kickstarter.com

So I’m browsing projects on the Kickstarter website, or maybe I’ve heard about your page somehow and I’ve decided to check it out! Either way, I’ve landed on YOUR Kickstarter page. So now what?

We’re all busy people, I know I am, which means you have to get me interested, and ultimately get me to support your project in a very short period of time! But how do you do this? Here are a couple crucial things to think about:

Graphics

As soon as the page loads, before anything else, the graphics are the first thing anybody notices! Not having great graphics doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll click away, but why miss this opportunity.

And the truth is, even if I am only moderately interested in the game or concept, if the graphics are incredible this may be enough to keep me reading the content and possibly find something about the project that really interests me.

Spend a little money and pay a graphic designer to produce some high quality graphics that pop off the page.

Video

I’ve already written a lot about what a backer wants to see, as far as the project creator, in the page above called The Project Creator. Here are a few other things that are absolutely necessary in the video.

The video should be around two and a half minutes – give or go thirty seconds – which is not long! But the most effective ones must pack a lot on content into this short period of time. Here is a list of some things to consider.

Communicate Your Passion

If you haven’t noticed, this is the third time I’ve discussed this point. That’s because this is very important! Let shine your enthusiasm and passion for your KS project. If you want me to get excited about this project, you should be excited too. This may not only translate into convincing me to become a backer, but will give me reason to tell my friends as well.

If you’ve been a part of the KS community for longer than a few days you will probably have heard this point already. So much so that most people let it pass in one ear and out the other. But the truth is, I have decided not to back a number of KS projects simply because I didn’t feel like the project creator was very passionate about their idea.

kickstarter.com

The simple truth is – you’re asking for my money. Yes, maybe I really like your product, and maybe I even really like you, but why would I give you my money if I don’t trust that you’ll deliver?

This is an important point. Just being a likable person with lot of passion does not always translate into being a savvy entrepreneur or designer.

But now that you have my attention, prove to me you can follow through if this project gets funded! Here are a few ways to convince me that you’re worth investing in.

Edit Your Project Page

You may find some grammatical error, spelling errors or whatever, on many of blog posts. This is because I want to type up whatever ideas I have that I think may help my readers and click submit. But if I am trying to convince someone to support something I am doing financially, you better believe I would ensure my content is edited and accurate!

If it looks like you just threw your page together last minute and then posted it on KS I’m likely to go spend my time doing something more productive. This is an extension of the last point I made, Articulate Your Effort, but if your project page is wrought with errors it is a clear sign that you have not spent much effort on your project. My dollars took much effort to earn so I not going to give them up with knowing you’ve worked just as hard!

Make Your Page Pleasing

If your page looks like crap why should I believe your product won’t be the same? If the graphics looks amateur, why should I believe the final graphics, or the final product itself, will be any more professional? If the page is wrought with issues, why should I believe the product will be any different?

Your page should be organized. When I am deciding whether I want to invest in a project, I shouldn’t have to sift through unclear content and decipher its meaning. It should be very clear! I have enough work to do – backing a project should be satisfying and fun not work.

• The sentences should be clear and concise: Don’t use too many words, get to the point. I’m not here to read a novel, I’m here to hear about your project. But you’ve only got a couple minutes to convince me to continue reading and possibly support you!
• Don’t use too many big words: You want your reader to enjoy reading the project page and I shouldn’t need to pull my old dusty thesaurus off the shelf in order to figure out what you’re trying to say!
• Don’t use too much “Industry” jargon: I may hear about a project that is totally outside my field of expertise and decided to visit the KS page. But if I feel like the page is targeted to people who are already part of their “club” then I will be much more reluctant to back it. (This is especially important for you gamers!)

Articulate Your Effort

One way to do with is to articulate the effort you have already put into the project. It should be clear that this took a ton of time, passion, money and energy that could have been used for other things. Tell me how much time and money you have spent.

And if you have any experience, or past successes that relate to this type of project discuss those too! I want to know that you will not give up if things aren’t easy. I want to know that you have already done a lot of persevering. And I want to know that you fill follow through when you run into the many hurdles (they will come inevitably) ahead! I want to know my money was well spent!

Communicate Your Passion

If you haven’t noticed, this is the second time I’ve discussed this point. That’s because this is very important! Let shine your enthusiasm and passion for your KS project. If you want me to get excited about this project, you should be excited too. This may not only translate into convincing me to become a backer, but will give me reason to tell my friends as well.

