# How To Maximize Kickstarter Traffic and Donations



## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

Hey guys. My name is Grant and I'm the creator of Watchword Apparel. Right now we are still in the design phase. We have created our first collection but we don't have the appropriate equipment to print quality t-shirts. That's were Kickstarter comes in. I am looking to try and raise around $3,000 to purchase that new equipment. I want to take the preparation phase nice and easy because I want to make sure the Kickstarter succeeds. I've been doing a ton of research on successful Kickstarter campaigns and they all have two constant factors- a website and a video. I created both. http://watchwordapparel.tumblr.com/ I would love some constructive critisism of the site and the video. Also some tips on totally maximizing a kickstarter campaign would be awesome. Thanks!


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## iCreateGraphix (Sep 11, 2013)

Well, I am no kickstarter expert, but when I read your About Me, it sounds like your target market (or target "investors") would be people interested in history and keeping the memory of certain events/places alive. Yes, you may have a batch of people who stumble upon your site and like your designs (which are very nice, by the way). But your designs are pretty broad. If you focus on actual events in history, you can pitch your idea to Historical Societies in the cities that those events took place. Since your designs are kind of a niche market, you should focus in more on that niche so you have a clear cut customer/investor base. For example, make a Civil War tee and start looking up Civil War enthusiast groups (which I'm really not sure if you want to be in contact with those people...lol) or the Historical Societies in those states and pitch your product first, then your kickstarter. Its very hard to get people to just GIVE YOU money so you can live out YOUR dream (of designing & creating t-shirts). What's in it for them? Hope that helped. Let me know if you have questions.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Why would you need 3,000.00 in equipment to do those designs?...You could buy a couple hundred $$s of stuff and you are in business....A few screens, water base ink, emulsion, etc......Or A heat press and transfers...Good luck....


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## Studio ell (Jun 16, 2013)

The bulk of the money will come from people who want the rewards. Get those right. It's basically a pre-order system. I don't know if you can buy your equipment with kickstarter, very few people will just give you money, most of them want something in return, like shirts. Between the cost of blanks, the cost of printing, kickstarter fees... you wont be left with anything close to $3000. Did you considered outsourcing the printing for the first campaigns?


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## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

Thanks for the tips ICreateGraphix. I totally agree with you and am now pondering different categories I can put these in.

Royster13- I was thinking about cutting costs but I really didnt see the quality I wanted out of that. Thats why I want to get the best stuff out there.

Studio Ell- Totally agree about the rewards. Thats why I'm going to offer the t-shirts as the rewards, just make sure everyone knows they arent going to get them till November. Then I will take the money they donated, buy the equipment, and then produce the t-shirts. I have considered outsourcing it, but I really want to try to keep everything "In-House". 

Thanks again for all the replys


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

3,000.00 does not buy anywhere near the "best quality" and with a couple hundred dollars in supplies you can do as high a quality as someone with 10s of thousands of $$s in equipment....There are lots of folks turning out 100s of shirts with 1 screen and some jiffy clamps....Some motivated folks with very little money can even do 2 or 3 colours designs on home made presses....Takes some effort but can be done....

As far as waiting for investors to come along, along you will likely be like the 99 out of 100 that came before you and never got to market with their designs...So I suggest a much more practical approach, buy a cheap kit and start printing.....If you have to start with 1 colours designs and water based inks, so be it....At least you will get started.....And that beats 9 of out 10 other folks....

Good luck....


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## BrandonZeciri (Jul 2, 2013)

Those are really nice designs.
But to be honest you don't really need $3,000 in equipment...

$200 heat press (eBay)
$200 epson printer

Equipment $400.

$90 100 sheets JPSS paper
$149 100 white t-shirts

Supplies $239.

Total of $639.

Just sayin'...


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## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

I want to screen print. Heat pressing doesnt have the same quality.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Smalldeal said:


> I want to screen print. Heat pressing doesnt have the same quality.


If you are comparing ink jet transfers to screen printing, I agree....But if you put plastisol transfers up against screen printing the difference is quite minor.....There are 100s of successful lines that were started with plastisol transfers....


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## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

Ok. So what kind of equipment do I need for plastisol transfers?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

A heat press and some transfers....
I like my Geo Knight DK20 but Pro World has some cheaper ones that can get you started....
Heat Presses - HeatPress - Heat Transfer Machines - Pro World

As far as transfer, take a look at silver mountain graphics Ltd.
100.00 for 100 transfers.....Plus they will do a colour change for 7.50......Shipping will be 12.00 or less...So for less than 120.00 you have 2 colours of 1 design....

If you can not afford to buy many blanks to start, take a look in the craft department of Walmart or stores like Joann or Michaels.....


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## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

So will this be cheaper than screen printing in the long time? Also how about DTG?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

"Cheaper" is a relative term.....If you can afford to print 100 shirts all at once screen printing will be cheaper than either transfers or DTG.......But if you can not, I am making a suggestion that lowers your barrier to entry.....

DTG versus plastisol transfers.....DTG will probably be a better product, however, once you get over a certain quantity you unit cost be be way higher......Just to keep the math simple, say you buy a blank for 2.00 and DTG printing costs you 5.00 each.....For 12 shirts you have 84.00 invested or 7.00 each.....But if you use transfers and buy 100 for 120.00 and only use 12 your investment is 144.00 or 12.00 each.....

But change the quantity to 30 and the math changes....Maybe DTG costs drops a bit to 4.50 each so 30 shirts with printing cost 194.00 or 6.50 each......Still using the same 120.00 for transfers and using 30 of them, your cost is 180.00 or 6.00 each....So at 30, the unit cost for transfer is less than dtg...And you still have 70 transfers left....

Continuing the math to 100.....I am going to say DTG at 100 will 3.50 each so 100 shirts will cost you 550.00 or 5.50.....But with transfers your cost is 320.00 or 3.20 each....

As I mentioned earlier with transfers you can do a colour change for 7.50 and get both black and white for example and adapt to whatever your clients want......Hard to do that when you have to pre-order....For that reason I think transfers are the best bet for a start up....

For most of my designs, I use the 15 and 20 cents transfers from F&M Expressions......I sell my shirts at 12.50 each so they work......But for a better quality, I would use Silver Mountain as I mentioned earlier....


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## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

Very informative. Thank you. So this is what im looking at as far as what I need.

Plastisol transfer-
Heat press
Plastisol transfer sheets

Screen Printing-
Screens
Emulsion
Exposure unit
Ink
Squeegee
Press
Dryer

With cost put aside what method is better?


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

Cost aside, screen printing gives you a better product.....But as someone who gave up screen printing in the early 80s in favour of plastisol transfers I have never looked back....And sold 100s of 1,000s of shirts....


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## Smalldeal (Sep 2, 2013)

Awesome. You have made my decision very clear. Time to go plastisol. Many thanks for all the help you given me.


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