by MichaelTumey » Wed Sep 04, 2013 4:43 pm
Honestly, I don't really know of very effective means to promote a project in progress, most advice I'd have for you would require you to start a month or two before beginning a Kickstarter project - like creating a G+ or Facebook community, spend time recruiting "friends" to your community, the kind of posts to your community, etc. Or starting a blog months before and becoming an expert in your field - at least to your blog audience.
I got some boosts during my campaign though. One was getting an Email interview with a major blogger in my industry, another was writing as a guest author article in a popular blog and becoming a regular blog columnist.
Also if you look at my Mid-Funding Changes thread in the Advice Forum, I added some backer levels at the mid-point of funding, as well as right before the end. I was offering additional products that my patrons really wanted and both added backer levels brought immediate boosts to my funding, but neither were sustaining, more than a day's worth of attraction each - though something like that could be the boost you need to cross the "being funded" line in the sand.
Also, regarding "being pushy", I can honestly say, that I posted a "push" on my G+ page only once, on the last Friday and last weekend of my funding period. I noted to my G+ community members that I had 500+ G+ members, but only had 250 contributors to my Kickstarter, and that I really wanted to fund my last stretch goal, so if my G+ members really wanted to support the community, they'd need to make at least a minimum backer level of $15 to help make that happen.
I don't know if that "push" was the impetus, however, starting that Friday until the end of funding, I got 10 times the number of backers then any previous time during the funding period. I have to believe doing so, was combined with people having 24 hour alerts, and/or were waiting until the next/last payday to make their pledges. I think it was a combination of all of these things that brought such overwhelming success to my KS.
Another point about "being pushy", I've had some sales jobs over my lifetime, and trying to sell somebody else's product that I didn't necessarily believe in, made me a poor salesman. However, selling my work, my creation is completely different - I can sell "me" easily, and don't consider it being pushy. Since my project is my work in both writing and cartography, that is something I "believe in" thus can easily ask for orders. If you can't promote yourself, perhaps you shouldn't be creating and trying to promote your creation. If you don't believe in yourself, how can anyone else?
I have to admit that my project hit the minimum funding goal 8 days into a 30 day funding period, so our projects are kind of apples and oranges, in that you're still waiting to meet basic funding.
Also I was able to breakup my funding needs into 5 different funding levels, and not forced to put all under one goal price requirement. KS recommends that a goal of $3200 is optimum to meet funding, and I was able to get my goal requirements down to $3750 to meet goal (fairly close). If your goal is much higher, then it's problematic and not optimum, thus more difficult to meet funding. Of course whatever amount you need, is the amount you need whether it is optimal or not.