Now that you’ve centralized and organized your ideas, it’s time to set some expectations.
Long before you launch your next crowdfunding campaign, take the time to set your personal expectations. This experience isn’t just about the profit you earn, but rather the community you build and the lifelong supporters you meet along the way. A common trap, especially for first-timers, is focusing too heavily on money raised and profit. I think we can all agree that making a bazillion dollars on Kickstarter would be fantastic, but if that’s your driving motivation, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment before you even get started.
Keep in mind, there is A LOT of competition out there. At the time of writing this, there were 518 live Kickstarter campaigns under the Tabletop Games category. That a lotta dice! For your first campaign, it’s completely acceptable to break even, focusing more on your backer number rather than funds raised. Some things you may want to consider while defining your expectations:
- Can you clearly articulate what “success” looks like to you?
- How much money can you spend BEFORE you launch?
- What is the minimum amount of money needed to create your game?
- Are you willing to break even to get your game in people’s hands?
- How many backers will you need to reach your funding goal?
Do your homework when it comes to budgeting and costs, strategize a realistic and achievable funding goal, and have a plan for all scenarios (didn’t reach funding goal, funded and will break even, funded above expectations, and funded beyond wildest dreams). Typically, failure is just friction with expectation. Clearly identifying your goals and expectations as soon as possible will make this journey a lot smoother and significantly less stressful.
Resources:
To understand everything that goes into a Kickstarter campaign, here is a basic overview and checklist of steps you’ll need to take to set yourself up for a successful crowdfunding campaign.
Webinar: Crowdfunding Your Game on KickstarterKickstarter’s Senior Outreach Lead for Tabletop Games Jonathan Ritter-Roderick teaches us things you need to know to set yourself up for crowdfunding success.
Webinar: Raising More Than Just Money on Kickstarter w/ Julio TerraUnderstand the importance of building a community of backers rather than just the funds you need. Julio Terra was the Design & Technology Outreach Lead at Kickstarter for years until he became CEO of Launch Studio—a Crowdfunding masterclass series.
Webinar: Expert Do’s and Don’ts Before Your LaunchJoin crowdfunding experts from BackerKit and LaunchBoom for an in-depth look at what you should be doing before you hit that launch button.
How to Set Up Realistic Crowdfunding GoalsIf you want to use crowdfunding to raise funds for your business, then you’ll need to focus on setting an achievable objective.
Debunking 10 Common Myths About CrowdfundingOur friends at Easyship help us learn about 10 of the most common crowdfunding misconceptions.
Now that you’ve established your goals and expectations, you should become an active member of the Kickstarter community.
Are You Ready to Launch?
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