Launching a product is one of the riskiest parts of running a business. But if you plan to sell products, launching is inevitable. So, you will want to find a way to do that in the least risky, most productive way possible. For a lot of business owners, that means launching a Kickstarter campaign.
There are all kinds of ways to fund a business. You can use your own money or take out a loan with a bank. You might ask your friends or family for funds or even try to raise venture capital. But success is never guaranteed.
Kickstarter gives you a chance to test products before you launch them and raise funds before you make them. You can connect directly with would-be buyers who believe in your vision, giving you a chance to validate demand, sell early, and build buzz.
That doesn’t mean Kickstarter is perfect in every situation. It’s a ton of work to create a Kickstarter campaign, and you need to have a working understanding of the platform.
Yet even with the limits in mind, if you have products to sell, you should at least consider running a Kickstarter campaign. In this article, we’ll provide you with eight reasons why Kickstarter makes sense for launching products.
What is Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is the most famous, most popular, and most well-funded crowdfunding platform in the world. And crowdfunding is basically the old concept of fundraising reworked for the internet age.
You raise small amounts of money from a large number of people, and collectively, it adds up to quite a sum. Kickstarter was founded in 2009, and ever since then, it has helped creators raise over $8 billion for all kinds of projects. If you look on Kickstarter, you’ll see everything from tech gadgets to films, board games, and beyond.
The concept is simple: creators present their ideas, set a funding goal, and invite backers to pledge support. What sets Kickstarter apart is its all-or-nothing model.
If you hit your goal, you receive the funds to bring your project to life. If not, no money changes hands. This system encourages creators to make amazing campaigns, but it also protects them from having to deliver on promises without enough funds to do so.
New creators tend to focus their attention on using Kickstarter primarily for funding. And, to be fair, funding product creation is a great reason to use Kickstarter. But many forget how other aspects of the Kickstarter creation process help with product launching in a more general sense. This is what we’ll focus on in the section to follow.
8 Reasons To Use Kickstarter To Launch A Product
1. Kickstarter allows real-time market testing.
When you launch a product for the first time, the biggest risk is that no one will want to buy it. Business owners have all sorts of ways to try to eliminate this possibility, but the risk of launching a dud product always looms overhead. It keeps a lot of entrepreneurs up at night.
Kickstarter can help eliminate some of that uncertainty. Launching a Kickstarter campaign lets you see, in real time, whether people are willing to spend money on your product without having to start a full manufacturing run.
When backers pledge their money, it signals genuine interest in what you’re offering. If no one bites, you’ve saved yourself the cost and hassle of producing something the market doesn’t want.
Sure, you still have to make a prototype and you still need to build an audience for Kickstarter. You still have to spend time and money working on your product. But you don’t have to go all the way to full-scale manufacturing to know for sure if people will buy.
This is market validation at its finest. Unlike traditional pre-orders on eCommerce platforms, Kickstarter campaigns thrive on visibility and urgency. Every backer becomes part of a feedback loop, giving you feedback into demand, pricing, and even whether your product’s story resonates.
Big brands spend millions testing products with focus groups and surveys. Kickstarter lets you achieve the same goal without the overhead. When your campaign succeeds, you know your product has legs—and you’ve already built an audience that’s excited to see it come to life.
2. Kickstarter lets you acquire backers before production.
Every business wants loyal customers. Kickstarter helps you earn them before you’ve produced a single unit. Backers don’t just buy your product on Kickstarter, they are essentially investing in you and your vision. They’re emotionally attached, financially engaged, and rooting for you to succeed.
This kind of engagement is rare outside of Kickstarter. Time-limited campaigns have a tendency to turn casual customers into brand advocates who share your campaign, offer feedback, and eagerly await your product. By the time production starts, you can already be surrounded by enthusiastic supporters ready to spread the word.
And here’s the kicker—their excitement helps you build momentum. Successful campaigns tend to pull in more and more backers who only know about you because you launched on Kickstarter. Acquisition begets acquisition.
3. Kickstarter reduces financial risk.
Starting a business is expensive. Manufacturing costs, shipping, and marketing add up fast—and if the product doesn’t sell, you’re left holding the bag. Kickstarter removes this risk by using an all-or-nothing funding model.
