If you’re planning a crowdfunding campaign this year, you’ll want to start with the right strategy. At GAMA Expo 2025, a board game convention for industry folks in the know, I sat in on a panel called Crowdfunding Best Practices.
The panel was absolutely stacked with experts, including: Nicole Amato from Kickstarter, Xinyuan Chen from the marketing firm Jellop, and Heather O’Neill from 9th Level Games and BackerKit. Together, they shared what’s working now, what’s changed over the years, and what creators need to know to run a successful campaign in 2025.
I took frantic notes throughout and will now do my very best to relay their advice to you. While they spoke about board games explicitly, their advice applies to nearly any product category you could crowdfund. And the simple fact is, whether you’re launching your first product or your fifth, it pays to learn from people who’ve seen hundreds of campaigns from behind the scenes.
In this post, we’ll break down ten key pieces of wisdom from that conversation. Think of it as your Kickstarter strategy guide for 2025: real talk, hard truths, and helpful insights to get your project funded—and delivered—without losing your shirt.
1. Build Your Audience First — Kickstarter Isn’t Magic
“The campaign is the fire, and promotion is the fuel — but you still need a fire.” That line from the panel says it all (and I really wish I wrote down who said it!)
A lot of creators treat Kickstarter like it will automatically bring them an audience. It won’t. If no one knows about your product before launch, your campaign is likely to stall, no matter how good it looks.
The panelists all stressed the importance of building a community ahead of time. There are a million ways you can do that, such as through email lists, Discord servers, or other channels.
The methods you use don’t matter as much as the simple fact that you need to get people excited. Get them involved. Let them test the product.
Jellop’s Xinyuan Chen noted that when a campaign launches cold, it doesn’t matter how much ad money you throw at it. The early backers need to show up fast. That only happens if you’ve already done the work. Kickstarter works best when you treat it as a tool to monetize momentum—not create it from scratch.
2. Your Product Should Be Basically Done
One thing the panelists agreed on: your product should be close to finished before you hit launch. Backers are no longer interested in vague promises or “we’ll figure it out after funding” campaigns.
Heather O’Neill put it simply for game creators (the convention’s audience): the game needs to be done, playtested, and ready to go into production.
In the early days of Kickstarter, you could launch with a concept. That era is over. Too many products funded but never delivered, and now backers are skeptical.
Nicole Amato — who works directly for Kickstarter — pointed out that today’s backers expect clear timelines, proof of development, and evidence that you’ve thought through manufacturing and logistics. They don’t want to hear, “You’ll get it in 2027.” They want something closer to reality—and they want transparency if timelines slip.
If you’re not done yet, that’s fine—but wait until you are. Otherwise, you risk losing trust—and your funding.
3. Set a Realistic Funding Goal, Then Fund Fast
You want your campaign to fund early—but not by setting a goal so low it sinks you. All three panelists emphasized that underpricing your goal just to game Kickstarter’s algorithm is a risky move. You might hit your funding target fast—but if your real costs are higher, you could be in serious trouble.
Instead, do the math. Figure out your average pledge amount and work backwards. How many backers do you need to break even? To make a profit? Then set a goal that makes sense.
Funding in the first 24–72 hours is still one of the strongest indicators of campaign success. That’s when backers get excited. That’s when the algorithm helps boost your visibility.
But if you hit your goal and still can’t deliver because of shipping or stretch goal bloat? You’re setting yourself up for a nightmare.
Fund fast—but fund smart.
4. Front-Load Your Page & Make It Skimmable
Backers don’t read every word on your Kickstarter page—they skim. So don’t save the good stuff for the bottom. Put your best hooks at the top: the story, the key features, the stretch goals, the art. That’s what gets people excited—and keeps them scrolling.
Heather specifically called out campaigns that bury their most exciting updates halfway down the page. Don’t do that. If you’ve got a great stretch goal, say it early. If there’s something backers get excited about—put it in the spotlight.
Use visual anchors to break up the text. Don’t make your page a wall of copy. Clean, well-designed sections help backers understand what they’re looking at—and why they should care.
Nicole mentioned “Fit to Print” as a standout example of a long page done well: visually strong, organized, and full of personality.
There’s no way to get around it: structure matters. If people get bored halfway through your page, you’ve already lost them.
5. Shipping is a Landmine, If You’re Not Careful
Shipping can sink your campaign if you’re not prepared. All three panelists emphasized the same thing: don’t charge shipping upfront. It’s too volatile. Rates change. Delays happen. People move. If you collect shipping during the campaign, you’re locking yourself into numbers you might regret later.
Instead, use a pledge manager like BackerKit to handle shipping later—after the dust settles and you have real quotes. Nicole and Heather both mentioned that many problems stem from creators underestimating costs, then having to cover the gap themselves. Don’t do that.
