The 6 Kickstarter Campaign Promotion Strategies No One is Doing That ACTUALLY Work

Launching with and succeeding on Kickstarter comes down to three things: marketing, product quality and campaign strength.

Let’s assume your product is pretty well set and you have already launched your campaign. You are stuck in the perennial hole of hoping your project funds and doing everything in your power to try and will your Kickstarter to success. But what if that isn’t enough?

Perhaps your pre-launch marketing was soft and you are struggling to make headway despite blogger outreach and PR pushes. I guess it is time to try the radical. Here are some tactics I have seen work well that seem underutilized.

The 6 Kickstarter Campaign Promotion Strategies No One is Doing That ACTUALLY Work

1. Get Real

Local marketing was the major player in trade and commerce throughout the ages before the internet pushed us online. Our hardwired obsessions with tangible, exciting products are by no means mitigated in this age of social media and online everything. So get out there.

This method of marketing is most effective for the products which lend themselves to interaction. Setup in large public areas most relevant to your niche and try to get people to demo your product. Most are so excited at seeing new and innovative ideas they will check out your product or pass the idea along. Having a tablet handy helps to let backers pledge to your campaign right then and there. Look for local festivals and pop-up markets where you can rent a booth and set up shop for a few hours.

2. Local News

Ask any reporter…they are dying for a story.

When locals start their own innovative businesses, isn’t that worthy of a little local news buzz? Go to editors or writers in your network and pitch your story. The local boy building a bad ass business or the hometown girl heroically trying to change the world are stories that others in the area love to hear about.

The traffic and backers built by methods such as these may not give you a huge bump in funding, but they can accelerate success and provide support so desperately needed. Mentions in these and any other reputable media sources strengthen your campaign by showing credibility.

3. Meetup Groups

Meetup.com is an awesome resource for just about anything. What better place to go and pitch your product than a certifiably interested audience? Hobbyists love getting together with others, and if you demonstrate your idea, it will build a bond with the early adopters of your brand.

Meetups also provide an excellent insight into the nature and success of a product. Putting it in the hands of experts will quickly provide feedback about what needs improvement or prove your invention worthy of crowdfunding. Be sure to bring a notebook for all the feedback you will inevitably get, as these tidbits may transform your product and be helpful in future iterations.

4. Old School Ads

The risk of failure makes many entrepreneurs afraid of this time-tested medium of marketing. But why?

Consider this: campaigns that fail to fund die. You need to get over the hump in order to succeed. Paid advertising in the proper hands is an unbelievably powerful tool to transform your campaign and business. Facebook Ads and particular are  very effective with a relatively low cost.

5. Gamify Engagement

Backers are your biggest fans at this point. Of course, treating them right, offering epic updates and really interacting with these trusted customers is important, but everyone knows that.

In addition to the obvious, try to truly get backers involved. These are the brand ambassadors that can spell defeat or unexpected success for your project.

People love competition, games, and glory. Try to find a way to add this to your campaign. Build engagement in a fun way by rewarding backers with engagement-based gifts and recognition. From tweets to shares and everything in between, backers are building your campaign and you can compensate them for that.

Create challenges and random (or results-based) rewards for your most supportive backers. The best and brightest backers could receive shout-outs, exclusive items or extra love from campaign creators. All of this builds an environment of support and should strengthen the virality of your beloved Kickstarter campaign.

6. Art of the Kickstart

We built this podcast for a reason. We want to help inventors and entrepreneurs share their stories, succeed with business and motivate other inventive individuals. But we aren’t the only game in town.

Tons of prolific podcasts are constantly creating content and putting out high-quality interviews with inspiring guests. If you have an awesome story, pitch us or any number of other entrepreneurial podcasts. These pre-built audiences work just like blogs, but give listeners a more in-depth look into you, your business and your project.

Reach out to others interested in your industry and you may well find fellow fans willing to share your story.

For more helpful tips, tune into our podcast and subscribe to our newsletter!

Hosted by
Roy Morejon

Roy Morejon is the President of Enventys Partners, a leading product development, crowdfunding and ecommerce marketing agency in Charlotte, North Carolina, in charge of digital marketing strategy, client services, and agency growth.

Join the discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

18 comments

More from this show

Episode 13
Art of the Kickstart logo

Subscribe to the Art of the Kickstart Newsletter

Sign up now to receive the Art of the Kickstart Crowdfunding checklist and notifications of new posts and interviews

Success! You are now subscribed!

Crowdfunding Checklist

Fill out the form below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get a free copy of our checklist for preparing for a successful crowdfunding campaign!

You have Successfully Subscribed!