Kickstarter has introduced a new feature, “late pledges,” which enables crowdfunding campaigns to continue collecting funds even after their official conclusion.
This innovation, announced on Wednesday, April 17th, allows backers to preorder products directly from the completed campaign’s page on Kickstarter itself, enhancing the platform’s utility and keeping post-campaign transactions in-house.
How Does It Work?
Traditionally, once a Kickstarter campaign concluded, interested supporters had to visit a creator’s own website or other external platforms to make a preorder. With the introduction of late pledges, Kickstarter not only simplifies this process by keeping everything on its own platform but also retains the ability to collect its standard 5% fee from these transactions, potentially increases revenue for both creators and Kickstarter.
The late pledges feature will be integrated directly into the creators’ project dashboard, allowing them to activate this option once their project is successfully funded. This adds a “Late Pledges” section to their project page, where backers can select rewards and pledge their support, mirroring the original campaign’s mechanics.
Kickstarter ensures that this integration is seamless, aiming for a smooth transition that maintains the initial campaign’s momentum and visibility. Creators can also attract additional support by offering exclusive rewards or limited-time incentives.
Challenges and Considerations
The move is seen as a logical step for Kickstarter, considering the significant online presence and search engine visibility that many projects gain. It allows potential backers who discover the project later to participate without waiting for a separate preorder phase, enhancing the project’s ability to gather continued support.
However, this facility to attract ongoing funds could also introduce challenges, particularly when projects face post-campaign manufacturing and design hurdles. Creators might need to manage an increased volume of backers and fulfill rewards, which could dilute the initial urgency of the campaign.
Moreover, Kickstarter suggests that late pledges be concluded once a campaign hasn’t received new pledges for 30 days or when the fulfillment phase begins, to streamline the process for creators and backers alike.
This feature contrasts with other platforms like Indiegogo, which has offered a similar function called “InDemand” that allows campaigns to continue indefinitely. Indiegogo’s model automatically transitions campaigns to continue raising funds, with creators receiving monthly disbursements as contributions persist.
Where is Kickstarter Heading with Late Pledges?
Kickstarter’s implementation of late pledges could represent a broader shift in its strategy, potentially leading to enhanced support tools for creators and fostering long-term relationships between creators and backers. The platform may further develop this feature with additional enhancements such as time-limited pledge windows or integration with other platform features to boost project visibility and success.
This late pledge feature is already in operation on certain projects, such as the recently completed “Master of Realms” campaign, providing a practical look at how it functions. Kickstarter plans to roll out this feature to all creators soon, after initial tests with a small group of users.
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