What advice can you offer to Kickstarter backers who haven't used IndieGoGo before? What do you like about IndieGoGo over Kickstarter? Let's stay positive even if warning against potential mistakes a newbie might make.
Mistake I make frequently but feature I also like:
1. You can do multiple pledges - the problem is they don't show when looking at a project - only show when looking at your profile - so I've forgotten I've backed a project previously and backed again - on the positive side it's easy to back at multiple levels or at same level to get multiple copies/units
Things I like
1. Referrals - it tracks referrals for you - so you can see how many people checked a campaign out & backed it because of you
2. Multiple pledges easy
3. Flexible funding is great for creators of some kinds of projects (books are a good example as many times they can be created without full funding - sometimes later than promised)
4. Umm... I'm sure I'll think of more & update when I do
Things I dislike
1. Doesn't let you know on campaign page what you've pledged for
2. Crappy messaging system
3. Flexible funding - as a backer this one can leave you screwed if the creator doesn't deliver & keeps money
Back in 2011 I used both as a creator and backer. Over time I switched to 90% Kickstarter only using IndieGoGo if a friend ran a campaign or recommended one and it looked really interesting. So whose next?
Have you backed IndieGoGo projects?
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TashaTurner
- Posts: 663
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-Tasha http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/479254504
Backed over 3,700 Kickstarters
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Backed over 3,700 Kickstarters
Social media coach http://tasha-turner.com @turner_tasha
Add signature: Click your name, click send private message, click Profile tab, click Edit signature
I have only backed a handful of indiegogo projects and those have been large projects from popular personalities. I find indiegogo to be overloaded with beggars just trying to get money to buy things for themselves. I also dislike the flexible funding campaigns as many folks I know have been screwed by these.
Check out the services I offer to help with your Kickstarter Campaign on BackerHack - http://backerhack.com/backer.php?id=293
The Roll Call Podcast: The Podcast of Crowd Funded Tabletop Games - http://rollcall.podbean.com/
The Roll Call Podcast: The Podcast of Crowd Funded Tabletop Games - http://rollcall.podbean.com/
I've backed 10 IndieGoGo projects. 1 was not funded. 7 have delivered. I'm waiting for the final 2 to deliver, which should happen before the end of this year.
I haven't had any problem with the flexible funding, but I would be a bit leery of pledging to a flexible funding campaign until they make it to at least 50% of their goal.
I haven't had any problem with the flexible funding, but I would be a bit leery of pledging to a flexible funding campaign until they make it to at least 50% of their goal.
I've backed one, where I personally knew the creator. The flexible funding scares me for the technology/design projects that I usually do. Heartening to hear Mepper's experience (7/10 recieved, 2 on the way) though. Maybe I'll take a look at some of them closer. The wait for at least 50% on a flexible funded was a good tip too. Thanks!
--- Tom
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FatCatPeter
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2015 9:24 am
I second numbat1's post. Indiegogo allows campaign owners to delete posts in the comments section.
From the Indiegogo Terms of Use (ToU): "As a Contributor, you are solely responsible for asking questions and investigating Campaign Owners and Campaigns to the extent you feel is necessary before you make a Contribution." Well, before I made my contribution, I did read the most recent 200 comments and scanned the comments section to be informed about the most urgent questions or worries regarding this campaign. I backed (not little), as it looks/looked like an exiting project.
Then it came to my attention that comments were deleted by the campaign owner. I asked the Indiegogo support why Indiegogo allows a campaign owner to deprive a contributor of the right to get information about the project, when Indiegogo makes exactly the necessity of this investigation a part of the ToU. I argued that deleting comments is a manipulation of the most basic campaign information, the contributors view of the campaign. In other words, contributors probably are being manipulated. I explicitly asked for the measures that Indiegogo applies in order to pre-check the feasibility of a campaign, to monitor an on-going campaign, and to follow up on contributors' complaints or hints on scams. Last not least, what requirements have to be met that Indiegogo removes a campaign.
I did not expect the Indiegogo support only to answer with standard phrases and links to their online documents - which do not contain the information I asked for. That is, none of my questions were answered. Uh, yes, Indiegogo featured that campaign in the newsletter a week later ...
All in all I have only backed 8 campaigns on Indiegogo. I received two of three rewards of one campaign, so far, with mixed results. Some of the campaigns are still running, so I cannot really tell about the success/fail ratio of Indiegogo campaigns.
From the Indiegogo Terms of Use (ToU): "As a Contributor, you are solely responsible for asking questions and investigating Campaign Owners and Campaigns to the extent you feel is necessary before you make a Contribution." Well, before I made my contribution, I did read the most recent 200 comments and scanned the comments section to be informed about the most urgent questions or worries regarding this campaign. I backed (not little), as it looks/looked like an exiting project.
Then it came to my attention that comments were deleted by the campaign owner. I asked the Indiegogo support why Indiegogo allows a campaign owner to deprive a contributor of the right to get information about the project, when Indiegogo makes exactly the necessity of this investigation a part of the ToU. I argued that deleting comments is a manipulation of the most basic campaign information, the contributors view of the campaign. In other words, contributors probably are being manipulated. I explicitly asked for the measures that Indiegogo applies in order to pre-check the feasibility of a campaign, to monitor an on-going campaign, and to follow up on contributors' complaints or hints on scams. Last not least, what requirements have to be met that Indiegogo removes a campaign.
I did not expect the Indiegogo support only to answer with standard phrases and links to their online documents - which do not contain the information I asked for. That is, none of my questions were answered. Uh, yes, Indiegogo featured that campaign in the newsletter a week later ...
