First time using kickstarter, how do I best build up "fans" before I launch campaign?

[pkaiken]

Hi, I am about to launch my kickstarter campaign in the next two weeks. I am new to social media marketing and promotion. I have read that you should have a following before you start your campaign. How do you best promote your product before it launches? I have set up a Facebook page and paid for Facebook ads and got about 37 likes in a week, but all of these are just average people, they don't show any connection with the tech repair industry at all. I am selling magnetic repair training guides to aid in disassembling electronics like smartphones, computers and video game systems. The people who "liked" my page from Facebook ads would most likely not back this product based on their Facebook page and that they have no job or education in technology.

Are there any forums or sites that let you post your campaign so others can view it or even be interested in backing it once it goes live? Its hard to find any that don't have strict rules to not post your campaign or require you to subscribe and pay a fee to join.

Also, kickbooster.me claims to "boost" your campaign by giving "boosters" a portion of your funding as payment of sharing your campaign on social media. is this a good idea or bad idea?

Thanks for the advice.

[Harold Mansfield]

Hi, I am about to launch my kickstarter campaign in the next two weeks. I am new to social media marketing and promotion. I have read that you should have a following before you start your campaign. How do you best promote your product before it launches? I have set up a Facebook page and paid for Facebook ads and got about 37 likes in a week, but all of these are just average people, they don't show any connection with the tech repair industry at all. I am selling magnetic repair training guides to aid in disassembling electronics like smartphones, computers and video game systems. The people who "liked" my page from Facebook ads would most likely not back this product based on their Facebook page and that they have no job or education in technology.

Refer to this thread that you started a while back. We all gave some pretty solid advice on a direction to go.
http://www.small-business-forum.net/social-media/17008-advice-promote-kickstarter-campaign-social-media.html


Are there any forums or sites that let you post your campaign so others can view it or even be interested in backing it once it goes live? Its hard to find any that don't have strict rules to not post your campaign or require you to subscribe and pay a fee to join.
None that I know of. You're going to have to do your own promotion and find your own target market and build your own community.


Also, kickbooster.me claims to "boost" your campaign by giving "boosters" a portion of your funding as payment of sharing your campaign on social media. is this a good idea or bad idea?

Thanks for the advice.

Sounds like a bad idea. Not many ways around it, you're going to have to learn how to market and promote your idea on your own. I gave you some pretty good tips to lay the ground work. It's hard work and you may fail and have to pick yourself up, brush yourself off, learn from your mistakes and try again. But if you don't learn you will definitely fail and you will have learned nothing, which means you'll never be able to improve on it.

[Fulcrum]

Also, kickbooster.me claims to "boost" your campaign by giving "boosters" a portion of your funding as payment of sharing your campaign on social media. is this a good idea or bad idea?

Bad. This would be no different than taking the money and running that was referenced in your other post.

[pkaiken]

Bad. This would be no different than taking the money and running that was referenced in your other post.

But there are a few kickstarter campaigns that have used kick booster to get their funding higher than normal. They also have the kick booster link on their page. It sounds like a good idea, only that if you get the funding, the take the percent that you have chosen to give to the "boosters". Like, if you set the amount to 10%, if you get $50,000, you pay kick booster $5000. Seems fair enough, just have to factor in that percentage from your funding. It would only be terrible if you make $1million and they get $100,000 of your funds.

[pkaiken]

Sounds like a bad idea. Not many ways around it, you're going to have to learn how to market and promote your idea on your own.

Okay, what do you think about Prefundia.com?

[Harold Mansfield]

But there are a few kickstarter campaigns that have used kick booster to get their funding higher than normal. They also have the kick booster link on their page. It sounds like a good idea, only that if you get the funding, the take the percent that you have chosen to give to the "boosters". Like, if you set the amount to 10%, if you get $50,000, you pay kick booster $5000. Seems fair enough, just have to factor in that percentage from your funding. It would only be terrible if you make $1million and they get $100,000 of your funds.
As a general rule online I stay away from anyone that promises me likes, joins, viral views, and so on and so on. Technically there's nothing wrong with an affiliate model to promote sales and services. But ethically I have a problem with it for this kind of fundraising. From the Kickstarter website:


Projects can’t fundraise for charity, offer financial incentives, or involve prohibited items. Projects can’t promise to donate funds raised to a charity or cause, and they can’t offer financial incentives like equity or repayment.

https://www.kickstarter.com/rules?ref=footer

Says loud and clear that you "cannot offer incentives like equity or repayment".

[pkaiken]

So is kick booster a scam?

[Harold Mansfield]

So is kick booster a scam?
It's not about Kickbooster. When you're using another service all that matters is what their rules are. If their rules say "no incentives", then that's what you should follow. Doesn't matter what another site says or what you've been told. They make the rules clear. Whether or not you follow them is up to you.

