KickstarterForum.org

Hi Everybody

Let me introduce myself, my name is Thomas and im a former flight mechanic in the airforce, now working as a 3D constructor and product developer.

In my sparetime im working on watches inspired from airplanes, and my first watch is inspired from the famous F-16 used all over the world.

I want to honor the plane and all those people been working on this airplane, from pilots, mechanic, adminstration, weapon,fue, firefighter etc. - all the people that have worked and serviced this airplane, im making this watch for.
To have a nice memory of this plane and all the years working alongside this plane with great colleagues in good and bad times.

Now to my question, I have launched a instagram, FB and youtube channel and im trying to collect leads prior to my future crowdfunding campaign - what is the best way to do this, since at the moment it doesnt feel enough just to have these social media with links - is FB ads the best way to collect leads and use alot of money upfront?

br Thomas, http://pitotwatches.com insta: pitotwatches

I think it depends on the timeline of when you want to launch. Collecting emails via FB can be expensive and it needs to be super targetted (Niche: Crowdfunding > Kickstarter + Indiegogo > watches etc.,)

I'd suggest looking at your own network first. If they can support and back you on Day 1, perhaps this will give you an idea of your initial goal (BTW It's Subscribe on your landing page - and you might want to connect it to Mailchimp).

We've worked on quite a few overfunded watch campaigns, feel free to get in touch if need any help at this prelaunch stage.

Hi Hyperstarter

ty for your reply - ya its very tricky when first campaign, have watched alot of video course of this topic and im thinking the best is to use a marketer who have experience in what to do proper.

regarding the landing page, its set up with mailchimp but im not getting any leads at all, and thats a mystery since it work when i enter a mail and send, but no one else does, and im start thinking its not working correct still

i start thinking that no one will sign up before the whole watch design is revealed also

Yeah I'd put off the launch until you've got some valid emails. We've worked on the overfunded Tate Wade, DWISS, Apollo, Ferro watches and Zahnd & Kormann - so if we can get involved, let me know.

Goodluck with your work.

hyperstarter wrote:Yeah I'd put off the launch until you've got some valid emails. We've worked on the overfunded Tate Wade, DWISS, Apollo, Ferro watches and Zahnd & Kormann - so if we can get involved, let me know.

Hi Hyperstarter -

im going to wait with launch until i have build a big leadlist with potentiel backers thats for sure - also im gonna work with some bureau, at the moment im not sure who - i have been looking at krowster, hyperstarter, backercamp and funded today

br Thomas

Yeah we're on the list you mentioned BTW

At the moment my lead list actually move very fast after promoting my future project and people are interested to see how the design will end up - hopefully i can turn these leads into buying customers if a make the watch as cool as im intend - at the moment my watch is coming tolive in 3D after 2D design is finish and im talking with production at the moment.

pitotwatches wrote:At the moment my lead list actually move very fast after promoting my future project and people are interested to see how the design will end up - hopefully i can turn these leads into buying customers if a make the watch as cool as im intend - at the moment my watch is coming tolive in 3D after 2D design is finish and im talking with production at the moment.

I also launched a watch company using KS. A few things:

• You need to start fast. Funding on day one makes the remaining 29 days so much easier
• If you don't even have a prototype yet you're nowhere near ready for launch of your first product
• Don't pay anyone to do stuff you could do yourself, just focus on building your email list
• Start a blog, write about your niche, turn readers into subscribers. It's not a sales platform for your own stuff, it should focus on the market not your watches
• Run giveaways, require email addresses to enter. Make sure the prize is closely related to what you'll be selling
• Focus on email list growth over social media
• Join the microbrand group and the affordable watch group on Facebook
• Don't listen to all that "you learn more by failing" crap. it doesn't matter what doesn't work, only what does. you don't want a failed campaign against your name, so spend the time getting it right now. Don't launch until you're sure that the buzz around your campaign is big enough that you know you'll fund quickly. If the buzz isn't there, either the product is wrong or you've not marketed it enough.
• Keep growing your list until it's big. At least a couple of thousand. I spent a year focussed on that before I started talking about my own product. Build the trust first, worry about sales later. Your email list is a long-term investment.

I fully funded my first project in 20 minutes and raised about $200k total without spending a penny on any ads or any advice. No friends or family bumping up sales, it was all real customers backing the project. I started from scratch, it's not like I had an existing audience to sell to. I've now launched 3 successful KS campaigns and that list I built is still the basis for them all, although obviously it's grown a lot in the last 2 years.

Feel free to ignore all that, but I'd happily bet my house on being able to launch a new brand from scratch again if I had to, using the exact same path I followed the first time.

ty for all the valuable tips - make really sense all u write - really want to be sure my campaign is a succes first time
love ur tips on this !!