This article is sponsored by Fulfillrite: Indiegogo and crowdfunding reward order fulfillment services. USA & International shipping services. www.fulfillrite.com
Supporter Tier Perks
1. Make your backers a part of your workplace.
For example, the youtube star Phillip Defranco once did a promotion where he asked members from his audience to send in a photo and then used those images to decorate the office.
It might not seem like it, but he has a huge audience (over 3 million subscribers for his main show). This was a great way to involve people from his “Nation” in a new project. I’ve included two shots below to give you an idea of what I’m referring to.
2. Make your backers a part of your product.
Not many people know about this, but when Steve Jobs and his team finished the original Macintosh, he had every member of the team sign the inside of the Macintosh case. It was a symbol that the entire team contributed to the product. Can you find a way to do this with your project?
3. Showcase your supporters
Another way to showcase your supporters is to include them in the very branding of your company (you will need permission of course).
For example, although Jane Bartlett is not active in the crowdfunding space any more, at one time she created a Facebook wallpaper theme including some of the photos of her readers and supporters. Can you thank your supporters this way?
4. Message in a Bottle
I think this idea would work best if your backers are supporting a cause. The idea is to unite the people supporting your project, to encourage them to share their story, and at the same time, meet others who are a part of your backer community, who likely have similar experiences or passions.
For example, let’s say you’re running an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that in some way relates to cancer. Any stranger who is willing to support your campaign likely has a compelling reason.
What if you encouraged your supporters to share their story anonymously with other backers?
Once one backer wrote about their struggle (maybe a family member has cancer), they would then anonymously send that letter to another backer.
In the same way that support groups help with grief, encouraging your backers to share their stories can be a great way to involve them and give them an outlet to express themselves.
5. Grant Exclusive Access
Your backers are the initial supporters of your passion project and they should have exclusive access to newsletter, offers, promotions, and even sections of your website.
Depending on your type of project, you could offer exclusive updates (images/video/text) that share how the project’s mission is being accomplished.
Do you remember those “support a child” or “adopt an animal” campaigns that air on TV? As a reward for supporting, you usually receive monthly updates on the initiative you sponsored to keep you involved and it also serves as an emotional reward.
If you are raising funds for a website or an online game and expect that a community will form around that website, then you may consider creating a VIP access forum or group on your website.
If you are raising money for an online multiplayer game, you could even have VIP sections within the game where only people who have supported the campaign can interact.
Pre-Order Tier Perks
6. Streamline Feedback
Arguably, what is more valuable than receiving funds for a project is getting feedback on the service, experience, or the product that is produced.
Establishing good product-market feedback is ultimately what leads to the creation of a sustainable business or non-profit that solves a real problem in the world and finances itself.
As an added perk to receiving a copy of the finished work of the project, give your backers an easy way to share their feedback going forward (aside from comments).
For example, you could give them access to a special email address, feedback form, or section of your website.
You then also have the opportunity to feature them as testimonial customers if they like your product. You could also ask whether they’d like to be interviewed by a blogger or journalist who is writing a review about your project. Who doesn’t want some free PR?
By having a special way that your backers can reach you, you can also easily address concerns before they get out of hand. Believe me, if your backers don’t feel like they are having their concerns addressed by you, they will take to social media and online communities. Don’t believe me? Check out this thread on our forum.
7. Limited Editions and Special Editions
It’s so easy to offer early bird specials, limited editions, and special editions on Indiegogo that if you’re not taking advantage of the functionality, you’re ignoring a feature that could give you that extra edge.
Not only is it a way to thank your backers for supporting you, but it also creates a sense of urgency. If you’re going to mark down the price of a product, be sure to state the value that the product is worth. Example: “A $200 retail value.”
8. Gift For A Friend
I really like gift products. I think many of us are willing to spend more on our friends than on ourselves. In addition, it makes you feel awesome when you put together a surprise for a friend and they like it.
The world renown marketing guru Seth Godin used gift marketing tactics with his book, “Poke the Box.”
The idea behind the cover/marketing campaign was that you would give the book to a friend or coworker and by doing so, you are giving them permission to “poke the box” or pursue their passion, which likely runs counter to the typical 9-5 traditional office job. I’ve included a picture of the cover on the left.
That friend, after reading it, could then pass it on to another friend if they chose.
Rather than offering multiple of the same product at higher tiers, what if you offered accessories or items that backers could give to their friends? When the backer gave the accessory or gift version of the product to a friend, they would need to explain the idea behind your campaign, which is the beginning of word-of-mouth.
9. Contest or Raffle
As I’ve mentioned before, you want to pack as much value as you can into a single reward tier. Don’t just offer the product for pre-order. Give them twice the value for their money. Give them an awesome deal. They are your first customers and supporters!
You might not be able to give every pre-order tier backer extra value, but you could at least enter them into a raffle or contest to win a second copy of the product that they can give to a friend.
You could ask backers to take pictures using the product and you would pick out the best submission. You could also just do a random drawing.
10. Future Purchases or Company Products
Whether you’re project is a part of a larger established business, a startup, or a social enterprise, the rule of thumb is that repeat supporters, customers, and audience members are always the source of long-term success.
It’s much harder to acquire a new customer than to service a past customer again. They already have a (hopefully) good experience with your company.
Rather than discounting the product, by giving discounts or credits towards future products or purchases from your website with a special code, you can maintain that relationship with your backers/customers after the crowdfunding campaign is finished.
Sponsor Tier Perks
11. Impact the Creative Vision
It’s difficult to give up creative control of your project, but if there is any way that you can involve your sponsors in determining the outcome of your project, then it’s an awesome way to make them a part of your passion project.
For example, having a fiction character named after a sponsor, allowing a sponsor to have a small appearance in your film, or designing a game character in their likeness and giving them an action figure of that character are all ways that you can give your sponsor a little bit of creative control.
12. Advertisement
From a pure business perspective, if you believe that a sponsor could generate sales via your website or initiative with an advertisement, this is one benefit that you could offer at upper reward tiers.
I would be very careful when thinking about the type of sponsor you would accept and the duration of the advertisement.
13. Special Access to Creators
At the upper reward tiers, you could offer exclusive access to the creators of the project, be it a film, documentary, or design product. This could take the form of a skype conversation, lunch/dinner, or phone call.
14. Tour of Your Creative Workshop or Invitation to the Product Launch
As a part of the higher priced sponsorship tiers, you could offer the opportunity for a backer to join you and experience your creative process. For example, if you have a film project, you could show the backer how the filming process works, explain the different components of the set, and let them see some live-action filming.
You could also invite your backer to a special product launch party or viewing for your film project.
15. Distribute Credit
Do whatever you can to recognize your upper-tier backers for their contribution. This could include: giving them a producers credit for your film, giving them a special plaque or version of your product that is engraved, or it could mean incorporating their name or photo into your album’s artwork.
My Question For You
What interesting rewards have you come across? What has been your project’s most popular reward tier? Leave a comment below.