[Paul]

You may want to consider an equity based crowdfunding campaign. You product seems well conceived but it is clearly a niche market. I don’t think it can generate much interest as a donation/gift campaign. As an equity offering you might find some that like it as a business and would support it.

[Fulcrum]

they take the percent that you have chosen to give to the "boosters". Like, if you set the amount to 10%, if you get $50,000, you pay kick booster $5000. Seems fair enough, just have to factor in that percentage from your funding. It would only be terrible if you make $1million and they get $100,000 of your funds.

I don't see the difference whether its $5, $5,000, or $100,000. You're still having to pay your booster out of your raised funds.

I like your product idea. I agree with Paul that it will be probably be a niche market that will buy this product. Why not learn how to make this yourself? A small desktop CNC mini mill ($2-5000) is probably all you need to make the tray and buy in your magnets.

The more I think about this, the more I believe that this is something you can start producing in your home.

[BobJ275]

So is kick booster a scam?

Probably not. If your business with them is "outside" Kickstarter, the rules don't apply. That doesn't mean they are offering a good product. They aren't going to believe in your product like you do, so I really doubt their leg work will be better than you doing it.

Harold, thank for all the great advice on this and the other thread. I'm also approaching my first kickstarter and that's a great list of stuff to get working on.

I have a light duty machine shop (CNC, etc..). If you want me to take a look at making some parts for you, pm me.

[Harold Mansfield]

Probably not. If your business with them is "outside" Kickstarter, the rules don't apply.
Of course the rules apply. The rules are for exactly that kind of circumstance...doing business outside of Kickstarter to offer incentives and kickbacks. That's the whole point. If Kickstarter turns into people raising and collecting money just to redistribute it to other people, it's dead as a fund raising site and may as well just be the United States Congress ( Zing! :) )

You don't own your Kickstarter. Just like ever other website on the web, they allow you to use the platform. In this and in life, when someone is allowing you to use their resources the best course of action is to follow and respect the rules that they set as the condition for using their stuff. When you set out to pull a fast one behind people's back, it never works out. Especially online since the people who've set these things up are smarter than you, or else you wouldn't their stuff...right?

[BobJ275]

I'm not a lawyer, but if you hire someone to promote your stuff and the compensation is a percentage of some number, I don't see how that's breaking the rules. Again, I'm not a lawyer. How do they exist if they have not found some loophole that makes their activity legal? They are clearly smart people as well (possibly con artists, but still smart). If in turn, you, the user of their services, are breaking some rule, they would be accomplices and could be gone after as well, so again, they must have found a way to be doing it legally.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'm not a lawyer, but if you hire someone to promote your stuff and the compensation is a percentage of some number, I don't see how that's breaking the rules. Again, I'm not a lawyer. How do they exist if they have not found some loophole that makes their activity legal? They are clearly smart people as well (possibly con artists, but still smart). If in turn, you, the user of their services, are breaking some rule, they would be accomplices and could be gone after as well, so again, they must have found a way to be doing it legally.
The rules are pretty clear. I never said it was illegal and it really has nothing to do with the 3rd party company, they don't make Kickstarter's rules. This is about what Kickstarter allows, not whether or not what someone else is offering is legal or illegal.

You really can't just decide that you've determined it's OK, regardless of what they are telling you, and do it anyway. I mean you can, but when your Kickstarter page is deactivated and your money lost, what's going to be your complaint? That you made up your own rules and it should be OK?

Nothing wrong with paying someone for marketing help. But it seems to me offering a cut of the action is strictly prohibited and as a frequent backer of Kickstarter products, if I found that someone was doing this I'd demand my pledge returned and taken off the list. There are just so many ways that can be exploited. I understand why they don't allow it. This isn't a mere social media campaign, you are asking for donations. Money. All appearances need to be on the level.

But again, your Kickstarter, your call.

[BobJ275]

you "cannot offer incentives like equity or repayment".

right, through your kickstarter campaign. If you offer them compensation/incentives outside of kickstarter to promote your business, including directing people towards the campaign, I don't see how your violating their rules. It's really none of kickstarter's business what you do outside.. You could offer compensation to a marketing company a percentage of tomorrow's predicted high temperature. I doubt the weather station will sue you. Anyway, I see it being legal for both parties, but I'm sure opinions vary, and I'm not a lawyer, so I'm just speculating over a cup of coffee. cheers

[BobJ275]

You really can't just decide that you've determined it's OK, regardless of what they are telling you, and do it anyway. I mean you can, but when your Kickstarter page is deactivated and your money lost, what's going to be your complaint? That you made up your own rules and it should be OK?

Fair enough, and clearly their opinion on the interpretation of the rules trumps ours by far. But I think the OP said the service has been used successfully which seems to indicate Kickstarter hasn't gone after them (or at least yet).

