Kickstarter is a great way to get your product off the ground without having to put your own money at risk. It can also help you boost your brand awareness, improve social media engagement and more.
But how do you go about getting your kickstarter campaign off the ground? You’ll need to consider a variety of factors, including how much money your project requires and what kind of backer rewards you want to offer.
1. Create a great pitch
Funding is a critical part of any business, but it can be especially challenging for a SaaS startup. Whether you’re bootstrapping or raising funds through an accelerator, finding the right funding source is essential for your company to thrive and grow.
One of the best ways to generate capital for your SaaS is to do crowdfunding. Unlike traditional loans, crowdfunding allows anyone to invest in your product regardless of their financial means.
Crowdfunding platforms, like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Seedrs, allow you to ask for donations from your target audience in return for a product or service. Some even offer investors the chance to purchase shares in your company.
But before you can successfully raise money through crowdfunding, you need a great pitch that makes potential backers want to support your idea. This includes telling a strong narrative about how your product will help your target market and why they should care about it.
It also means demonstrating how your product works. This can take the form of a video or a simple animation. A demo can help you show how your product will solve a specific problem or benefit a specific group of people.
You need to show that your product can solve a real pain for the target customer, and that it will have a positive impact on their lives. This will make your backers more likely to pay you for the product or service they purchased.
A good pitch can be as long or as short as you need it to be. But it should be coherent and clear, with overarching concepts that lead into detailed explanations.
A pitch deck should be easy to read and follow, and should tell the story of your company’s value proposition in a way that resonates with your target audience. A strong story will help you connect with potential investors and keep them engaged throughout the presentation.
2. Create a video
Regardless of whether you’re launching a new product or trying to increase awareness for your existing ones, video marketing is the best way to engage with customers. Videos are a consumer’s favorite type of content, and they’re proven to convert leads into sales.
The first step in creating a video for your SaaS business is to define your target audience. This involves brainstorming what messages and ideas you want to convey to them, and which visuals and styles they might enjoy.
Once you’ve identified your audience, it’s time to create a video that will attract them and motivate them to make a purchase. This is a difficult process, but with the right tips, you can develop an engaging, compelling video that will help your business grow and get more leads.
A well-made SaaS explainer video is a great way to show potential customers what your product can do for them. This type of video teaches potential users about your product’s purpose, shows them the benefits it can provide, and empathizes with them.
Another great way to show people how your SaaS solution can benefit them is through case studies. These videos explain how other businesses have used your software to achieve success and how it can help them do the same for their own companies.
In addition to demonstrating your product, these videos can also serve as a tutorial or a guide for prospective users. The goal is to teach them how to use your product in a simple and convenient manner. This is particularly useful if your product includes features that may be unfamiliar to the average user, or if you have multiple product options.
3. Create a website
In order to attract potential customers, a SaaS product needs to have a website that is easy to navigate and offers a great user experience. While designing a website, you need to consider the needs and expectations of your target audience, as well as what other SaaS products are currently on the market.
You should also keep in mind that your website should be responsive – it should display properly on any device, regardless of its orientation or size. This can be difficult to accomplish, especially if you are offering complex data or features.
Using the right kind of visual content can help your site stand out from competitors and attract more users. This includes images of your software, videos, and graphics that frame your information beautifully.
For example, the Recurly website makes use of simple illustrations and icons to convey their mission of helping subscription brands grow. It also uses color to make visitors feel like they’re in a safe place.
Another way to make your website readable is by adding bullet points and headings. This will help you explain your SaaS products and their benefits in a clear manner.
A video or image can also help your visitors to understand your product and get a feel for how it works. It’s also a great way to promote your company and build brand awareness.
You should also consider using a live chat feature on your homepage. This will help you to meet your customers’ needs immediately and make them feel like they are important to you.
In addition, you should offer a trial for your SaaS products. This will help you to test whether your software is the right fit for a potential customer’s business. Most trials last two to four weeks and don’t require a credit card.
4. Create a social media account
One of the most effective ways to promote SaaS products is social media marketing. It’s a cost-effective way to boost sales and engage with customers. However, it’s important to choose the right platforms for your business.
Most social media platforms have features that allow companies and customers to communicate with each other more easily. These include shoppable posts, clickable links, and social media buttons.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms with over a billion monthly active users. In addition, it’s also one of the most engaging networks. This makes it an ideal platform for businesses to advertise their products or services.
Taking followers behind the scenes on Instagram is a proven social media marketing strategy that can help build brand loyalty and increase brand trust. It also gives potential consumers a glimpse of your company’s culture, management, and staff.
The modern customer is looking for a brand that answers their questions and resolves their problems quickly. This is why social media customer support plays an essential role in the buying cycle of a SaaS product.
In addition to providing an excellent customer service, social media can also help you to build brand awareness and attract new customers. By posting helpful articles and answering queries, you can create a positive image of your company.
You can also share exclusive discounts and offers on your social media page to entice customers. These promotions will be time-bound and limited, which will tap into the FOMO (fear of missing out) factor and encourage customers to buy from you.
Whether you’re a large or small business, using social media marketing can help you get the word out about your SaaS product and attract new users. It can also help you to gain valuable insights into your target market and improve your sales process.
5. Create an email list
If you’re looking to fund your SaaS product, kickstarter is an effective way to get started. The platform offers a wide variety of projects, allowing people to fund their idea and bring it to life. It’s also free to create a project and apply for funding.
Once you’ve launched the project, you can start promoting it through email campaigns. The best ones will help you build your audience, keep them engaged, and increase the chances that they’ll convert into customers.
First, you’ll need to send a welcome email to your subscribers. This will introduce them to your brand and show how they can benefit from using your product. You’ll also want to encourage them to take advantage of any discounts or incentives that you have going on.
This will make them feel like they’re getting a lot for their money, and will boost your conversion rate. The best welcome emails are personalized with the recipient’s name, include a clear call-to-action, and offer value that’s relevant to their needs.
Another thing to remember is that the welcome email should be the first contact you have with your prospects. This means that you should only send out promotional messages to them after you’ve had a chance to build a relationship with them.
You’ll also want to send out informational or educational emails, as well as invite them to events or webinars. This will let them know that you’re there for them and want to provide the best customer service possible.
Lastly, you’ll need to track your email list growth. This will give you an idea of how many new subscribers you’re reaching and how many are unsubscribing. Keeping an eye on your bounce rate will help you determine how effective your email campaign is and help you to find ways to improve it.
