You probably have some ideas for rewards. Some rewards are obvious. For example, if you’re making a book, then a possible reward is a print copy of the book. Other rewards might not be as easy to come up with.
Really think about all the different things you can do and offer as rewards. Just like your main idea, you want them to be as creative as possible. Rewards are an important part of Kickstarter because they are where the most “value” is exchanged. Having compelling and fun rewards are all part of the Kickstarter experience.
One thing to think about is the difference between physical goods and digital goods. Digital goods are easy to replicate and cost very little. Physical goods cost more to produce but have a higher intrinsic value. It’s not that digital goods are meaningless. In fact, they can be quite valuable. However, they don’t invoke the same feeling as physical goods. Think about receiving a handwritten letter vs. the hundreds of emails we get every day. There is a reason why wedding invitations are still sent via “snail mail.” Treat your physical awards as souvenirs, and give them to people who care the most about your project.
Don’t worry about pricing your rewards just yet; that will come later. For now, generate a list that you can come back to later. As the details of your project become clearer, you will have a better sense of which rewards will work best for your project.
There are rewards that are created as a result of your project, and rewards that are created to complete your project. While brainstorming, you may come up with both types, but the former will be much more effective.
For example, if your project is to make an album, then the result will be a set of songs that you can send to people. Offering the songs as a digital download or CD would probably happen even if you didn’t use Kickstarter. However, having a T-Shirt as a reward might attract backers, but is not necessarily something you would make while producing an album.
Sometimes you may need to create additional rewards, but most of the time you will want rewards that are a direct result of your project.
A Kickstart’s Guide to Kickstarter TOC:
pssst…you can read all of this offline by downloading the e-book.
- 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
- 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
- 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