KickstarterForum.org

I need help - maybe I can be a case study for how not to do it?

I have this cool hardware and app product called Myphone Thermometer. It is a little connector that operates an air temperature sensor or a cooking thermometer with your smartphone. It calls you over skype when a certain temperature is reached, and stores temperature curves in a web app.

Other smartphone thermometers have been very successful on Kickstarter, with thousands of backers, so I know people want it, but 11 days into the campaign it looks like my project will fail to reach its modest funding goal.
Here is what I tried in the first 11 days:

- I produced and launched with a sincere (although not real professional) video
- Reached out to my own networks
- Created a unique facebook page for myphone thermometer - built it up to 150 likes with backers and friends
- created a web page (myphonethermometer.com) and linked to the kickstarter campaign
- Regular updates to backers
- Contacted several kickstarter creators I have helped with production of their product (all said "social marketing")

If you go to Kickstarter and type "thermometer" in the search box you will see my campaign next to two successful projects and one project that didn't make it. The two successful ones are very similar to my product.

I offer a better product, with more features, at half the price of the other successful ones. My funding goal is one third of the others. I think I am either missing some vital information on how to market, or I am woefully inadequate at making compelling marketing materials and video. My guess is probably both. Please feel free to criticize.

Any advice on how to do better next time?

Is there any way to salvage my failing campaign in the next 20 days?

It looks like you will have to do more networking. It seems that the level of pre-launch preparation and marketing can really help a project, if you don't do this you will have a much harder time raising funds. Keep reaching out to your networks, put together a press release and spread the information to blogs and parties who may be interested and send personalised e-mails to people you know. If it doesn't reach goal you can relaunch. If you don't think it is worth continuing on this current trend then cancel and work on laying the groundwork for your relaunch.

Read around some of the posts on here, there are excellent links and information about running a successful project and promoting it.

Good luck!

Fred,

I'm no expert, so please take what I say with a gigantic boulder of salt and with the notion that this is intended to be constructive - not an attack.

1) The video quality isn't that great. It isn't that it is poor, it is that there needs to be at least a little more time and effort put into it. Having your creator constantly look down at the script is quite distracting. I went through this whole process myself - as an engineer, I have an inherent desire to talk in great detail about everything when most people just don't share the same enthusiasm. That's something that has to be kept in mind.

2) The video doesn't talk about the product for at least the first half. I stopped watching after 1 minute and I think this isn't unusual.

3) Because it doesn't talk about the product, it was hard for me to understand what the product actually is and why I need it. Sure, there is thermometer splashed all over the Kickstarter text - but most people I think look for the video to explain all that rather than read everything. My impression is that you should assume the video is the first and last thing people will see about your project - not a venue for the creator to wax eloquently about the path to get to this Kickstarter project.

4) The product itself - seems very expensive. If all you're doing is providing the software interface and a cable - even $20 isn't very cheap. The notion of having a fancy $700 phone connected to something on a stove or in an oven isn't intuitive either. Perhaps wireless? It would drive the cost up but would make the product neater.
If you're asking $20 or more for a $5 thermometer, the need should be very clear and the benefits very great.

All in all - I'm sure the product is great, but this value just doesn't come through the video or even the first 2 or 3 pages of text. This makes it hard to convert anyone whom you have managed to persuade to come by.

Thanks C1ue,
I'm going to cancel and re-tool with a better video and text - and for what it's worth I agree the product doesn't seem like something everyone needs or would want, but if you check out these other two campaigns you'll see that 10,000 people paid twice what I'm asking, for basically the same (actually an inferior) products:

http://tinyurl.com/o7d7r2o

http://tinyurl.com/nasl5uj

Fred,

The videos for the other two products are professionally done. The first one probably cost $2K or more, the 2nd one was more than that.

Several more notes arise:

1) What makes your product better than these other ones? The first one is much more expensive, but the 2nd one seems very comparable in every way. If 2 different Kickstarter projects have already gone out (maybe there are more) which are thermometers -> smartphones, it is probably very important to highlight why your product is better even if later to market.

2) The 2nd one - that group has a track record. Part of the reason for their success is because of that. I'd also note that I'd would not be surprised if Thermodo spent money on professional PR.

A google search using Thermodo pops up a large number of big web sites which talk about the product. In addition, the video got 15,166 plays vs. 8000 some backers - conversion ratio within the normal 0.8 to 2.0 range for clicks/backers.

Range - the first one - in contrast had 2156 backers but only 1225 video views. This makes me think it was purely organic. On the other hand, Range had a writeup in Wired.com - which is one of the big boys. The lack of views makes me think this is just a happy coincidence/slow news period, but either way there are quite a number of media mentions.

Yes, I know that spending thousands on PR and a fancy video is somewhat against the idea of having Kickstarter prove out the market for a new product without having to spend a lot, but then again it seems thermometers connected to smart phones isn't a new idea anymore.

Your product as at least the 3rd to market really needs to accomplish several tasks:

1) Get noticed. Not being new means you don't get the 'cool new thing' tick mark anymore
2) Be better. There are 2 products out there already - yours has to be superior in some way
3) Normal product marketing has to be turbocharged: a catchy name, a theme, etc are all going to be vital.

