DAY 7: MARKETING YOUR KICKSTARTER - BUILDING THE BUZZ
Here's something a lot of creators don't realize until it's too late: your Kickstarter marketing should start long before you hit that launch button. Think months, not weeks. The most successful campaigns often start building buzz at least 3-4 months before launch. Why? Because you're not just selling a product - you're creating an event, building anticipation, and cultivating a community that's excited to back your project on day one.
Let's break down how to make this happen.
INTEGRATING KICKSTARTER INTO YOUR EXISTING PLATFORMS
Your current followers are your best potential backers, but you need to bring them along on this journey gradually. Start dropping hints about your Kickstarter plans in your newsletter and social media. Share why you chose Kickstarter, what makes these editions special, and how excited you are about creating something exclusive for your community.
Newsletter Strategy: Think of your newsletter as your inner circle. These folks are already interested in your work, so start by:
• Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of campaign preparation
• Explaining the special elements you're including
• Sharing other Kickstarters that you love and are tempted to back or maybe even do back
• Creating anticipation for launch day exclusives
• Showing the evolution of your special editions
Pro Tip: Your subscribers already trust you; now you're offering them something special. Kickstarter is a place that is specifically for the special so treat what you share with them about it that way. Share comparable Kickstarters that your audience would like. Yes, you can start doing swaps even for Kickstarter campaigns well before yours launch. They can schedule to share yours later or send people to follow it as soon as you have it set up. Remind your newsletter that by following they are not committing to buy. Only saying they want notified of when it becomes available.
SOCIAL MEDIA THAT ACTUALLY ENGAGES
Here's where most creators go wrong: they just post about their books. Instead, think about creating content that stops the scroll and makes people lean in. YOU are a storyteller, and your social media content should also tell a story. All of those elements that you use to publish a book also work for social media. Using layered visuals and text/sound hooks while telling a story creates the best engagement with the content.
Visual Content Ideas:
• Time-lapse videos of creating book or Kickstarter elements
• ASMR-style page flips of sample books
• Close-up shots of foiling catching light
• Macro photography of special edition details
• "Guess what this is" teaser shots
• Box packing satisfaction videos
• Side-by-side comparisons with regular books or options you are considering. Yes, 3d mock ups can work for this!
• Sample unboxing videos
• Behind-the-scenes of the creative process and creation process of things
• Considering a few options for your campaign? Post it on social media as if it's a poll.
You also don't have to do all of the posts about your own Kickstarter. Did you back another Kickstarter or is one especially dreamy? Do an unboxing or warm up your audience by highlighting the pretties of another Kickstarter campaign. Honestly, even doing it for special editions you are getting from the story will help too.
Video Diary Series: Create short, casual videos documenting your campaign prep. Name them like:
• "The Day the Samples Arrived"
• "Late Night Design Sessions"
• "The Great Paper Crisis of 2024"
• "Why I'm Terrified and Excited"
• "It's 3 AM, and I'm surrounded by paper samples. My cat just knocked over the coffee, but I think I finally found the perfect design for the endpapers."
Progress Thermometer: Instead of just showing completion let it become percentages, turn each stage into a story:
"Today we hit 60% funding. Remember when I showed you those initial font samples? Well, let me show you where that decision led us..."
You can continue this beyond the 100% mark. Sharing the funding number or percentage you hit can get people interested. It can get them thinking "What has people interested enough that it's made over $5000 in 3 days?"
Mystery Box Challenge: If you are a particularly patient author, have a loyal street team already and they have a following consider trying a mystery box challenge. Send different components of your special edition to different street team members. Have them share their piece of the puzzle without revealing the whole picture. You could even have business cards printed like a mini book (yes, you can even get them foiled to match) and send them out in a swag pack with info about the kickstarter for them to share on social media.
Behind-the-Crisis: When something goes wrong (and it will), share the story:"The printer just called. Our original paper choice is out of stock. Here's how we're problem-solving in real time..."
Easter Egg Hunt: Hide clues about special features or stretch goals in your regular posts. Make finding them part of the fun. Tell your street team you are doing this and see how this gets them even more hyped up.
