the Kickstarter platform makes project creators establish a deadline for campaigns. If you don’t reach your goal in time, backers won’t have their credit cards charged. When you’re on a strict deadline, a Kickstarter launch party helps by getting your campaign off to a good start.
What should my Kickstarter launch party be like?
A campaign’s niche market and target audience determine what a good launch party looks like. For example, if you’re looking for backers for a tech-related product, demonstrate what makes your project the next big thing, a project with humble beginnings that disrupts an entire industry. Be ambitious and confident in your messaging both at the launch part and on the project page.
From a logistical standpoint, be sure host your launch party in a great space, offer refreshments for guests and provide opportunities for networking. Be ready to introduce attendees to the basics of how Kickstarter works. You can make several PCs and tablets available to showcase your project’s campaign page, but take advantage of mobile promotion too. Kickstarter’s mobile app has all the features you’ll need to talk to backers and quickly encourage them to sign-up as a backer.
How do I prepare for my first Kickstarter launch party?
Preparation helps improve your chances of reaching your fundraising goal in time. Think strategically about the way that you promote your launch party, so that when they arrive potential backers will already have engaged with your brand in a positive way. Your job is to continue that engagement at the launch party to amplify your promotions. One way to do this, for example, is to encourage attendees to check in at their location on Facebook when they arrive. Another way to do this is to ask attendees to use a certain hashtag when posting about the launch party on social media.
For more helpful tips for a successful crowdfunding project, listen to our podcast or subscribe to our newsletter.
