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10 Proven Kickstarter Campaign Tips from a Puzzle Creator Who’s Raised Over £100,000

Running your 10th Kickstarter campaign teaches you a thing or two about what really works—and what doesn’t. If you’re looking for practical crowdfunding strategies that actually convert backers into long-term supporters, here are the biggest lessons I’ve learned while raising over £100,000 for my puzzle projects.

1. Skip the video stress – Campaign videos are overrated. Focus on your real passion (in my case, puzzle design) instead of spending hours on stressful editing.

2. Forget generic ads – Facebook, Google, Reddit, Kicktraq ads? Time-consuming and low return. Test them outside campaign season, not mid-launch.

3. Go ultra-niche – Partner with websites your audience already loves. For puzzles, sites like Decodex and Puzzmallow delivered real results with affiliate-style ads.

4. Build a strong track record – Deliver on time, communicate often, and backers will come back. Reliability is your biggest asset.

5. Set the lowest possible goal – Fund the crowdfunding phase only, not your entire production run. Smaller goals fund faster and boost visibility.

6. Cut pre-launch costs – My first campaign cost just £25 in setup. Don’t sink thousands into email ads before you even launch.

7. Every link leads to Kickstarter – Skip complex funnels. A direct Kickstarter link converts far better.

8. Leverage add-ons – Previous projects are gold. Nearly half my current backers grabbed add-ons from older campaigns.

9. Encourage backer sharing – Turn word-of-mouth into a game. Tribe challenges and share-to-solve puzzles spark organic buzz.

10. Ditch review copies – Share work-in-progress instead. It generates feedback, excitement, and trust—without wasted copies.

👉 Want to see how these strategies are working in real time? Check out my latest puzzle Kickstarter here:
Sjandiva on Kickstarter

I've run five successful Kickstarters so far, and have learnt so much from other bloggers and books that I felt it was important to pay it back and share what has worked and not worked for me. This page is a work in progress, and will be added to whenever someone asks me for advice! Prelaunch as soon as you can I managed100 day prelaunch. This cannot be understated — prelaunch as soon as you can to build your list. I launched with 160 followers, which contributed significantly to successfully funding in 34 minutes. A prelaunch campaign for a Gotham...