Have you ever had a really great idea that you wanted to turn into reality?

Kickstarter and other crowdfunding websites give small businesses and individuals a chance to turn those ideas into reality, without a marketing agency, says Chris Madden, Co-founder of US-based Digital Marketing Agency, Matchnode.

Kickstarter is a great platform for those who want to test their product on the market, solicit feedback from target customers, and if successful, generate funding often in the form of pre-sales to invest in production. They're especially helpful for those who don't have a marketing agency onboard.

Before a Kickstarter Campaign

1. Build momentum
   Your Kickstarter campaign is not “step 1”; it should NOT be the first time people are hearing about your product. Like a marketing agency would, you need to build a community using social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and blogs to create buzz about your campaign. Get your backers excited to fund you before you click that launch button.
   
   The myIDkey team spent months preparing for their campaign developing prototypes, using social media, and attending conventions to showcase their product. Soon after winning 3 awards at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, they launched their Kickstarter Campaign and successfully were funded: 216% above their target, finishing with a total of $473,3332.
   
   
2. Turn bloggers into friends
   Bloggers will become your best friends (and a free PR agency!) during your campaign. Find niche blogs that you believe are most relevant to your product and connect with its writers. The best way approach this situation is to genuinely form relationships with the writers, find a way to help them achieve their goals, and introduce your story from their point of view. Instead of being just another stranger pitching for publicity, take the time to offer feedback on their blog and start conversations about their posts before mentioning your product.
   
   
3. Don’t expect to be found; show the way
   While Kickstarter is a very active community unto itself, there are steps you can take to assure that your project will be featured and highly visible on the website. The best way to increase the chances that Kickstarter will feature you on their “discover” page as well as be in their email blasts is to get off to a fast start. Building a community which will flock to your campaign on the first day is the key to this; build Facebook likes, an email list, and a large Twitter following. Again, like a marketing agency would, you should run paid ad campaigns to achieve this. Make sure to have content for each channel ready and scheduled before your campaign.
   
   
4. Just because you have a 3-D print doesn’t mean you are ready for launch
   Products on Kickstarter that look sloppy or unfinished won’t be funded. Your backers want to have confidence in you and know that you took the time to develop a great product. Even if your prototype is unfinished or subject to change, it is still better than simple model or 3-D print.
   
   
5. Make a great first impression
   Just because your idea isn’t funded, you can’t cut any corners. Your idea will be judged immediately the first time someone sees your marketing.
   
   Descriptions need to be clean, pictures beatiful, and most importantly an extremely concise video needs to explain your idea immediately. The same elements are also vital to building your actual KickStarter page.

My Campaign is Live

You can’t sit back now!

1. Alert Your Community
   Use the emails and social community you have gathered to alert everyone that your project is live. Update them as you gain momentum, no one likes to be the first person to fund a project.
   
   
2. Use Your Segment Data
   Continue to build your community using the segments you have already discovered. Running very specifically targeted ads on Facebook are a great way to let everyone know about your project.
   
   
3. Stay on Your Game
   Like your imaginary marketing agency would, you'll need to know what is happening with your campaign at all times. Messages from potential buyers need to be answered within minutes. Twitter searches and Google alerts can help alert you to conversations about your idea that emerge. Message boards and comments should be responded to in an appropriate way. You can also update your campaign based on the feedback you are receiving--adding things like stretch goals to further incentivise funding.

After a Kickstarter Campaign

SUCCESS! So your project is fully funded. Now what?

1. Use the data you gather wisely
   Export an email list of your Kickstarter backers into a site such as Rapleaf or Rapportive. These services will help you understand the demographics of your backers by creating indexes against your email list. Because Kickstarter attracts individuals disproportionately interested in technology and new ideas, it will be important to understand your potential customers outside of being a subset of the Kickstarter community. Test these audiences through Facebook ads to develop your customer profile and target these segments on every platform that makes sense.
   
   
2. Update frequently
   Be sure to update the backers who made your dream a reality on design, production, and shipping so they remain excited about your product and informed on the latest news. After your campaign, Kickstarter will continue to generate substantial traffic to your website so update your Kickstarter page with all the great progress you are making as often as possible. Post-campaign Kickstarter traffic often converts extremely well and drives sales.
   
   
3. Successful funding doesn’t mean you have achieved success
   Although your Kickstarter might have been a success, the real challenges are just beginning. Don’t get overwhelmed by the seemingly limitless decisions around marketing, production, and staffing that await after you’ve been funded. Consider partnering with the people who reached out to you throughout your campaign and partner with them to solve some of those business problems.

Conclusion

Kickstarter is an amazing launch platform and there is a tactical road map that you can follow to ensure a successful campaign and business. At Matchnode, we connect strategic thinking to execution of increased traffic and optimized conversions. Kickstarter is a great spectrum through which to view our combination of marketing data analytics and creative strategic thinking, which we can apply to a wide array of businesses.