Kickstarter Add-Ons: What Are They and How to Create

In 2020 Kickstarter officially introduced its add-ons feature, making multiple-reward backings a seamless part of the Kickstarter journey. Before implementing the Kickstarter add-ons, the creators would publish their additional offerings on the project page and ask the backers to manually increase their pledge amounts for the extra rewards they wanted, all to be sorted out later. It was as complicated as it sounds for both creators and backers. 

This highly-requested product feature not only streamlines and simplifies the process of rewarding the backers but also promotes higher average pledges resulting in more significant overall project funding. Simply put, Kickstarter add-ons help raise more pledges on average and give backers the complementary rewards they want without distracting them from the project’s primary goal.

So what are the Kickstarter add-ons, and how can you have them on your campaign page? 

What Is a Kickstarter Add-On

While many of you are already familiar what’s Kickstarter and how it works, you may have a completely new experience by discovering and utilizing the add-ons feature. 

On the Kickstarter funding platform, creators present their project ideas, and backers fund those projects. Creators also establish a funding goal and deadline and create reward levels for backers who pledge specific amounts. So the logic is simple – creators launch crowdfunding campaigns and try to reach their goals by offering their backers catchy rewards. Reward ideas can vary from physical items to digital rewards and experiences unless Kickstarter does not prohibit them. 

Additionally, creators can make the rewards more appealing by providing add-ons, which are optional benefits that backers can select to include in their pledges. Kickstarter add-ons include accessories, expansion packs, posters, and other extra items that complement the main reward.

How Add-Ons Work for Kickstarter

Remember that before choosing any add-ons, backers will first need to select the main reward tier. So if you have extra rewards that you’d wish to offer to your backers outside of your tiers, you have to pay attention to specific details. 

Backers won’t be able to increase their pledge with shippable add-ons if the main reward tier is a digital reward. Likewise, if the chosen main reward tier is indicated for a local in-person receipt from a specific location, only digital add-ons and those from the same place will be available.

Additionally, backers will only see shippable add-ons which can be delivered to the country they chose for their main reward. For instance, if a backer decides to have their main reward shipped to Canada, they won’t be able to access any add-ons that are only available in the United States.

Kickstarter add-ons like the main rewards are things that will incentivize your community to back your project. So choose your add-ons carefully. They should be relevant to your campaign’s core product and enhance it. 

Kickstarter also suggests creating add-ons based on the items you already have as a part of your creative project. This way, you don’t risk committing to what you can’t successfully execute. 

With all this in mind, let’s learn how to set up your add-ons.

Creating Kickstarter Add-Ons

Select the “Add-ons” option on the Rewards tab of the project editor, click the “New add-on” button, complete the fields, and that’s it. Your extra reward is ready to go.

While the creation process is pretty simple, you need to follow steps and things to consider before announcing an add-on to your backers.

Think What You’ll Be Offering

First, you must decide what extra rewards you will offer your backers. Don’t just create add-ons for the sake of it.  

Try to maintain a connection between your add-ons and the project you are developing. It’s a great idea to add items that will complement your main rewards and make them unique. You can also think of something that will provide your backers with a complete and unique product experience.

You know what your audience wants better than anyone. Get creative and use the Kickstarter add-ons to bring your backers closer to your project. 

Set an Amount

Kickstarter add-ons are additional items that can be added to the pledge level. Therefore, not all backers can have access to them. The question is, what’s the base pledge required for your add-ons?

Decide on the amount of the pledge from which it will be possible for your backers to select add-ons. Think of them as extra rewards that your backers can unlock after choosing the required reward tier. 

Moreover, you can limit the number of add-ons each backer can choose. If you don’t set a different value, it defaults to 10.

Decide the Right Price

Indeed, some costs will be associated with your add-ons, whether physical items or digital rewards. Consider the shipping costs, extra working hours, and budget you’ll require to create them. 

Moreover, don’t forget to analyze the market trends and evaluate your competitors’ offerings to make your add-ons valuable and attractive to your backers. Take your time to price your add-ons wisely. 

The Announcement Stage

Now that all the above points are in place, it’s time to inform your backers about your add-ons. Employ all possible ways to announce to your backers that they can select some extra rewards that will improve their crowdfunding experience. 

You can start by mentioning it on your Kickstarter campaign page and adding a note in your rewards section.

Moreover, you should also introduce your add-ons on your social media channels and your website, if you have one. Spread the good news and tell your backers to check out your add-ons.

Campaign Completion and Add-Ons

When your project is funded, you can start gathering the information you need from your backers to deliver their rewards and add-ons. After sharing your add-ons with your backers, the only thing left to do is wait for your campaign to end. Kickstarter has simplified this procedure by offering a survey tool. 

You can easily create surveys on your project page and send them to your backers. Keep in mind that you can send surveys only once per reward tier. Therefore, requesting all the necessary details, such as the mailing addresses and reward options like size, color, etc., is essential. 

All the survey responses are available in your backer report. Note that you are receiving personal information about your backers, and your responsibility is to keep it private. 

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Claiming Add-Ons as a Backer

You might be interested in adding more stuff to your pledge as a backer. Start familiarizing yourself with the project creator’s information regarding the add-ons. 

If they are available to you, selecting them is pretty much straightforward. Even if you can’t claim add-ons with your current pledge amount, increasing it is also not a problem. 

So how can you change your pledge amount? You only need to complete the following three steps. 

Step 1: Manage Your Pledge

You will find the “manage your pledge” button on the project page you have already backed. Click it to open the pledge page. Scroll down and click the “change your pledge” button. 

Step 2: Pledge Increase

After selecting “change your pledge,” you can modify your pledge amount or change the reward tier, which will automatically adjust your pledge amount as well. You’ll also find the option to select add-on rewards.

Remember that changing the pledge amount doesn’t mean adding to your existing pledge. The modified amount will be collected if the project achieves its funding goals. In other words, you’re free to change your pledge amount as your credit card hasn’t been charged.

However, please pay attention to the fact that once the campaign is over, it will be impossible for you to modify your pledge amount. Moreover, you won’t be able to change your reward selection. You’ll need to contact the project creator to check if you can get another arrangement. 

So if there are some add-ons you’re willing to get, make sure to change your pledge to add the required amount to your existing pledge before the end of the project. Increasing your pledge will also increase the total and help the campaign get closer to its next stretch goal.

Step 3: Save the Pledge

Once you complete the previous steps, there’s little left to do. Just check if everything looks OK to you and click on “confirm change” to save your pledge. 

If the campaign reaches its funding goals, you’ll receive a survey to select the add-ons you want. 

Kickstarter add-ons are a successful feature for projects in all categories. 

The Kickstarter add-ons will surely help you in funding your campaign. Additionally, your backers will appreciate the opportunity to select extra rewards. You might want to reconsider your thoughts if you think that add-ons are irrelevant to your campaign.