Boccob's Blessed Blog

There are hundreds of articles on the web about running a successful Kickstarter campaign, but I think there is another side of crowdfunding that needs to be discussed, how to be a successful backer.

PM vs public comment
A general rule to follow – if your comment or question only applies to you, send it as a private message, as opposed to a public comment.

Kickstarter spies
Every Kickstarter will have these covert agents. They back a project for one dollar so they can read the updates. Do I have to point out that this is a dick move?

You are entitled to your opinion…
But you are not entitled to rude comments, ad hominem attacks, or circular arguments. If you are truly unsatisfied, private message the creator and ask for a refund. Your comments have an impact on a creator’s livelihood.

Check your Spam/Promotion folders
It is 2018 people, we have had SPAM filters for over twenty years. Before you post publicly to say you did not receive your e-mail, check your e-mail’s SPAM folder. This is especially important with Google’s promotion folder.

Share the project
If you believe in a project enough to back it, consider sharing it on your social media platforms. This sort of word of mouth will greatly aid the project and takes very little time.

Stretch goals are nice, but not required
Stretch goals are cool because you get additional content that is sometimes free.  However, the issue with stretch goals is that they can increase the cost of the product and reduce the profit margin.

Look for examples of the creator’s work
Before you invest your money in a Kickstarter, visit their website and get a feel for their style. In the past I’ve had a few backers that were disappointed in the final product, but when I looked at their backer profile it was their first time backing a Kickstarter. Additionally, when I look to see what products of ours, they already own, I found they didn’t own any (even a free product). Don’t be afraid to ask a creator for a sample of their work.

Complete your survey
The creator you’ve chosen to back cannot send you your reward/product if they don’t have your shipping information. Sometimes the survey is hard to find on mobile devices (the survey appears as a yellow band at the top of your screen), so if you can’t find it, try logging in on a computer.

READ, READ, READ
I’ve saved the most import backer tip for last: read the updates and the backer pager before you publicly ask a question. Questions like, “When will I receive X” take your creator away from making the product you ordered and are extremely annoying because every backer level will have an expected delivery date listed. Read the project page (especially the FAQ section) in its entirety and scroll back through the updates to see if your question has already been answered.

Kickstarting a project is exciting and fun, and when backers and creators are both on the same page, the finished project will be even better. Be respectful, and keep in mind that you are one of many backers.

(Are you a creator? Have we missed a tip you’d like included? Comment below!)

[Notice: The author is not affiliated with Kickstarter and his opinions are his own. ]

This entry was posted on November 21, 2018 at 10:48 am and is filed under Crowdfunding, Kickstarter with tags How to Back a Kickster, Kickstarter Tips, Wheaton's Law. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.