1. Principles
1.1. Minimum Effective Dose
1.2. Outsource and automate
1.3. Prep and pick up
2. Strategy
2.1. Traffic
2.1.1. bit.ly+ tracking
2.1.1.1. http://kck.st/VjAFva+
2.1.2. be listed on Kickstarter’s “popular projects”
2.1.3. Activating our networks to create buzz on Facebook, Twitter, and email
2.1.4. Getting coverage on the right blogs
2.2. Use the 80/20 rule to focus on the best media targets
2.2.1. good.is
2.3. Media List
2.3.1. Find relevant bloggers using Google Images
2.4. Delegation
2.4.1. Find 10 Kickstarter projects similar to yours, and for each, do the following.
2.4.1.1. Right-click and save-to-desktop 2-3 images.
2.4.1.2. Drag and drop each image file from your desktop into the Google Images search bar.
2.4.1.3. Review blogs listed on the results page to see which might be relevant to your project.
2.4.1.4. Fill out the following fields in the attached “Media List” spreadsheet: Publication, URL, first and last name of the writer, and links to relevant posts by that writer.
2.4.2. Research site traffic on Compete.com
2.4.3. Identify relationships on Facebook
2.4.4. Discover each blog’s reach on email, social media, and RSS
2.4.5. Review your media list and turn it into a dossier fit for a Seal Team 6 secret mission
2.4.5.1. Open your media list spreadsheet and look at the mutual friends you share with each blogger. Delete the people you do not know well enough to ask for an introduction. Email the people who remain and say, “Hey ____, I saw you’re friends with [name of blogger] on Facebook. Do you know him well enough to make an intro next month? I think our Kickstarter project could be a good fit for [name of blog]. Thanks!” Based on the answers you get, rate how strong your relationship is for each blog (1 = strong, 3 = weak). If your VA didn’t find any mutual connections, tweet or post on Facebook: “Please message me if you know anyone at [name of blog]. I have a great story I’d like to share with them. Thanks!” I did this twice and immediately got introductions.
2.4.5.2. Spend some time on each blog and judge for yourself how relevant it is. Rate relevance in the spreadsheet (1 = extremely relevant, 3 = not relevant).
2.4.5.3. For each blog, research the writers your VA found. Based on their past posts, are they really the best bloggers to cover you? Is there anyone at the blog who is a better fit?
2.4.5.4. Now, sort your spreadsheet by relevance, relationships, and readership (in that order) to prioritize your outreach. Have your VA find email addresses for the top ten bloggers in your spreadsheet. At this point, you should only focus on ten bloggers.
2.4.5.5. Using this template, have your VA make a one-page brief for each of the top 10 bloggers. Print these out and hang them on the wall like wanted posters or put them in a top secret dossier. Whether you fancy yourself a bounty hunter or the next James Bond, your mission is to find, befriend, and get covered by these bloggers so the dream you’re launching on Kickstarter can become a reality.
2.4.5.5.1. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wh0vKsWEOstmfUFdsYyPPQ3bgRRu6fi770hnSDTNWnw/edit?pli=1
2.4.6. Turn bloggers into buddies
2.4.7. Get the story and make specific requests to maximize your reach
2.4.7.1. Hi John It’s great to meet you. I’m a huge fan of Gear Patrol and wanted to pass on something new that could be a nice fit for your kitchen section. I’ve attached an image of the Soma glass carafe and our revolutionary water filter. Our Kickstarter page has a video and bullet points on why Soma is unique. We think Soma could be a great story for Gear Patrol for these reasons: Innovative gear – Soma is the world’s first compostable water filter: made of Malaysian coconut shells, vegan silk, and food-based plastic. Sleek design – The Soma carafe is made of decanter-quality glass, in a world of plastic pitchers. The hour-glass shape is unprecedented in the industry. Made for busy guys – Soma delivers your water filters right to your door so you never forget when to change it. If you’re interested, please let me know how I can make the writing process easy for your team. I’m happy to send more hi-res photos. We launch Tuesday at 8am PST. Thanks for taking the time to check us out, Mike
2.4.7.1.1. Once we realized how important timing and promotion were, we started making these requests.
2.4.8. Segment and activate your network
2.4.8.1. Ask for (and listen to) your friends’ advice. We asked for feedback on everything from our name to product design to pricing.
2.4.8.2. Offer them “sneak peaks” that no one else gets. We showed our friends product renderings, pictures, and our Kickstarter video long before we released them to the public.
2.4.8.3. Throw a launch party. Having a large group of people in one room, all excited about your project, creates a united energy you can’t create through emails, phone calls, or one-on-one meetings. Invite over 50 motivated and influential friends, show them your Kickstarter video and make a speech telling them why you need their help and exactly what you need them to do. The people who attended our launch party ended up being our first backers and our most passionate evangelists.
2.4.8.4. I exported all of my Gmail contacts, about 7,200 total, into an Excel spreadsheet. Then, I deleted 6,000 contacts I did not have a meaningful relationship with. The remaining 1,200 contacts were divided into three groups: influencers, in-the-know friends, and acquaintances.
2.4.8.4.1. I identified my influencers using Klout, which measures online influence. Go to www.klout.com, connect with Facebook, select “friends” from the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner of the screen, then click on the “top klout score” tab half-way down the page on the right. This will show all of your Facebook friends, ranked by Klout score. Anyone with a Klout above 60 was put on my influencer list. Our goal for this group was for everyone to share Soma on Facebook and Twitter, right when we launched, to create the surround sound effect.
2.4.8.4.2. My in-the-know friends were already aware of Soma. They knew about the Kickstarter campaign, and that we wanted them to back our project and spread the word. The people in this group, regardless of their Klout score or financial resources, were ready to hustle for us.
2.4.8.4.3. Acquaintances were people I hadn’t spoken with in a while. They needed to be told what Soma is and why it’s important. This group was by far the largest, comprising at least 1,000 of the 1,200 people on my master list.
2.4.9. Step 7: Use landing pages to spark sharing
2.4.9.1. So we asked our friends to click just one link, which of course, had 3 ways to help! Then, when they returned to their email, we had a subsequent ask, which was to forward the email to others.
2.4.9.1.1. We included videos so our friends were incentivized to visit the landing page and got value. These videos were recorded on an iPhone. They were free to make and only took about an hour to shoot, edit, and upload. Highly recommended.
2.4.9.2. The emails and landing pages were sent out on days 1, 2 and 9, usually at 8am. We’ve left them up so you can check them out: Day 1, Day 2, Day 9. You can see the emails and Kickstarter updates here.
2.4.9.2.1. https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B-G3GGXDPohYWHJheFdJbXNORDQ/edit
2.4.9.2.2. These landing pages were critical when it came to creating the surround sound effect. We know because every time we launched one, we got flooded with texts and emails saying, “Dude! I’m seeing you guys everywhere. Congrats!” When you get a lot of people sharing the same link on Facebook, it’s displayed to more people, who share it with even more people, and you get this virtuous viral burst that keeps growing.
2.4.9.3. it essentially boils down to empowering people and making it easy for them to contribute to a worthy cause