With more than 2,000 crowdfunding platforms available, choosing the right one for your project can be overwhelming. Some are extremely niche, others are specific to certain geographic locations, and they all have different policies. No matter what, you can always count on popularity and traffic to indicate the best option. Within reward-based crowdfunding, backers who fund a campaign get something in return, two platforms rose above the others; Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
Kickstarter and Indiegogo are the two platforms with the best reputation and the highest traffic. They are both similar in the way they operate and accept a wide variety of projects from different countries around the world. There are specific areas in which each platform gives better results. Games and 'geeky' campaigns tend to work better on Kickstarter while independent films usually see better results on Indiegogo. As for technology, one category that raises the most money, both platforms perform very well. Choosing the right platform between the two ultimately depends on the specific needs of your project. Here are a few things you can research to help you make an educated decision.
Platform policy. Make sure to read the policy of each platform and make sure that your project complies. If your project complies with only one platform, then you don’t have the luxury to choose. Kickstarter has stricter rules than Indiegogo, so you should start by ready the Kickstarter policy to see if it's even an option for you. For example, a fully functioning prototype must be available in order to use Kickstarter, while Indiegogo accepts conceptual projects and allows raising money for the prototype phase. If you launch on Kickstarter, you will also need to plan a few days for them to review and approve your campaign before you are allowed to launch. Indiegogo lets you launch without their approval but if your campaign gets flagged, they can cancel your campaign at any time. Either way, you need to read carefully the rules of each platform to avoid any problems.
Advertising. If you plan on advertising your project, you need to keep in mind that Kickstarter doesn’t give campaign creators access to FB and Google Pixels. Without proper pixel access, it’s nearly impossible to optimize your ads and get satisfying results. This means that you won’t be able to optimize your ads yourself and will likely need to hire a third party which will add to the cost of the campaign and limit your options. Indiegogo on the other hand gives you access to implement Facebook and Google pixels.
In-demand. Indiegogo has an In-demand program that allows your campaign to stay active even after the funding time is over. The program is available whether your campaign was on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, but the transition is easier if you are already on Indiegogo. Either way, it's a great way to enjoy the benefits of crowdfunding and stay in touch with your backers after your campaign ends. Backers are a great source of feedback which is extremely valuable for any brand. Keeping in touch and offering them perks and special offers on Indiegogo InDemand is definitely something you will benefit from.
PR. Kickstarter projects tend to be covered more often in the media than Indiegogo. Media publications are always on the lookout for innovative projects and many use Kickstarter as a source. Even though it's not impossible to see Indiegogo projects covered in the media, it doesn't come as easily. to fight that, Indiegogo aims to help promote projects they like within their community which can greatly help your campaign. Either way, having your crowdfunding project organically featured in the media is not a common occurrence, so many projects opt for sponsored PR which works regardless of the platform.
Rewards. While both platform work similarly regarding the rewards, there are a few key difference to take into consideration. Indiegogo has a limit of 20 perks you can feature on your campaign page at once while Kickstarter has no such limit. However, Indiegogo gives you the power to choose the perks to be featured on your campaign page. As a project creator, you can hide a perk when you don't want backers to see it or create secret perks which are available only through a specific link. Secret perks are especially powerful since they allow you to give special offers to specific people. Kickstarter on the other hand will always publish all the perks showing the potential backers the lowest prices that are no longer available.
After taking into consideration all the points made above, you might still not be certain which platform is more suitable for your project. The best way to decide the best platform for your specific project is to research and analyze. I recommend you go on both platform and research campaigns that are similar to yours, which would attract the same audience. Analyze the similar campaigns on each platform to give you an idea of where your audience is and where your campaign has a better chance to succeed.
At the end of the day, both platforms are great. Having bigger traffic and better reputation in the media industry, Kickstarter is usually a good bet. That being said, Indiegogo also has a few tricks up its sleeves that make it a great option too. Do your research, weight your option, and make your decision based on it.
Comments