Is BackerClub really worth your money? A review
So you have a project, you’ve heard about BackerClub but have no idea if it’s worth paying for? Look no further. I’ll try to answer your questions here:
To succeed in crowdfunding, you need people to whip out their credit cards and support your project. One way to reach people who will back your project is through crowdfunding-specific promotional channels. Today, we’ll dig into one of the most effective promotional channels: BackerClub.
What Is BackerClub?
BackerClub connects entrepreneurs with passionate crowdfunding backers.
They exist to help superbackers access the best deals on crowdfunding and to help campaigners find the most dedicated backers.
Superbackers: superfans of crowdfunding who repeatedly back projects before they are available to the general marketplace.
Their third-party platform pre-vets the most awesome projects and puts it in front of those most likely to back a project.
This business model positions BackerClub as a two-sided marketplace and only succeeds if backers get access to good projects and campaigners get access to good backers. What this means is that BackerClub is attractive for crowdfunding backers and project creators alike.
How BackerClub Works
For Crowdfunding Backers
There are definite perks to being a Club member. BackerClub always pre-vets a project before it goes live in the Club and strongly encourages the creator to provide members with an exclusive reward.
Projects that are most successful on BackerClub offer an exclusive reward to people in the Club. The reward benefits are the reason there are superbackers who exclusively support crowdfunding projects through BackerClub.
For Project Creators
As a creator, you have the option of submitting your project to their internal system. Upon acceptance into the Club, your project is released to superbackers in search of new projects to support.
On average, superbackers on BackerClub (at least 20,000 people as of writing) have supported 109 projects. So just by being in the Club, you’re exposing your project to those who are most likely to back your project.
What Types Of Projects Are Most Effective On BackerClub?
Not every type of crowdfunding project will find success on BackerClub. These are the top categories of projects that find success:
- Tech & Design
- Travel Gear
- Apparel & Footwear
- Home, Kitchen, & Pets
- Games
When To Use BackerClub?
BackerClub is only available to projects that have already launched on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. Moreover, as I’ve mentioned before, promotional channels like BackerClub will only work if you’ve done the legwork beforehand.
No one (especially seasoned backers like you’ll find on BackerClub) will be excited to back your project if no one else is doing so.
Superbackers who frequent the Club will be much more interested and more likely to back your project if your campaign already has backers and reached a certain milestone.
The only way you can have those impressive stats and numbers is after a successful and comprehensive pre-launch plan. You’ve built your community from the ground up and converted those people into backers. Now, these platforms will help you multiply your successes.
How To Set Up Your Project On BackerClub
Now, let’s get you set up on BackerClub to get the exposure you need to reach your crowdfunding goals!
Step 1: Create an account on BackerClub
To submit your project to the Club, you must have an account with BackerClub.
Step 2: Submit a project to the Club
Next, start your project submission by filling out the form.
Step 3: Fill in your project details
- The name of your project and URL
- Your contact information
- The main project image
- BackerClub exclusive offer
- Coupon (use CRUSH10 for 10% off any plan)
BackerClub Exclusive Offer (The Special Perk Tradition)
Club members are used to receiving an exclusive offer when backing a project through BackerClub. From their website:
Since 2014, it has been a tradition for creators to offer a special incentive (aka, a special perk or special reward) to our members in order to promote a campaign within the community. As a creator, the special perk you offer can be tailored to match your campaign, the product(s) you’re launching, your budget, and your post-campaign operations.
Since exclusive offers are such a strong tradition for the Club, providing an enticing reward is crucial for acceptance. And really, the more generous your reward, the better the response will be from Club members.
Step 4: Choose a plan
There are three plans available for entry into the Club. We’ll go through these features in more detail below, including the recommended package.
Step 5: Submit your payment
Confirm your submissions by providing payment information.
Step 6: Get accepted into the Club
The last step is to wait for confirmation via email that you have been accepted into the Club. Note that only 30% of projects actually make it through their screening process. Just by being accepted, your project is showing much more promise than many others that are disqualified.
Once you are accepted, your project will be visible to Club members. You will also get access to your personal dashboard to track your progress.
The Creators Dashboard
Once your project is live with BackerClub, you’ll also have access to their incredible Creators Dashboard. This dashboard allows you to see details on how well your project is doing, including which Club member supported your project, when they supported your project and how much they contributed to your project.
BackerClub Pricing
There are three options when it comes to using BackerClub.
So what do these options even mean and why do they matter? Let’s dive a little deeper, shall we?
The Recommended Plan (And Why)
As an entrepreneur and project creator, it’s your responsibility to ensure that the funds you are spending will make the greatest impact on your launch. You want to make sure that whatever you spend will move the needle the furthest.
After years of using BackerClub, I’d recommend the Featured package.
From the chart above, we already know that the Featured Projects page is the main landing page for the 20k+ active Club members.
By choosing this package, you’re guaranteeing many more high-quality views and increasing the likelihood of contribution to your project.
Although the Premium package sounds enticing (gotta love marketing terms like “Premium” and “Luxury”, amiright?), I’d recommend saving the difference for promotion on a different platform so as not to put all of your eggs in one basket.
The BackerClub Guarantee
If you’re not convinced yet, I actually saved the best for last.
BackerClub is so confident that its large list of passionate superbackers will contribute to your project that they have offered an incredibly attractive guarantee. From the BackerClub website:
We like to keep things simple at BackerClub, and our industry-leading guarantee is no exception. Here’s how it works:
If you reach the end of your promotion period and you haven’t received at least $349 in new member pledges, you’re entitled to a refund to make up the difference. Now isn’t that some low-risk advertising!
Plus — if your promotion isn’t reaching that minimum pledge guarantee within 1 week of advertising with us, we’ll reserve an additional spot for your project in our shared newsletter for free.
You can access the full details of their guarantee here.
Is BackerClub Worth The Submission Fee?
Absolutely! Their business model gives you as the creator direct access to the most engaged crowdfunding backers. Furthermore, their BackerClub guarantee means that you have nothing to lose by submitting your project to the Club.
What are you waiting for? Head over to BackerClub and use CRUSH10 for 10% off.
Originally published at https://crushcrowdfunding.com/