Weekly Themes: Create themed content weeks:
• Materials Week (focus on paper, binding, foil color options etc.)
• Design Week (share the evolution of visual elements)
• Your Characters Take Over Week (what do your characters think about the special edition? This works especially well if you are doing an already published book with an audience)
• Merch/Add On Week (all about the extra goodies you are designing or considering putting with this. Doing a custom tea? Sample and review. Making shirts or mugs or art? Show them or the process of them.
PRO TIP: Get those physical samples early! Many manufacturers will provide samples at cost or even free (like Boxup for custom boxes). These are marketing gold - use them!
EXTRA PRO TIP: Search book filming ideas and transition ideas on instagram and tik tok. Also search for other Kickstarters on social media to see what was working for them. This is a good opportunity to learn how to film and photograph your luxury book (because that's what a Kickstarter book really feels like) in a high quality way. You don't need fancy cameras or lighting. There's a large number of videos showing how to do it. You can also look at ideas of how to do it for other products besides books and twist it for a book one. Photographers are a great spot to look for creative ways to show your pretty book.
BUILDING YOUR STREET TEAM
A dedicated PR team can be your secret weapon, but here's the key: make it about them, not just about promoting your campaign. Create a private Facebook group where they feel like insiders and don't be afraid to create a new one for each book you release and each PR tour you do. We all know how Facebook kills visibility once you join a group so creating a new one for each tour helps it be fresh just for them. Just don't launch the team or let them in the group until your campaign launches and make sure to stay active in that group during the duration of your campaign. Remember, these people are readers first - treat them like VIPs.
Street Team Benefits Could Include:
• Exclusive behind-the-scenes content
• Input on campaign decisions such as which stretch goal to do next
• Special giveaway of something for them showing proof of social media posts for your campaign
• First look at updates and reveals
• Maybe get an early advanced reader copy of the ebook. This can encourage them to grab a physical book too! Especially if there's a lot of hype built with it in the group.
• Private Q&A sessions
CROSS-PROMOTION STRATEGIES
One of the most effective ways to reach new backers is through other creators who also use Kickstarter.
Finding Partners:
• Join Kickstarter creator Facebook groups that have spaces for setting up swaps
• Connect with creators in similar genres
• Look for complementary projects
• Arrange newsletter swaps and Kickstarter update swaps
• Connect with PA's. Sometimes even hiring a PA just for this one time use is an option and they often have connections to set up the swaps for you
FACEBOOK ADVERTISING - WHEN IT MAKES SENSE
Let's be honest about Facebook ads. They can be powerful, but they're not for everyone. Usually the advice is to avoid doing Facebook ads for a Kickstarter because it can take a while for them to be profitable and to get the cost per click down. But they can also be incredibly helpful with pushing your campaign through the slump to a new audience and your profit is higher per backer on your campaign than it is for a book sold on a retailer so you need less sales per click to actually make a profit from it.
Consider them if:
• You have previous ad experience
• Can achieve sub-$.25 cost per click quickly
• Are running a campaign 30+ days
• Have testing budget before launch
• Your profit margins support ad costs
If you decide to use ads, start testing before launch and build audiences from your early engagement.
PRO TIP: If you have a post on social media do well you can also turn it into an ad during your campaign to help drive sales. Just make sure that your campaign is clearly linked somewhere that you can point your audience to.
CONTENT PLANNING CHECKLIST
Every piece of content should:
□ Show rather than tell
□ Create emotional connection
□ Focus on reader experience
□ Build anticipation
□ Encourage engagement
□ Emphasize exclusivity
□ Drive preview page follows until your campaign launches and then focus on getting them to your campaign
Remember: Once your campaign launches, you'll be too busy to create much new
content. Build your library now.
THE GOLDEN RULE
Here's what it all comes down to: your marketing should make potential backers feel like they're part of something special. You're not just selling a book - you're offering an experience, a limited-time opportunity to be part of something exclusive.
Remember, successful Kickstarter marketing is about building momentum over time. Start early, be consistent, and focus on creating genuine excitement about your project. The goal is to have a crowd of eager backers ready to support you the moment you launch.
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