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Why should you consider using a Fulfillment Company?
If you anticipate that you will be shipping a large volume of rewards to backers all over the US or the world, I’d recommend reaching out to a fulfillment provider just to learn more about the services they can offer to help with shipping Kickstarter rewards. You’ll also have a chance to get a better idea of their pricing.
It can be a huge pain to coordinate the labeling, packaging, shipping, and mailing of hundreds of Kickstarter rewards. It can be an even greater challenge to price reward tiers correctly, taking into account fulfillment costs.
You may be wondering what company can you trust that has dealt with Kickstarter rewards before. Even as a blogger, I find it can be difficult to thoroughly research a service provider. A fulfillment screening company like FulfillmentCompanies.net can take the legwork away, as they screen their vendors, at no cost to the customer. I urge you to check them out as a part of your research process in preparation for the launch of your crowdfunding campaign.
Kickstarter rewards have three functions
1. To involve your backers in the creative process.
As David Iaituri said, who raised $194,682 on Kickstarter, the real secret of Kickstarter is the community. “He went to extra lengths to involve backers in his project, from posting images of the orders being shipped out, to naming product parts after his early supporters. He likened running a successful Kickstarter campaign to how restaurant goers love to watch Japanese Hibatchi chefs cook. The food and atmosphere must be worth the money spent, but it’s also about seeing a performance.” – CrowdCrux.com.
The best way to build a community around your project or your cause is to involve backers in the creative process. The goal is to instill a sense of ownership in the project, meaning that community members have a say as to how the project will turn out.
In addition, giving the backers a way to impact the creative process is great strategy to excite evangelists that will share your project on their facebook or twitter. When a backer can directly impact the outcome of the project, be it choosing product colors, adding a line of dialogue in a screenplay, or naming a character in your novel, they will be more emotionally invested in the outcome of the project, look forward to your updates, and be more likely to engage in your mini-community through the comments section (where they will meet like-minded backers who interested in the same industry or technologies).
2. To provide an incentive for people to back your project.
The marketing guru and bestselling author Seth Godin has a great quote about pricing. “Not adding value is the same as taking it away.” – Seth Godin
When you ask people to financially contribute to your campaign in return for nothing or a cheap reward (pencils, keychains, etc), you are either asking for charity or effectively cheating them out of their hard earned dollars. Neither situations are a great selling proposition.
The best rewards offer some kind of value to the backer at a reasonable price. This value could be physical (the product), creative (input in the project), experiential (the creator will perform an activity, perhaps for entertainment), sentimental (great perk aimed at friends/family as a show of their support), or exclusivity (early-adopter perk).
The best way to test your reward tiers before launching is to put yourself in the mindset of a backer and try to imagine whether or not you could get excited about the perk for the given price. It might take a while to come up with compelling rewards, but keep brainstorming, ask for help from friends and family (or from your target audience), and browse through other projects in your category to generate perk ideas.
Never create a perk that you yourself would not be interested in as a backers. “People are smart.” – Seth Godin
3. To allow backers to own the end product.
When all is said and done, these are the backers that will make or break your Kickstarter project. Roll out the red carpet if you haven’t already. Do everything you can to make them feel special up until every reward has been shipped. Keep making updates that highlight the benefits of pledging at this reward tier and that encourage backers at lower levels to consider upping their pledge.
These backers (along with the upper tier backers) will form the heart of your community and be responsible for the bulk of discussion regarding your project on social media networks and the comments section. It’s crucial that you deliver a reward tier for these backers that is affordable (not retail price). Remember, once your campaign is done, you will still have permission to email these backers regarding future product offerings and company updates. Generating rapport with all your backers now could lead to greater revenue down the road!
25 Reward Ideas For Your Kickstarter Campaign
For cheap rewards (I advise against these unless you are seriously out of ideas), check out the many marketing promotional items available at VistaPrint.com
Games
1. Early access to “Cheats” or bonus levels, characters, abilities, and items.
2. Design your own item, level, or character. Do voiceover for a character.
3. Desktop or facebook wallpaper, poster, soundtrack, or action figure relating to the game.
4. VIP Forum Badge, Early access to future games (or ability to test them before launch), Q&A hangout or Reddit AMA.
5. Hidden section where you can see your name in the game, in the box, or inside the product.
Film + Video
1. Desktop or facebook wallpaper, poster, or soundtrack. Autographed (by team) images or pictures from film.
2. Character from the movie saying a message of your choosing. Character named after backer. Backer can send a prop to be included in the movie.
3. Bloopers, behind the scenes footage, alternative endings, conversations with the actor/director about making the film. Q&A with director or AMA.
4. Be an extra in the movie. Opportunity to have your own script looked over by a professional if you are an aspiring screenwriter. Access to the script.
5. Can take a prop from the movie. Can write one short scene or alternative ending that the cast must act out.
Music
1. Early access to the first single of the album, lyrics, song notes, music video etc.
2. Name in liner notes. Credit on album cover. Signed CD.
3. Artist or band will sing a cover of your choosing.
4. Poster, Desktop art, Facebook cover art.
5. Invitation to concert. Live webcam jam session with band. Include your vocals or bass in new song you create with the band or artist. Invitation to remix tracks and be tweeted out or mentioned on facebook.
Technology & Design
1. Backer will have the opportunity to provide a testimonial after using the product that will be included on the website, used in interviews done by the founders, a blog post that the company writes, etc.
2. Have your name engraved on the exterior or interior of device like the Macintosh.
3. Q&A, AMA, or interview with the founders.
4. Related accessories for the device to expand on functionality.
5. Color, size, attribute variations of the device.
Publishing
1. Name a character after a backer or have a backer name a setting or chapter.
2. Access to exclusive content including drafts, alternative endings, characters left out, plot twists considered, etc.
3. Signed copy of the work, posters or artwork, invitation to write a book review that will be tweeted out.
4. First copy of the audio edition of the book. Invitation to include a testimonial that will be included in the book.
5. Q&A or one-on-one with author to learn more about their intentions regarding the storyline, characters, etc.