All in all I have only backed 8 campaigns on Indiegogo. I received two of three rewards of one campaign, so far, with mixed results. Some of the campaigns are still running, so I cannot really tell about the success/fail ratio of Indiegogo campaigns.
I, too have backed a few, but only a few, projects on IndieGoGo. I don't have anything against IndieGoGo specifically. The 'flexible funding' is a red flag, which I avoid unless I'm really confident about the project or am only pledging a small amount that I assume I'll probably lose.
The other problem is that the projects are broken down into fewer categories, and there are many more 'dud projects' (ones that are pleas for free money, projects that are so ambitious a Fortune-500 company couldn't pull them off, are so nebulous that you have no certain idea whether it is worthy of being backed or not, etc) so it is hard to sift through and find projects I'm really interested in.
I have backed a few projects that I happened upon while browsing, but a few I backed because the original Kickstarter project I backed got close to goal but missed, so the project creator decided to try on IndieGoGo, and e-mailed the backers or the original failed Kickstarter, telling us about it. I find I have less hesitancy in a case like this than in a typical IndieGoGo project.
The other problem is that the projects are broken down into fewer categories, and there are many more 'dud projects' (ones that are pleas for free money, projects that are so ambitious a Fortune-500 company couldn't pull them off, are so nebulous that you have no certain idea whether it is worthy of being backed or not, etc) so it is hard to sift through and find projects I'm really interested in.
I have backed a few projects that I happened upon while browsing, but a few I backed because the original Kickstarter project I backed got close to goal but missed, so the project creator decided to try on IndieGoGo, and e-mailed the backers or the original failed Kickstarter, telling us about it. I find I have less hesitancy in a case like this than in a typical IndieGoGo project.
12 on IGG, total +- 800 USD.
6 * 1 USD = just to help
1 * 10 EUR = local project (Radio X) I know the guys indirectly
1 * 20 EUR = a direct friend, he failed his campaign (well flexible) as he was let down by TV stations & celebrities who promised visibility and did nothing.
1 * 55 USD = a product being now made in China, I guess delivery in September
1 * 30 USD = a room in a coworking hostel in LA, USA. Still have to go there
1 * 653 USD = The Panono ball, still waiting, 1 year late but I've met the team at a fair, they are not robbers.
1 * 9 EUR = my first backed project, a PDF ebook from a friend. Delivered.
IGG: 24 categories
KS: 15 categories
==> I think for both, a creator should be able to have max 2-3 categories. And they must be vetted by the staff.
Like if you do a film about the environment, you should be able to have FILM (or PHOTO) + ENVIRONMENT.
IGG:
For creators = only 4% (perhaps KS should lower to 4% margin too instead of 5%?) = keep more money
Until last 4 weeks : KS was not possible in France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Lux, Switzerland...
* IN DEMAND is nice for successful campaigns
* Flexible funding is great if you need visibility perhaps more than funding. Example Perhaps it's better to pre-sell a book at 1000*10 USD (1000 readers) than 400*30 USD (400 readers), if your targeted 12.000USD. Because with 1000 readers you have more chance to get feedback for your book to perhaps improve it or be noticed by an editor or later bookdeal or more followers.
39 on KS. Total. I don't want to know. I guess between 5000 and 6000 USD.
* some campaigns are badly ran but they seem to be delivering in the coming months after 1 year or more delay
* the Pocket Drone delivered but apparently not working, no time to make the repairs the "angry backers" have suggested in a facebook group we discuss.
6 * 1 USD = just to help
1 * 10 EUR = local project (Radio X) I know the guys indirectly
1 * 20 EUR = a direct friend, he failed his campaign (well flexible) as he was let down by TV stations & celebrities who promised visibility and did nothing.
1 * 55 USD = a product being now made in China, I guess delivery in September
1 * 30 USD = a room in a coworking hostel in LA, USA. Still have to go there
1 * 653 USD = The Panono ball, still waiting, 1 year late but I've met the team at a fair, they are not robbers.
1 * 9 EUR = my first backed project, a PDF ebook from a friend. Delivered.
IGG: 24 categories
KS: 15 categories
==> I think for both, a creator should be able to have max 2-3 categories. And they must be vetted by the staff.
Like if you do a film about the environment, you should be able to have FILM (or PHOTO) + ENVIRONMENT.
IGG:
For creators = only 4% (perhaps KS should lower to 4% margin too instead of 5%?) = keep more money
Until last 4 weeks : KS was not possible in France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Lux, Switzerland...
* IN DEMAND is nice for successful campaigns
* Flexible funding is great if you need visibility perhaps more than funding. Example Perhaps it's better to pre-sell a book at 1000*10 USD (1000 readers) than 400*30 USD (400 readers), if your targeted 12.000USD. Because with 1000 readers you have more chance to get feedback for your book to perhaps improve it or be noticed by an editor or later bookdeal or more followers.
39 on KS. Total. I don't want to know. I guess between 5000 and 6000 USD.
* some campaigns are badly ran but they seem to be delivering in the coming months after 1 year or more delay
* the Pocket Drone delivered but apparently not working, no time to make the repairs the "angry backers" have suggested in a facebook group we discuss.
Best Regards Louis-Philippe (LouPhi) https://about.me/louphi, #BeCrowdF, https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/louphi
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GarethHodges
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:36 pm
I've been on both platforms for over 4 years. I've backed 6 on IGG, and 809 so far on Kickstarter. I agree with dislike for flexible funding and the ToU on IGG. Also, it has a 9% project success rate (i.e. achieved goal funding) as opposed to 35-45% on KS and 56% on Pozible. Personal success rate for projects backed: 50% on IGG, about 96% on KS.