A Kickstarter doesn’t have to be fancy to get the job done.  Take a look at Colleen Nixon’s project to see proof.

Colleen uses an honest, real and sincere approach to communicate this project to her audience, but she doesn’t get caught up in trying to perfect her project.

Oh, and she creates a killer slate of rewards packages.

[box type=”info” style=”rounded” border=”full”] VIEW PROJECT |  GOAL $2,500  |  20 DAYS  |  EMAILS 400  |  FB 686  [/box]

You be you

Seems obvious, right?

But it isn’t always simple.

Sometimes artists like you and I can be our own worst enemies when it comes to this point.  It can be easy to let our “creativity” or “artistic vision” trample all over our very own personality, especially when we are unsure of what we’re trying to accomplish.

Colleen, however, doesn’t have that problem.

She nailed her own personality.  It is stamped ALL OVER her project.

How did she do it?

• She spoke from the heart in her video.  No fancy words.  No trying to be overly clever.  Just her.  Talking.  To you.
• She wrote her project description in a natural and sincere manner.
• She was transparent about her goal.

Help me fund my full length CD!

I love a strong call to action.

Colleen has a strong call to action.  It is right there in the “story line” for you to see.

She repeats it further down in the description.  This is a good excerpt:

“But i can only do it with your help.

Donate today, get your reward, and help me fund my new cd!!!! puh-lease with strawberries on top! (i don’t like cherries…really, who does? there will be whip cream though, duh.)

Thanks for helping me live my dream….no, really…..thank you!

Rewards designed to raise funds

From a “technical” standpoint, this project is an excellent example of developing rewards that are designed to fundraise.

Though many artists we see are pricing more like a pre-order, the most effective ones are pricing like a fundraiser.

Without going into a detailed explanation of why this works for first timers and people who are relying heavily on their family, friends and acquaintances, the psychological difference between a fundraiser and a pre-order can be considerable enough to make a large difference financially.

I am sorry I missed this one… Nice package.

Let’s look at some of the specifics of Colleen’s packages:

• $10 for the digital download.  standard.  appropriate.
• $30 for the physical, signed CD.  SOLID margin and sure to raise funds which is the point of the project.
• $35 for CD + postcard.  basically, $5 to write and send a postcard.  also a good margin.
• T-shirt at $50.  good price relative to the physical CD.
• CD listening party at $150
• skype, studio visits, and write you a song!
• $1000 and she will sing at your wedding.  nice.  and she got 3 backers there!
• house show for $1500.

I didn’t go into everything, but when you look down this bullet list, you will find that she included the standards (digital download, CD, t-shirt, and house concert ~ missed name in credits) in a purposeful manner.

also, look at her project.  notice the number of backers for each package.  colleen did a good job of designing packages that appeal to a wide array of fans who have varying levels of $$$ to offer.

The Takeaway

You don’t have to be fancy to have a great Kickstarter project that appeals to your fans.

Be real.  Let your personality flow through the project.

And create killer rewards packages!  Plan to collaborate with your fans and let your package prices reflect that premium.