Facebook Ads Guide Quick Facts
Ready to maximize your Kickstarter?
Proven ad strategies, live campaign secrets, and tracking hacks the pros use.
What if I told you that the most important element of your Kickstarter campaign isn't your prototype?
On the all-or-nothing platform of Kickstarter, spending money on Facebook ads doesn't just feel overwhelming: it feels downright scary.
With all the horror stories of failed campaigns, the last thing bootstrapped creators want to do is risk money on a doomed project.
But this risk isn't rooted in rationality; it's rooted in scarcity and fear. With this guide, you'll find that Facebook ads will not only fuel your funding goal, but offer an abundance of leads, fans, and loyal backers that no other ad platform can.
Before You Launch Your Kickstarter
Your ad strategy doesn't start when your campaign launches: it starts months before it even begins.
Before you craft your first ad, you'll want to have your fundamentals in place:
- Pre-Kickstarter Landing Page
- Facebook Pixel
- Read up on how McDonald's hacks your buying triggers, and draft your message strategy
Facebook Pixel
If you go on Kickstarter right now, you'll find that the majority of sites for active campaigns do not have a Facebook Pixel installed.
Pakpod, which installed its Facebook Pixel before its Kickstarter began, had an influx of visitors on its website during its campaign:
As a result of having the Facebook Pixel installed, every single website visitor with a Facebook could be retargeted.
Pro Tip
Install your Facebook Pixel as early as possible to capture all future retargeting opportunities!
Facebook Ads To Build Your Pre-Kickstarter Email List
Now that you have your landing page and Facebook Pixel installed, it's time to get to the ads themselves. The primary purpose of your Facebook Ads before the campaign begins is to get the emails of people who might back your campaign!
Self Journal, a campaign that totaled $322,695, spent just $92.89 over several days on Facebook ads for a total of 172 emails. You can offer a variety of incentives:
- Free e-guides – you can use them later as a backer reward too!
- Pre-defined "rewards" based on being the first to back
- Contests and giveaways
Target Audiences Before The Campaign
In general, we'd recommend:
- Broad audiences of your industry interest
- Public figures in the industry
- Narrow audience of interest of "Kickstarter" and the industry or public figures associated with it
Types Of Pre-Kickstarter Ads
- Lead Ads: Make it quick and easy to nab an email directly without the individual leaving Facebook.
- Video ads: Great teaser of your pre-Kickstarter footage.
- Carousel ads: Show your Kickstarter prototype in multiple frames of action!
The early campaign also has the secondary benefit of testing ad copy and images for your industry. And the secret bonus? All of the website visitors who didn't opt-in can be re-targeted when your campaign goes live!
Facebook Ads During Your Kickstarter Campaign
While on track for $70,000, the Facebook Ads drove pledges all the way to the final funding amount of$123,000. That's a whole lotta moola from ads! But it comes with a catch…
Kickstarter Analytics Are Extremely Limited
Organic meshed with paid? It's a Facebook marketer's worst nightmare. Desktop, mobile, paid, organic: it's all the same! Don't bury your head in frustration yet though: a little coding goes a long way…
<html>
<head>
<!-- Facebook Pixel Code -->
/
/ YOUR FACEBOOK PIXEL CODE
/
<!-- End Facebook Pixel Code -->
<!-- GA Pixel Code -->
/
/ YOUR GA PIXEL CODE
/
<!-- End Pixel GA Code -->
<!-- Redirect to Kickstarter -->
<meta name="referrer" content="origin">
<meta http-equiv="refresh"
content="0;
URL=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/YOURPROJECT ">
<!-- End Redirect to Kickstarter -->
</head>
</html>
- Each Ad within an Ad Set (or Campaign) needs to redirect to a specific subdomain. e.g. 001.yourwebsite.com.
- The code within each subdomain then redirects to the Kickstarter project! This gives you clear source tracking in analytics.
