On the heels of launching the most-funded crowdfunding challenge of all time, writer Brandon Sanderson and his firm, Dragonsteel Leisure, are bringing their highly-anticipated Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound marketing campaign to BackerKit on March fifth. Phrases of Radiance, a New York Occasions bestselling fantasy novel initially printed in 2014, is the second installment in Sanderson’s epic sequence, The Stormlight Archive. Dragonsteel has come to BackerKit for the discharge of the leatherbound version of this beloved e book with their followers in thoughts.
“We’ve already had a terrific relationship with BackerKit, utilizing their Pledge Supervisor to meet our final two campaigns,” the Dragonsteel crew says. “As soon as BackerKit launched their crowdfunding platform, we felt a streamlined course of on the identical platform would supply one of the best expertise for our followers. And BackerKit has carried out a terrific job innovating their platform to carry our imaginative and prescient for the marketing campaign to life!”
By no means lacking a chance to thrill and shock, Dragonsteel hasn’t waited till launch day to ship particular treats to their devoted following. Within the lead-up to March fifth, they’ve been utilizing BackerKit to attach with their followers and construct pleasure months forward of the marketing campaign.
Bringing group along with BackerKit Launch Social gathering
In a current video, Sanderson explains that one cause why he has continued to crowdfund through the years is as a result of it’s a enjoyable strategy to carry his group collectively.
Crowdfunding is by definition a communal endeavor. However that interaction between creator and backer doesn’t need to be restricted to a creator launching a challenge and a backer pledging. There are such a lot of extra alternatives for interplay, collaboration, and relationship-building. Probably the most memorable campaigns take their communities on a journey. The creators ask their viewers for suggestions, share cool issues they’re engaged on, and discover methods to please followers alongside the best way.
The Dragonsteel crew retains their group on the forefront of what they do. In reality, the concept of group is considered one of their core values. Within the weeks main as much as the Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound marketing campaign, the crew has been utilizing Launch Social gathering on BackerKit to start out a dialogue with their group and introduce them to their new challenge.
Launch Social gathering permits creators to show a crowdfunding launch into an occasion. It permits them to faucet into the power and pleasure that occur on day one and lengthen that all through the marketing campaign and past. Creators can host a Launch Social gathering web page and expertise and use it to collect and activate followers earlier than launch, arrange dialog starters like polls, and livestream the countdown to launch.
As you may count on from an writer recognized for creating engrossing fantasy worlds, Sanderson and the Dragonsteel crew have engaged their group like storytellers, week by week, constructing extra anticipation for the launch. For the previous two months, they’ve launched follower-exclusive content material by way of their Launch Social gathering web page. Followers got early entry to this new content material as soon as they logged into BackerKit and adopted the Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound challenge.
If you’re a crowdfunding creator who needs to unfold the phrase about your challenge, utilizing Launch Social gathering on this manner not solely allows you to nurture your group but in addition incentivizes folks to comply with the challenge whereas giving them one thing particular in return. “We now have a historical past of transparency and engagement with our followers,” the Dragonsteel crew says. “And BackerKit offered a manner for us to simply proceed that with this marketing campaign.”
Since January, Dragonsteel has used these content material releases to share movies in regards to the world of the Stormlight Archive and the characters that exist inside it. They begin conversations by asking their group questions thematically linked to the content material. For instance, when sharing a video that delves into the lore of the Dustbringers — an order of magic customers with harmful powers — they ask “what bodily merchandise would you ‘uninvent’ when you may?”
Every content material launch is sort of a new chapter in an unfolding narrative, providing the group glimpses into the upcoming marketing campaign. The Launch Social gathering web page gives a platform for the group to actively take part on this new crowdfunding journey and creates an area for them to have fun a shared ardour. Because the Dragonsteel crew engages their group on a weekly foundation, they get invaluable insights into what excites their followers and are in a position to deepen the connection they’ve with them.
With the discharge of the follower-exclusive content material main as much as the launch, followers have been given a style of what’s to come back. However the Dragonsteel crew assures us that the journey is way from over. “As considered one of Brandon’s characters famously says, there’s at all times one other secret! Discover out on March 5, 2024.”
Try the Phrases of Radiance Leatherbound marketing campaign as we speak!