How to Create a Winning Pre-Launch Campaign for Kickstarter: The 5-Step Strategy Behind $1M Kickstarter Campaigns
If you want to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign, what happens before you hit “Go Live” matters just as much—if not more—than what happens after.
The team behind The Crooked Moon knew this. They raised over $1 million on Day One by following a 5-step pre-launch strategy that has helped dozens of campaigns raise hundreds of thousands—including Botany ($1M+), Nitropress ($800K+), and Biome ($400K+).
Here’s a breakdown of the 5 essential steps they used—and how you can apply them.
Step 1: Nail Your Product Positioning
- Define your Super Fan: Who is your most excited, most passionate customer?
- Understand what makes your product better than the competition.
- Craft a clear headline and sub-headline that explain your product’s value in seconds.
Example: “Nitropress is the ultimate Nitro drink machine that requires no consumable gas.”
Step 2: Build a Reservation Funnel
- Use a landing page to collect emails and offer a $1 reservation deal (like a free add-on, exclusive content, or VIP perks).
- Why? Because $1 reservation backers are 30x more likely to convert than people who just gave their email.
Step 3: Drive Traffic with Meta Ads
- Even in the age of TikTok, Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram) are still the best-performing traffic source.
- Target interests based on your Super Fan.
Example: For a horror-themed TTRPG, interests might include Dungeons & Dragons, horror movies, and monster art.
- Use bold, benefit-driven ad copy and visuals that resonate with your niche.
Step 4: Nurture a VIP Community
- Create a private Facebook group or Discord server just for $1 reservation backers.
- Use this space to share sneak peeks, get feedback, and build hype.
- Communities like these turn into your first-day superfans—and organic evangelists.
Step 5: Launch with Email Marketing
- Send pre-launch emails 7 days and 1 day before your campaign goes live.
- On launch day, notify your full list.
- Drive your $1 reservation group to the campaign within the first hour.
Why It Works
- Fast funding = free Kickstarter traffic. Hit your goal early and rise in the algorithm.
- Social proof = higher conversion rate. People trust campaigns that look successful.
- Media coverage = more exposure. Journalists want to cover campaigns that overperform.
Bottom Line
A good product isn’t enough. If you want to stand out in a sea of 5,000+ live and upcoming campaigns, your pre-launch strategy needs to be airtight.
Build the audience before you build the page—and you might just be popping champagne like The Crooked Moon team did.
This post is presented in partnership with Strigovia.
Strigovia is a dark, Slavic-inspired tabletop RPG where what we call “magic” is not a gift, but a debt owed to the ancient Forest — a power that listens, remembers, and always collects. There are no carefree spells or heroic fireballs here, only whispered rituals, blood-bound bargains, and slow transformations waiting for those who ask for too much.
This is low-fantasy horror focused on survival, painful choices, and stories that linger long after the dice stop rolling.