- Note: even with this system, 20-40% of traffic can still show up as direct. It's not a perfect science but gets you very close.
Send us an e-mail: info@boostyourcampaign.com. We'll create highly converting ads for your Kickstarter campaign, install tracking pixels on your landing page and follow up on ads and conversions.
CPC And CPA Tend To Be Inversely Correlated
Surprisingly enough, when it comes to Kickstarter, Cost Per Click (CPC) and the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) are often inversely correlated.
If you follow any of the Kickstarter "aggregators" you may have noticed that they use clickbait copy. While it might very well be "THE BEST KICKSTARTER EVER," this type of sensationalized ad usually results in a lot of low-cost clicks, but higher conversion costs (very high CPA). Playing with headlines and images to garner Kickstarter backers is definitely a balancing game. The best result: organic shares of a paid ad. This is why target custom audiences are so important for Kickstarter.
Tip
Focus on relevance, not just low CPC! High conversion ads don't always have the cheapest clicks.Target Audiences During The Campaign
- Those on your pre-campaign email list (run a parallel email and ad)
- Re-targeting website visitors who did not opt-in on your email page prior to campaign
- Look-a-like audience on your pre-campaign email list
- Look-a-like audience of website visitors
- With 48 hours to go, retarget all-new website visitors that came to your site during the campaign
Types Of Ads During The Campaign
Sense Of Urgency
At the beginning, the copy and imagery of the ad can emphasize being "the first in" on the campaign. In the end, you can pledge before you "miss your chance," or to "join thousands of other backers while you still can."
- Use the display URL to push the urgency: "Ending Soon" and "Act Fast" are subtle reminders under the ad.
- Put a clock in the ad (like a timer)
- Use a different ad image and headline for your last 48 hours to stress that time is running out
Kickstarter allows people to "star" a project to remind them that when the campaign has only 48 hours left. If you can time a Facebook Ad set in tandem with this automated email from Kickstarter, you can relax as the new-found King of Conversion.
Credibility
If you've done your PR homework, then your Kickstarter launch will be covered in the news or blogs. Many have a PR image in on their campaign page: Don't be shy to use that in your ads as well! Kickstarter also gives projects that they are confident will "deliver" a special badge: the Kickstarter Staff Pick.
Kickstarter Staff Pick is like an SSL certificate for your campaign. Security and social proof – on a platform that's mildly notorious for a lack of delivery – will provide that extra bit of click-sauce. On your ads, make sure to:
- Include the Staff Pick badge on your image, or in your Text/Headline
- Use a logo of the news industry in your ad imagery
- Quote what a blog said about your campaign in your Text/Headline.
- State your current funding or backers if you've already hit funding (and are looking for more!)
Uniqueness
Stress the "MOST" unique feature of your product in both the image and copy! Fill in the blank…
- This is the best _____ on the market!
- Most funded _______ (llama, toothbrush, chair) on Kickstarter!
- The only _____ in the world!
- Our country's first ______ on Kickstarter!
- The first crowdfunded _______
Facebook Ads After Your Kickstarter Campaign
Whether you are drinking champagne as a part of the successful 42%… or wallowing in pity with the other 58%, don't rest yet… it's time to strive for more pre-orders!
Target Audiences After Your Kickstarter Campaign
- All website visitors from your early-landing-page days to the present (excluding those who backed your campaign)
- Your current email list (excluding those who backed your campaign)
- Look-a-like audiences of everyone who backed your campaign
The realm of ad re-targeting is now yours to conquer!
Types Of Ads After Your Campaign
Now that you're finally off the Kickstarter Analytics platform, you can also rejoice in the tracking of Google Analytics. And with the ability to create hundreds of different ad sets to your most relevant audiences yet, it's time to kickstart your Facebook ads to a whole new level!
Need Help With Your Campaign?
Need customized help for your Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign? We help you get more attention and pledges to hit and exceed your funding goal.