Some clients pay us over $1,000,000 to run their multi-million-dollar crowdfunding campaigns. For the first time ever, we’re pulling back the curtains and showing you how we do it.
If you’re a Kickstarter creator, this day has been a long time coming. The platform now offers a beta feature called Late Pledge, letting creators collect pledges even after their campaigns have ended. This guide will walk you through the entire process of utilizing this feature efficiently.
Late Pledge is an innovative feature that allows creators to keep their campaign pledges open for a negotiated period after the project’s actual end date. This extended window caters to backers who discover a project post-campaign or to those who missed the original deadline.
The Late Pledge window is not just a second chance for late discoverers. It can serve as an additional income generator during a crucial period—especially for projects with significant post-campaign actions, such as polishing the product, setting up manufacturing, or organizing backer rewards.
Pros:
Cons:
Implementing Late Pledge sounds complex, but it’s quite straightforward. Here are the steps you need to follow.
Navigate to your project basics and toggle the Late Pledge feature on. You’ll find this setting under your project’s General Options.
*NOTE: Late Pledge is a beta feature. Therefore, it’s important to note that it’s not available to all. Specifically, it will only be available to those who’ve specifically applied to opt-in by contacting Kickstarter support. If you’re a TCF client, rest assured, we’ll have that taken care of.
Before your campaign ends, visit the Rewards section to make sure you have offerings for your Late Pledge period. You can adjust the cost slightly to recoup any potential additional expenses from a delayed pledge.
Do you have products or bonus items that weren’t originally available in your campaign but could entice late backers? Include them in your Late Pledge offerings for an extra edge.
Utilize Kickstarter’s communication tools to keep your backers in the loop, even during the Late Pledge phase. Regular updates can sustain enthusiasm and further commitments.
While Kickstarter Late Pledge and Indiegogo InDemand both provide platforms for extending the fundraising period beyond the original campaign timeline, each has its strong suites:
Indiegogo InDemand allows you to:
Kickstarter Late Pledge lets you:
For creators, this new feature means increased funding potential, extended momentum, and the opportunity to build a stronger community. Late Pledge offers creators a chance to raise additional funds beyond their initial campaign goal. This can be crucial for reaching stretch goals, improving project quality, or even covering unexpected costs.
A project with Late Pledge can maintain a buzz even after the official campaign ends. This can attract new backers and keep the project visible for a longer period. Meanwhile, engaging with late backers can help creators build a larger and more loyal community around their projects. This can be valuable for future endeavors or even for establishing a customer base.
For backers, Late Pledge offers a longer period to discover and get the support they need. Late Pledge allows people who discover a project after the deadline to still show their support and get the rewards offered. This can be a win for both backers who find exciting projects and creators who receive additional backing.
Also with Late Pledge, backers have a wider range of projects to explore and support, even if they miss the initial campaign window.
In general, Late Pledge revolutionized the crowdfunding ecosystem by:
The Kickstarter Late Pledge feature opens up a world of new opportunities for creators to extend the crowdfunding experience beyond the initial campaign. It’s a tool to be handled carefully, but it has the potential to significantly enhance a project’s scope and success.
If you’re considering launching a Kickstarter campaign – factoring in Late Pledge could be the differentiating factor in your project’s long-term prosperity. To find out if the Late Pledge option is right for you, tell us more about your campaign, and we’ll reach out to map out the best strategy for your latest product.
Here is a collection of the most frequently asked questions and their answers to deepen your understanding of the Late Pledge feature.
Late Pledge is introduced to facilitate continued funding for successful campaigns, allowing creators to capture late attention and potential pledges missed at the campaign’s end.
Successful campaigns can keep collecting funds even after the official closing. This allows you to potentially reach stretch goals, generate more buzz, and ultimately bring your project to life with additional resources.
As a creator, Late Pledge will allow you to:
*Kickstarter recommends a 10% increase to incentivize backing during the live campaign. However, this number is up to you. Note: Creators will not be able to offer the same reward tier for less than it was offered during the live campaign.
People who discover a project after the funding deadline can still show their support and get the rewards offered. This can be because they just heard about the project or because they were on the fence and needed more time to decide.
It offers a second chance for missed pledges, potential new rewards, and increased connectivity with creators.
There actually aren’t any additional payment methods available for Late Pledge on Kickstarter. Kickstarter currently only accepts pledges made with debit or credit cards from specific issuers:
Late Pledge uses the same payment system as regular pledges. So, if you were able to pledge during the campaign with a credit card from one of these issuers, you can use the same card for a Late Pledge.
No, creators cannot adjust their reward offerings during the Late Pledge phase on Kickstarter.
There are a few reasons for this:
However, there are a few things creators can do to incentivize Late Pledge:
Overall, while reward adjustments aren’t possible, creators have other strategies to make Late Pledge an attractive option for backers who discover their project after the deadline.
Kickstarter hasn’t announced any limitations or restrictions on project categories that can use Late Pledge as of yet. The program is still relatively new, and Kickstarter might be keeping an eye on how it works across different categories before implementing any exclusions.
There are no separate fees for Late Pledge on Kickstarter. The same fee structure applies to both Late Pledge and regular pledges made during the campaign.
Here’s a breakdown of the fees you can expect:
There’s a slight variation for pledges under $10: they have a discounted micro pledge fee of 5% with a flat $0.05 added per pledge.
Essentially, if a project is successfully funded, these fees apply to all pledges, including Late Pledges. You can find more details on Kickstarter’s fee structure on its website.
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