So you want to go on tour…

You want to record an EP…

You want to hire a publicist…

Regardless of what you are doing, one thing is damn well certain…

Your Kickstarter had BETTER be inspirational, loaded with purpose, and it had better communicate this.

Or else you are doomed, dooMED, muuuu-ah-ah-ah-ah….

View Gertrude’s Hearse’ Kickstarter

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DON’T BE VANILLA

When you are building a Kickstarter, there are a few goals that you should NOT have.  Amongst them:

• Your goal should NOT be just to grab money
• Your goal should NOT be simply to populate your video, project description, and packages and then hit launch.

My overwhelming sense of Gertrude’s Hearse’ Kickstarter is that these were their 2 goals.

Of course, I have no way of knowing this AND I have hindsight 20/20 to know that their project failed.  But seriously…

The video just about bores me to tears and feels uncomfortable

Many artists we talk to have a hard time with this and it looks like Gertrude’s Hearse did as well.  Unfortunately, they didn’t take any extra time to get comfortable in front of the camera or flesh out a new approach that comes across comfortably and sincere.

The project description lacks necessary detail

These three paragraphs leave little room for inspiration or emotional connection points.

Just as importantly in this project, the description just doesn’t provide enough detail about WHY the band needs $5000 for touring.  People are not going to spend money on you if you aren’t clear about what you are doing and why you need to be doing it.

Rewards lack creativity

The rewards here are super-standard and lack creativity.

This hurts projects by not giving potential backers enough selection to find an entry point they like.

This wouldn’t necessarily be crippling but, when taken with the other portions of the project, it just feels like Gertrude’s Hearse doesn’t want to put much work or effort into it.

What WERE they doing?

Finally, about 10 or 12 days from the finish of their Kickstarter, this news blurb posted on their website, “Not too much going on for Gertrude… a little practice, some holiday/family time, working on some new material.”

Seriously?

Not much going on?

If you want your Kickstarter to succeed, this is prime time!  Make and take every opportunity you can to reach out to potential backers in the last 2 weeks of your project.

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THE TAKEAWAY

All of this adds up to an uninspired grab for cash.

I know I am ripping into this project pretty good but it is what it is.

If you want your Kickstarter to be successful, mostly do the opposite of this project.  Specifically:

• Have and communicate a PURPOSE WORTH BACKING
• Accompany this with a CALL TO ACTION that has some conviction
• Be certain that you have a legitimate need.  INCLUDE DETAILS about this need and why you have it and what it is.
• CREATE REWARDS PACKAGES that include personal touch and that signal your seriousness and willingness to work for success.
• Be prepared to WORK LIKE HECK marketing your campaign.