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How to Create a Winning Pre-Launch Campaign for Kickstarter: The 5-Step Strategy Behind $1M Kickstarter Campaigns

Art

06 Apr 2025 — 2 min read

The Crooked Moon

If you want to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign, what happens before you hit “Go Live” matters just as much—if not more—than what happens after.

The team behind The Crooked Moon knew this. They raised over $1 million on Day One by following a 5-step pre-launch strategy that has helped dozens of campaigns raise hundreds of thousands—including Botany ($1M+), Nitropress ($800K+), and Biome ($400K+).

Here’s a breakdown of the 5 essential steps they used—and how you can apply them.

Step 1: Nail Your Product Positioning

Define your Super Fan: Who is your most excited, most passionate customer?
Understand what makes your product better than the competition.
Craft a clear headline and sub-headline that explain your product’s value in seconds.

Example: “Nitropress is the ultimate Nitro drink machine that requires no consumable gas.”

Step 2: Build a Reservation Funnel

Use a landing page to collect emails and offer a $1 reservation deal (like a free add-on, exclusive content, or VIP perks).
Why? Because $1 reservation backers are 30x more likely to convert than people who just gave their email.

Step 3: Drive Traffic with Meta Ads

Even in the age of TikTok, Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) are still the best-performing traffic source.
Target interests based on your Super Fan.

Example: For a horror-themed TTRPG, interests might include Dungeons & Dragons, horror movies, and monster art.

Use bold, benefit-driven ad copy and visuals that resonate with your niche.

Step 4: Nurture a VIP Community

Create a private Facebook group or Discord server just for $1 reservation backers.
Use this space to share sneak peeks, get feedback, and build hype.
Communities like these turn into your first-day superfans—and organic evangelists.

Step 5: Launch with Email Marketing

Send pre-launch emails 7 days and 1 day before your campaign goes live.
On launch day, notify your full list.
Drive your $1 reservation group to the campaign within the first hour.

Why It Works

Fast funding = free Kickstarter traffic. Hit your goal early and rise in the algorithm.
Social proof = higher conversion rate. People trust campaigns that look successful.
Media coverage = more exposure. Journalists want to cover campaigns that overperform.

Bottom Line

A good product isn’t enough. If you want to stand out in a sea of 5,000+ live and upcoming campaigns, your pre-launch strategy needs to be airtight.

Build the audience before you build the page—and you might just be popping champagne like The Crooked Moon team did.

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