Learning from a Kickstarter Campaign

I have a participated in a few kickstarter campaigns. For those who don’t know, kickstarter is a wonderful way of crowd sourcing the funding for a project. The campaigns I have participated in have primarily been for friends or artists that I enjoy. Typically the way a kickstarter campaign works is that you contribute a certain amount to the project and receive benefits/rewards in return for your contribution. It is kind of like Public Radio fundraising without all the nagging.

Anyway there is one campaign that I am presently in that I believe can serve as an example for anyone doing a project and asking for support. I mentioned in a earlier post that I am participating in Steve Taylor’s kickstarter campaign to fund his first new studio album in 20 years. Steve has run this campaign better than any other fund raising campaign I have ever seen or been a part of.  He has sent just the right amount of updates. He started the campaign in November and has sent out 19 updates since then. These updates have not only been informative concerning what is happening in the project but HIGHLY entertaining. Seriously folks these things have been funny all while letting everyone know what type of work their contributions have been funding. I saw someone comment on one of the updates that the updates themselves were were the contribution. This unknown, to me, commenter is completely correct. The fact that I get a copy of the album at the end of the project is just gravy now.

Here is what I have received for my $8 contribution thus far:
*19 entertaining updates
*a “thank you” phone call from Steve Taylor himself.
*a free lossless copy of Steve Taylor’s last studio album “Squint” (I had this already but it is the thought that counts).

On top of the above I receive a copy of the new album before it is publicly released.  This really is by far the best kickstarter campaign I have participated in. I might start sharing this with friends who start their own kickstarter campaign. I have help fund a few campaigns that never sent out an update at all. Seriously, I helped fund one campaign that went 18 months without a single update. I know through sources I found on accident that this person is working on the project.

In this end if you are doing a kickstarter campaign learn from Steve Taylor. Do more than people expect, rather than less. Not sure we can go wrong with the mindset in much of life. It would work in our businesses, churches, lives, etc.

Do more than people expect when they help you get started. I hope I normally live like that.