Making Lemonade And Telling A Good Story

After you have added some fun to your project, think about how you are going to tell your story. A powerful tool, that lies at the heart of Kickstarter, is storytelling. Sometimes the way you talk about your project is more important than the product itself. Being able to tell a compelling story is very hard. When done right, it can move people.

In 2009 I came across one of my favorite YouTube videos of all time. It was a trailer for a movie called Lemonade. The movie was about advertising professionals that have been laid off and were starting over. What I love about the Lemonade trailer is that in 2:30 the narrator tells a complete story in a meaningful way. You connect with the people and the subject matter. Even if you have never been laid off, you can feel their pain and bitterness.

When telling your story on Kickstarter you should strive for a similar effect. If people can connect emotionally with your project, they will be more likely to back it or share it. The story that you tell on Kickstarter does not need to be as well produced as the Lemonade trailer. However, the more thought you put into how you will tell the story the more impact it will have.

The Lockpicks project by Schuyler Towne is probably one of my favorite examples of storytelling. I found it while building the campaign for Identifying Nelson. He tells the story so well that it draws in people who do not share his passion. I’m not interested in lock-picking, but by the end of this video, I am! I want one. I don’t even know what I would do with with a kit, but the story he tells makes it seem so exciting!

Lockpicks by Open Locksport by Schuyler Towne — Kickstarter


A Kickstart’s Guide to Kickstarter TOC:

pssst…you can read all of this offline by downloading the e-book.

Introduction
A Kickstarter’s Guide to Kickstarter: Introduction
How Kickstarter “Kickstartered” it’s own website
Understanding Kickstarter
The Basics of Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an updated version of the Parton Model
Kickstarter is like girl scout cookies…without the calories!
Make sure your project has an ending
Some additional benefits to running a Kickstarter project
Perry Chan’s Six Principles on why Kickstarter projects are successful
Yancey’s thoughts on getting funded
Brainstorming Your Project
What is this damn thing about?
Simplify your project for success
Is your project a Purple Cow?
Making Lemonade And Telling A Good Story
Reward The Patrons
Naming Your Kickstarter Project
Doing Your Homework
Before you launch, do your homework
No one cares about you
Some People Care About You
Who is Your Audience?
Where is Your Audience?
Resonating With Your Audience
Crossing Chasms
What Will it Cost?
Understanding Profit Margin and Costs
Setting Your Goals
Make or Break Decisions
Running the Numbers
Focus on what you need
Reasonable funding goals
Why be Reasonable?
How long your campaign runs depends on one thing, momentum
30 days or less
Managing Deadlines
Going for the BIG bucks
The Allure of a Large Backer
Pricing theory, thoughts about pricing your Kickstarter rewards
The Paradox of Choice
Crafting Your Pitch
Creating a compelling pitch for your Kickstarter project
Four questions people want answered when visiting your Kickstarter page.
Show some credibility to get more backers
Clarity is your friend
How to ask for Support
Kickstarter is a video-driven site
Examples of great pitch videos
Launching Your Project
Launching your project
How to track the progress of your Kickstarter campaign
The 30% Kickstarter project “Tipping Point”
Conclusion
How to engage an audience with a Kickstarter project: Idea & Story

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Nelson/Roberto

Separated from my family during El Salvador's civil war, by death and adoption, I was reunited with them at the age of 16. I do entrepreneurial art projects that are meaningful, relevant, and push me creatively.

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