Notes from the Kickstarter Workshop I attended at LA Makerspace tonight!
Moderator: Stephanie Pereira, Director, Art Program at Kickstarter
Panel:
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Our Moderator works at Kickstarter! That’s convenient for questions.
SP: First thing to do if you’re thinking of starting a Kickstarter campaign is fund a project. Get involved in the community.
- no charity or cause funding
- KS specializes in bringing creative projects to life
- 3.2 million people & 850 thousand are repeat backers (in 2012 I believe)
- Offer creative experiences
- Write your backers into the story
- Most people pledge $25
- Account for 5% in KS fees, 3-5% in Amazon fees when calculating your goals
CINEFAMILY has an amazing blurb (see link above)
JG: “We needed to take into consideration that nothing ever goes right in Production….and postage.”
SP: Cinefamily may the most successful nonprofit project on Kickstarter
MS: One perk included membership and they gained 400 new members
- highly prioritized an audience complaint: hard and uncomfortable seats. Those perks to buy and name a seat went very well.
SP to SB on his perks & updates: “You’re communicating with people, you’re not selling shit.”
SS: “It’s all you think and know about for 30 days….also great press.”
- On Associate Producer credit: “People think it’s buying your way into Hollywood but welcome to Hollywood.”
- Her film had a random backer at $10,000 level. He just liked the campaign.
JG: When asking your backers to share, ask them questions to help target very specific groups of people.
- “DIY Backyard Textile Printing is not everyone’s thing.”
- Sent gifts to backers they were not expecting.
- Made a cute gif and sent the ability to create shirt design, which backers created, and shared picture with hashtag
- Post-campaign, send ‘3 ways to continue to engage with Lumi for the Holidays”
SS: Targeted women making film, people who like to use actual film, interested in shooting on location in Texas
- Every time they hit a goal towards their final goal, they focused on a different target group
- had a “Hustle” meeting every morning at 6a.m. to prioritize
- Send backers private video perks : “We’ll drink a beer with your name on it.”
- Sang Bohemian Rhapsody in their car together
- “Kind of like an action movie, Kickstarter has a ticking clock…made our community feel like they owned it.”
SURPRISES & WHAT THEY WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY
SS: Surprised at how many hours it took every day
- She would adjust how much help they had and add the shipping costs
JG: Now you know during the campaign who is domestic backer and who is international
JG: Be clear on calculation and communication of postage. It’s all perception.
- Make that dialogue very clear.
MS: Thanked everybody individually when they first pledged
SP: Kickstarter just rolled out the ability to sort people by new pledges
MS: Didn’t have a plan for updates post-campaign and would do that next time.
- “It works the way you think it will if you strategize.”
SS: When to hold a campaign:
- not around or at end of holiday
- they wanted to end on a particular day, after SXSW b/c then they could promote Kickstarter there
- picked ideal date and worked backwards for plan
JG: Talk about your own legitimacy as well
- Why you an deliver and how you have delivered in the past
WHAT WORKED THAT DIDN’T COST MONEY or REQUIRE A PUBLICIST
The night ended with socializing and talking to the panelists.
JG: Have fun with campaign and make it as true to your spirit as you can convey to your backers
SS: Could only afford Publicist after Kickstarter
SP: Ask yourself (to find your target backers):
1. Who is making this?
2. What other stories can you pull out of this?
SB: Genuine excitement is contagious.
SP: Segment out backer levels and strategize on a white board:
Visualize who would back you at different levels. What rewards would excite them?
There was more about taxes and income from Kickstarter too. I’ll add those soon. -CMJ
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Also find the discount code for Demo Video Lab’s Workshop (only good through Monday).
Running a campaign? Schedule a Funding Fridays Broadcast.
Watch more Kickstarter tips from Diani & Devine.
Hear about these events as they happen via @CindyMarieJ
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