Welcome to the July 2021 LaunchBoom mailbag! This month, we’re tackling questions about doing a crowdfunding publicity stunt, ways to save on your campaign video, and virtual versions of tabletop games. Don’t miss these awesome questions and answers!
Contents
Question 1
Is it a good idea to do a publicity stunt to start our pre-launch campaign?
In a way, your entire crowdfunding campaign is a publicity stunt! You’re doing something out in a public space to draw people’s attention, which you’ll then use to convert that spectator into a backer. Doing an additional publicity stunt on top of that can be a great way to draw in even more people—as long as you plan it right. Don’t just do something without giving it thought and tying it into your campaign!
Think of a publicity stunt like you’d think of PR. If it goes your way, it can be a huge win for your campaign—but you can’t count on it as your sole means of publicity. You need to be advertising just like you would for a campaign that isn’t planning to do a publicity stunt, because if it doesn’t go as well as you hope, you need to have another source of backers. Don’t put all your eggs in the publicity stunt basket!
You can read more about using PR with your campaign here.
Question 2
Campaign videos are important, but they can also be expensive. What video recommendations do you have for a company with a limited budget?
We recommend having a professional agency do as much of your video as you can reasonably budget for. Agencies like LaunchBoom Studios have years of experience, and will be able to produce a much higher quality video than you’ll be able to do on your own. Your focus as an entrepreneur is to bring the best product to your backers, so when you can, let the experts do what they’re best at: getting you more backers!
That said, we know that nobody has a limitless budget. There are some ways to save on your video if you need to spend your marketing dollars elsewhere!
You may be able to strategize with an agency to have them script your video for you. You can then shoot and/or edit the video yourself, or have a knowledgeable friend or family member do it.
Remember that your video is the first and best chance you have to make an impression on your potential backers. It may seem like a no-brainer to cut back on your video to save some money, but in the long run, it’s almost definitely worth it to have the pros do it so you’ll have more people funding your campaign.
Question 3
If I’m launching a tabletop game on Kickstarter, does it make sense to invest in a virtual version as well?
The short answer: yes!
Giving people more ways to play your game is a great way to grow your customer base. Maybe people prefer playing things virtually; maybe someone’s college gaming group spread over the country after graduation but they want to find a way to keep playing together. It’s possible that people with visual impairments would be able to play a virtual version, since they could manipulate it in a way that makes it accessible for them.
Give people more ways to play your game, and more people will play your game. It’s that simple!
Want to get your questions answered? We’d love to hear from you! Join the Crowdfunded Community and ask there. Even if your question isn’t featured in one of our mailbag posts, you’ll still get some great feedback in the community!