If you’ve been a part of the KS community for longer than a few days you will probably have heard this point already. So much so that most people let it pass in one ear and out the other. But the truth is, I have decided not to back a number of KS projects simply because I didn’t feel like the project creator was very passionate about their idea.

kickstarter.com

Of the many principles to sales, one very important principle is to connect on a personal level with the individual you’re trying to sell to. Or said in an even more shallow way – get them to like you! When I am deciding whether to back a KS project or not, it is very important that I feel like I can connect in some way with the project creator. I want to know that he or she is an overall good person and cares greatly about their project.

The funny thing is, I most likely won’t ever know this person in real life so it doesn’t really matter if this is true or not. But this is a key point for anyone who wishes to be a successful Kickstarter (KS) project creator!

I’ve created the below after sitting down and recording my thoughts while viewing multiple KS projects over the past few most, and deciding whether to back them or not. These ideas can be articulated through the written content on your page or in your bio, but the most effective way in through your video.

Talk a Little about Yourself

I want to see that you are another average person, just like me. If you’re a big corporation selling a product, I’ll only back it if I really want the product. However, if you’re another average person with a regular 9-to-5 job that you only half-heartedly care about but working hard to turn this dream of yours into a reality, then I can empathize with you!

It doesn’t need to be long winded, nor should it be, but I want to know a little about as well. Tell me what you do in real life, how this idea came about, why you started this project and why you want it to become a reality. I love backing project when I feel like it could be me sitting behind that camera!

Seem Happy and Smile

I have clicked the “back” button on numerous projects because the project creator seemed just too plain! I would think to myself, “how is backing this project going to make me any more happy if the person launching this project isn’t even happy to be launching it?” So make sure this is clear on your page and especially in your video!

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

It’s not all business on KS. If you think certain things are funny, don’t be afraid to add a little humor to you project page and especially your video!

Communicate Your Passion

This is very important! Let shine your enthusiasm and passion for your KS project. If you want me to get excited about this project, you should be excited too. This may not only translate into convincing me to become a backer, but will give me reason to tell my friends as well.

If you’ve been a part of the KS community for longer than a few days you will probably have heard this point already. So much so that most people let it pass in one ear and out the other. But the truth is, I have decided not to back a number of KS projects simply because I didn’t feel like the project creator was very passionate about their idea.

kickstarter.com

Let’s keep something in mind – we don’t all have an infinite amount of funds to blow on Kickstarter projects. And we all know how it feels to get excited about that game, or book, or whatever, and then almost forget about it over the next six months while we wait for it actually arrive at our door.

So why do we continue to give our precious few discretionary dollars over to some random person’s project on Kickstarter?

If I want the latest new game to play over the weekend, I would go buy one at the local game store. Or if I wanted a respectable novel to read, I would go to a local book store. The “products” alone are not what draws me to a Kickstarter project page – the turnaround time is just too long!

What brings me to KS is something very different – I want to watch an idea become a reality. I want to see another average guy or gal like me succeed with an idea or a dream. I want to see this idea manifest itself into something real – something he/she didn’t have the funds to do alone.

More so, I want to get wrapped up in this idea. I want to get wrapped up in something bigger than just my 9-to-5, something that everyone is talking about, or something that no one is talking about. I want to post it on my social media page so I can partake in the buzz or post it instead because I’m the only one of my friends who knows anything about it!

I have dreams too and being a part of making someone else’s come to life is an incredible feeling. I want to be the first to pledge, or the 100th pledge! I want to be the one that puts them over the $1,000 mark or the $10,000 mark, or the one that unlocks the next stretch goal because then I am a part of the success too!

Oh yes, and the feeling of FINALLY receiving it in the mail!? Opening the package and holding the box in my hands. Biting the corner of the shrink wrap so I can peel it back. Wiping my finger across the box design before pulling the top open, and examining the first thing I see.

Scrutinizing every detail as I think to myself, “this was someone’s idea and here it is, I made it happen” while flipping through the pages, or the cards and peering at each graphic like it was an actual animation. These are all reason why I would back a Kickstarter project. Some average guy or girl had an idea – and I am the reason it became a reality!

With that said here are a few things that are absolutely critical when I am deciding if I want to back a Kickstarter project or not. These aren’t always true for everyone and every project – sometimes I see something so cool I just want to support it or even own it! I’ll talk more about this later.

I Back Projects That – Personally Connect With Me

I Back Projects That – Convince Me It’s Worth Investing In

I Back Projects That – Catch My Attention