Hope this helps.

Good stuff C1ue!

My product is different because it is both of those products in one. An air temp sensor AND a separate cooking probe.

One question - how do you determine how many views somebody's video had? I haven't figured out how to do that and others have asked here too. Could you share the technique?

I'm just figuring this stuff out - you're absolutely right, marketing is key!

Being 3rd to market seems like a safe way to go to me. Of course I had no idea the other cooking probe was being developed when I started working on mine, but I got my idea from the other air temp one. After watching their videos and posts I realized they were on the wrong track technically. They weren't using a compensated sensor so they would need to calibrate it - and they were burying it in thermal mass so the response time would suck. The cool thing about it is what seemed like a goofy idea had already proved that it can sell. There are usually lots more people out there who will buy something if it is a little cheaper and a little better. I am looking for products to develop that I know people want, that are unique, and that I can improve on technically.

Looks like I also need to improve on them from a marketing standpoint. I didn't realize that. I just hope I can do that without spending tens of thousands on professional videos and marketing. I don't mind spending a few thousand, but $10K would be tough.

I love your 3 points. Thanks again for the great input!
Fred

Fred,

There's a couple ways:

1) If it is a Kickstarter project, it has a bit.ly embed link. You can access it on the button below the video.

If you put a plus sign (+) after the link, you can see the stats.

2) If it is a vimeo video - go to vimeo.com and search for the product. There are often several, but it isn't hard to correlate the correct one (duration of video, time posted, etc). Vimeo also has a feature which shows the top 10 referral sites - which is also really great.

I've been using these to track over 100 projects - which is where my numbers come from. The facebook shares are all over the map, but the video plays vs. backers is clustered in the 0.8 to 2 range. From what I can tell, under 0.8 generally denotes a strong organic campaign, while over 2 generally denotes a strong (professional) PR campaign with a product that doesn't fit well in the market. The Ubuntu smartphone, for example, has a ratio in the 60s - no doubt because it is a $695 donation.

From what you've posted - I think you have a strong chance to demonstrate credibility in being able to identify needs and put forward a better product, but you're going to have to focus closely both on the differentiation and on ways to get your message out. Maybe cooking forums? At a minimum, hit up the cultofmac and what not sites.

The project I'm going live with, for example, I will be using paid Facebook and Youtube ads as well as professional PR. If you're raising a small amount for a fixed goal, this is probably not worthwhile - but in my case I'm really looking to gauge market demand in a big way.

C1ue,
Thanks for the tips - now I see how it works with the videos.

I'm a scientist (obviously not a marketer) so research and numbers are my life - hopefully I can translate that into intelligence to direct the next campaign.

I'm looking for a PR professional now to work with us. I'm thinking of just posting a broad project on Elance and then weeding through the proposals. I have done that very successfully with design engineers - so maybe there are some wizard social networkers out there. Basically we need somebody to help us develop the materials, write the press releases, ghost write our emails, and make us sound not too nerdy. We are also thinking of doing a regular google hangout - let people see actual guys doing research, development, molding, machining, etc. Hopefully this person can hold our hands through developing all of these social network presences. Kind of a tutor. Once we do one of these we should know how it works and then we can do the next one more efficiently.

I'm kind of excited about the potential - this crowdfunding is a great way for a product development guy to see what the market wants while developing a gizmo.

Fred,

I can't give you tips there - my own project using professional PR is not even kicked off yet.

However, here are a few thoughts:

1) Freelance PR is cheaper, but the real question is whether said freelance person will have the scope of contacts.

I think you can probably find someone who can perform the mechanics of contacting a large number of relevant reference media - however, this is really an administrative task. What you really want and need is a way to get a hard and serious look at your project by a significant number of the relevant media - and this is a rolodex type task.

It wasn't clear to me that this is achievable by a freelance person. I think anyone who has a rolodex that strong isn't going to be cheap anyway.

2) PR isn't just about spreading the message, but it is also about the message itself. The PR firm I'm working with has completely revamped my kickstarter offering from what I had originally envisioned; a big part of this is that they believe my project can appeal to the general public rather than the typical male/tech/young single dynamic that I believe Kickstarter tech is largely about. I sure hope they're right!

3) Spreading the message isn't just about blog posts - it is also about advertising. Do you believe in your project/product enough to put 4 digits of Facebook/Youtube ad money to guarantee a wider audience?

Here's an update on my efforts:

Even after spending $$ on elance ad placement to find a seasoned social marketing professional, I only got 7 proposals and only one of those was from the USA.

So . . . my idea of finding a freelance marketing person isn't working out very well. I was hoping to find someone to do the social marketing legwork, develop my campaign, and hopefully also someone with a rolodex of blog contacts that would help me get out to media.

Now I'm trying to decide if I should hire a marketing firm or maybe just plug through the steps outlined in
http://tinyurl.com/d9zlscu
and do this marketing myself?

C1ue, you have some great tips here on thinking through the marketing project and whether you need a professional PR firm. I'm thinking that I do, because this stuff is just not my specialty. I'm all for spending the $$ to get something done right. That's why people hire me after all, because of my expertise! This weekend I'm going to start researching PR firms.