[Harold Mansfield]

Fair enough, and clearly their opinion on the interpretation of the rules trumps ours by far. But I think the OP said the service has been used successfully which seems to indicate Kickstarter hasn't gone after them (or at least yet).
People have gotten away with MANY things. That's not the same as it being OK. The risk is that you'll be the one who gets caught. And in instances like this it's usually by a user who sees it and reports it.

Again, pay for marketing. That's fine. Offering a piece of what's donated on Kickstarter? I wouldn't risk it knowing the rules and how they feel about it.

[pkaiken]

I don't see the difference whether its $5, $5,000, or $100,000. You're still having to pay your booster out of your raised funds.

I like your product idea. I agree with Paul that it will be probably be a niche market that will buy this product. Why not learn how to make this yourself? A small desktop CNC mini mill ($2-5000) is probably all you need to make the tray and buy in your magnets.

The more I think about this, the more I believe that this is something you can start producing in your home.

Thank you for liking my product. however I disagree with both you and Harlod.

First, I already have 100 units made (the magnetic tray) which is complete. I have over 12 guides made for launch, withe promise of making 20 more for various devices. As I said in other posts, I am very serious about this and going in with all I have.

Second, this is a niche market but a very large one. The repair industry is huge. I am marketing to every repair store in the world. Not just phone repair stores, but computer repair stores (including stores like Geek Squad in best buy) but game system repair stores. There are over 50 repair stores in every state in the USA, not even mentioning the world. Screwmat.com, the leader in magnetic repair guides sells world wide and makes over a million dollars in revenue a year. They only market to phone repairs. My magnetic repair mat hits the same market but also computers and game systems. My magnetic repair mat will be the worlds first magnetic repair mat for game systems and computers.

Third, I have seen several kickstarter pages with kick booster advertised as what they used to get funding boosted. The rules for not using your page for donation or having a repayment for backing applies only to the actual kickstarter page. Kickstarter cannot control what you do outside of their site. As long as your page is seeking funding for a physical object and does not mention other things that break their rules, you can do what you want to boost your funding. Remember, the more you make, the more kickstarter makes. I don't think they care if you get a million in funding using a site that brings traffic to your page.

[Harold Mansfield]

Third, I have seen several kickstarter pages with kick booster advertised as what they used to get funding boosted. The rules for not using your page for donation or having a repayment for backing applies only to the actual kickstarter page. Kickstarter cannot control what you do outside of their site.

Oh, so you're talking about using Kickbooster for OTHER fundraising activities? Not on Kickstarter? Like for instance building your own donation page? Then yeah, in that case do what you want. Your stuff, your rules. As long as it's legal by whatever your state laws are regarding fund raising, go for it. Just make sure you consider that the IRS gets their cut too. You can't just get free money in this country and not pay taxes. I think the threshold is $10k.

[pkaiken]

Again, pay for marketing. That's fine. Offering a piece of what's donated on Kickstarter? I wouldn't risk it knowing the rules and how they feel about it.

Again, if this were the case, why do several projects that are even featured on the "most funded" page of kickstarter prominently show that they used kick booster or another one i found called funded today.com?

see it on https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/86285180/roost-laptop-stand-free-yourself-from-laptop-neck/description

[BobJ275]

Here's my litmus test as to them being worth it: If you don't meet your goal, do they get zero dollars too? I bet not.

[pkaiken]

Here's my litmus test as to them being worth it: If you don't meet your goal, do they get zero dollars too? I bet not.


Yes, they get zero if you don't get funded. Kick booster says "boosters" get zero if you fail to get it funded. Funded today.com says they only promote ones they know will get funded and if it doesn't they don't take anything either.

[Harold Mansfield]

Again, if this were the case, why do several projects that are even featured on the "most funded" page of kickstarter prominently show that they used kick booster or another one i found called funded today.com?

see it on https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/86285180/roost-laptop-stand-free-yourself-from-laptop-neck/description

I don't see where it says it was funded using Kickbooster, nor can I find anything online that even hints "Kickstarter Approved", or that they are partnership with Kickstarter. But there's an easy way for you to get a solid answer. Just ask them. Simply send Kickstarter an email and ask. If you're scared of the answer, then you already know.

[pkaiken]

I don't see where it says it was funded using Kickbooster, nor can I find anything online that even hints "Kickstarter Approved", or that they are partnership with Kickstarter. But there's an easy way for you to get a solid answer. Just ask them. Simply send Kickstarter an email and ask. If you're scared of the answer, then you already know.

If you click the link, and scroll all the way down, there's a huge, giant picture that says "In partnership with fundedtoday.com. Click here to fund your next campaign."

And yes, I plan to ask them about these services to make sure they comply with their rules.

819

[Harold Mansfield]

It does seem to fly directly against their TOS, but it seems like they're allowing it. You seem intent on doing it no matter what so I say go for it. You can kick something around to death and still won't know anything. Gotta try it to see if it works and is worth it.

Just remember to let us all know how it works out as I'm sure others will benefit from your experience and feedback about using such services.