Set expectations clearly on your page. What’s estimated? What’s guaranteed? What could change?
Use big, bold text if you have to. Heather noted that backers are more forgiving if you’re honest. Just don’t promise the impossible. If the manufacturer says September, you plan for November. Add padding. Backers will thank you later.
6. Avoid Stretch Goals That Tank Your Budget
Stretch goals can build hype—but they can also blow up your budget. The panelists all warned against feature creep: adding too much, too fast, without understanding the cost. Don’t offer extras that haven’t been fully priced out. A single poorly planned stretch goal can erase your margin—or worse, leave you underwater.
Nicole told the horror story of a creator who raised $27,000 more than expected but still lost money because shipping and stretch costs ballooned. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget you’re running a business.
If you’re going to add goals, keep them simple. Heather pointed to campaigns that added multiple versions or extra components and ended up stuck in a production nightmare. Be realistic about what you can produce and fulfill.
Remember: stretch goals are optional. Backers want the core product first. Only offer more if you’re sure you can deliver it without regret.
7. Vet Your Marketing Partners
Marketing can make or break your campaign—but only if you hire the right people. Xinyuan from Jellop was quick to caution against shady firms that promise big numbers but won’t explain how they work. If someone claims they can raise $50K with no effort, run the other way.
Look for transparency. A good marketing partner will walk you through budget, ad channels, creative strategy, and actual performance data. They’ll help you understand how much you need to spend to see a return—not just take your money and disappear.
Ask for referrals. Look at past campaigns they’ve worked on. Talk to creators who’ve used them. The crowdfunding space is tight-knit, and most folks are happy to share their experiences.
As Nicole said, “Everyone seems friendly, but always double-check.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Do your homework before you hand over your ad dollars.
8. Consider Late Pledges & Add-On Platforms
Kickstarter is just the beginning. BackerKit and other platforms let you continue selling after the campaign ends—both to latecomers and to existing backers who want more. It’s one of the best ways to boost revenue without complicating your initial launch.
The panel discussed how these tools help collect shipping, manage add-ons, and offer late pledges once the chaos of launch has passed. Nicole acknowledged that while Kickstarter and BackerKit aren’t formally integrated, most creators use both in practice.
That said, be smart about what you include during the live campaign. Don’t overload your page with every option and upgrade. Save some items for the pledge manager. Keep the main campaign focused and easy to follow.
As Heather pointed out, you can always offer more later—but you can’t take things back once they’re promised. Simpler campaigns are easier to manage—and more likely to succeed.
9. Communicate Often, But Get To The Point
Your backers don’t need daily essays—but they do need to know what’s going on. The panelists stressed how important it is to send regular updates, especially after the campaign ends. Silence makes people nervous. That’s when refund requests start showing up.
Keep it short. Share wins. Share delays. Show that the project is still alive and moving forward. Heather noted that creators who wait until the last minute to say “oops, it’s late” are the ones who lose trust fastest. A quick update every couple of weeks goes a long way.
And don’t just talk at backers—show them what’s going on from your perspective. Show progress pics. Share behind-the-scenes decisions. Make them feel involved.
Just avoid spam. If you’re flooding inboxes with fluff, people tune out. When you have something real to say, say it clearly, say it quickly, and say it often enough to keep momentum alive.
10. Fraud Exists — Be Aware, Not Paranoid
Scams are rare, but they happen. Nicole talked about fake backers pledging big amounts just to inflate totals—only to cancel at the last second. Sometimes it’s done to manipulate algorithms. Sometimes it’s just trolling. Either way, it can mess with your campaign.
If something feels off—huge pledges from unknown accounts, weird patterns in backer behavior—report it. Kickstarter’s trust and safety team is active, and panelists encouraged creators to flag anything suspicious, even if it’s already been reported through normal channels.
Just don’t panic. Most backers are legit. But don’t make decisions based on your raw total alone. Wait until the smoke clears before finalizing stretch goals or making big commitments.
As Nicole put it, “The scammers work hard. We work harder.” Protect your project by staying alert, trusting your gut, and verifying before you act.
Final Thoughts
Kickstarter in 2025 isn’t just about making a flashy page and crossing your fingers. It’s about treating your campaign like a business. You need a product people want, a plan that makes sense, and a community that trusts you.
The panelists didn’t sugarcoat anything—and that’s what made their advice so valuable. They’ve seen what works, what fails, and what almost makes it before falling apart.
If you’re serious about launching a campaign this year, take their words to heart. Do the prep work. Sweat the details. Be honest. Be clear. Be ready.
Because if you get it right, Kickstarter isn’t just a funding tool. It’s a launchpad for something bigger and more lasting, be it an eCommerce store or even a retail-ready product line.
