The iSketchnote team has raised over $269,000 on Kickstarter in 23 days, and is still raising money for 7 more days. Their mission is to to create a smart iPad cover that integrates a new digitizing technology with the convenience of a notebook. The technology allows you to digitize your sketches and notes in real time with the added value of a hard copy for your files. I’ve included the pitch video below.
The Interview – Campaign Insights for New Kickstarter Creators
Your goal was $35,000 and you have managed to raise $260k+. What do you attribute to this success?
There are several reasons. First, you have to know that we are fond of new technology, but we still love the feeling of pen and paper. We have followed closely the emergence of the Phablet and Tablet stylus market. Steve Jobs was wrong when he said “nobody want a stylus.”
I think we launched our campaign at the right moment! We didn’t have any fanbase before our Kickstarter launch but we tried to get close to the Sketchnote community, especially with Mike Rohde (the author of The Sketchnote Handbook).
With the team, we worked hard since January and even before on this campaign (marketing and communication strategy). To finish up we have a good product, which fills a need in the tablet stylus space.
What have you learned from running this Kickstarter campaign with regards to internet marketing and PR.
We learned to sleep less!
The internet is so worldwide that we have received questions 24/7 and from everywhere in the world. Since we’re still in France for the Kickstarter campaign, believe me, this is quite hard!
We also learned a lot about viral marketing. We succeeded in creating the buzz at the beginning of the campaign by using different and complementary channels: online/offline, social media (facebook, twitter, google+, pinterest).
Did you hire a professional PR or marketing firm?
No, as we already had experience in web marketing and SEO. We were convinced that we could do it by ourselves.
Moreover, we are seven in the team with a very complementary professional network, and we thought it was enough to prime the pump.
Despite that, we spent around $10,000 for a professional video and professional photorealistic renderings.
How long did it take you to prepare for the campaign. Anything you would do over if given the chance?
It took us several months. Almost six to choose the right product, the right OS, the right way to launch, preparing the marketing strategy, creating the Kickstarter page…
If we had more resources for a new Kickstarter project, we would probably use a professional marketing firm, especially for the US market.
We have already been relayed all over the world in more than 200 blogs, but a professional agency could have helped us to reach awareness on blogs such as Techcrunch or Wired.
Conclusion
Be sure to check out the iSketchnote campaign on Kickstarter. After speaking with the iSketchnote team, I’m even more convinced that the secret to success on Kickstarter or any other crowdfunding platform lies in connecting with the community that cares about the benefits of your project, is enthusiastic about your cause, or experiences the problem that your project or product solves.
The iSketchnote team, based in France, did a great job of this, managing to get on over 200 blogs through hard work and persistence. Catering your PR and marketing efforts towards niche bloggers is a great way to access your target audience, as the hallmark of a successful blog is that the readers acts more like a forum community (commenting, sharing, etc) rather than passive viewers.
For more information on blogger or journalist outreach, check out 30 Journalists Who Have Written About Kickstarter Campaigns and How To Get Bloggers And Reporters To Notice Your Crowdfunding Press Release.