To recap how it works again: you set a funding goal. If backers pledge enough to hit that goal, you get the money. If not, no funds change hands. You only have to produce something if the market is willing to pay for it. Backers only have to pay for it if enough of them exist in the first place. It’s a clean system.
Failing on Kickstarter isn’t fun, but it’s a lot easier and faster than failing after producing a full run of products. That means you can sleep easier at night knowing that your financial risk is a lot less than it would otherwise have to be. And if you do succeed, you know that there’s real demand as well and you can prove it.
4. Kickstarter will help you connect with early adopters.
Every great product needs a champion. Kickstarter gives you access to a community of early adopters who love innovation and want to see creators succeed. They draw energy from being close to new ideas, because these kind of backers don’t just buy—they believe. They’re invested in your vision and they want to see you bring it to life.
This is not a strictly transactional business relationship. Early adopters often become your most vocal advocates, sharing your campaign and generating word-of-mouth buzz. Their enthusiasm helps you build momentum during your campaign and lays the foundation for long-term customer loyalty.
And here’s the real value: these supporters are pretty vocal about what they like and what they don’t like. They shoot straight and provide feedback that no focus group or survey can provide. They’re emotionally tied to your success and want to see you win.
5. Kickstarter campaigns are great for publicity.
A successful Kickstarter campaign is a magnet for attention. Journalists, bloggers, and influencers often cover trending projects, giving you organic media exposure that would otherwise cost thousands. Even before your product launches, you’re already building your brand’s reputation.
Media outlets love “media events.” Or, to use the Wikipedia definition of that term “an experience conducted for the purpose of creating media publicity” (as opposed to an event that organically unfolds).
It’s predictable, it works into their schedule, and gives them something to write about or talk about. They can plan their content calendars in advance and their jobs become easier.
Kickstarter campaigns are great media events and they give you the perfect excuse to email reporters.
Kickstarter campaigns also thrive on social media. Backers love to share projects they support, which amplifies your reach far beyond your initial audience. This kind of viral potential is hard to replicate with traditional marketing alone.
Even when the campaign ends and the media buzz starts to recede, when you make a play for eCommerce or retail, you already have articles, podcasts, videos, social media posts, and backlinks out there. That makes it simpler to transition into a long-term distribution model or to launch future projects.
6. Kickstarter backers often have good advice on how to improve your product.
Some Kickstarter backers see themselves as customers. Others see themselves as collaborators. Many will offer valuable feedback on features, design, or messaging that can help refine your final offering.
This feedback isn’t theoretical. It comes from people who are excited enough about your idea to fund it. They’ll point out details you may have missed, suggest improvements, and even share ideas for future iterations. It’s like having a focus group that pays you instead of the other way around.
Listening to your backers isn’t just good business—it’s smart product development. And as the icing on the cake, when you incorporate their input, you’re not just building a better product. You actually end up actively strengthening your connection with the very people who made the product’s existence possible.
7. Succeeding on Kickstarter builds your credibility.
Funding on Kickstarter will put change in your pocket, and that’s a good thing in its own right. But having a funded Kickstarter campaign is also a serious credibility booster.
Raising money from hundreds or thousands of backers shows investors, partners, and future customers that your idea has real demand. It demonstrates that you can set goals, execute a plan, and inspire confidence in others.
Credibility on Kickstarter also extends to your operational skills. Successfully using the platform requires clear communication, transparency, and follow-through. When you meet these expectations, you signal to the business world that you’re capable of delivering results.
Then, ultimately, if you are able to handle the manufacturing, freight, and fulfillment processes and deliver on-time and on-budget, that can further prove that you really are a capable business owner. That will make partners and distributors more likely to want to work with you.
8. You can transition from Kickstarter to eCommerce and retail.
Many product developers see Kickstarter as the end goal. But savvier ones know it’s just the beginning.
Many successful campaigns seamlessly transition to eCommerce platforms like Shopify or retail stores. If you think long-term, your well-run campaign won’t just fund your product. That campaign can give you the critically important customer base, buzz, and momentum you need to build a full-on brand.
Backers from your campaign often become your first customers on other sales channels too. They’re invested in your product and eager to support its next stage. With assets you build up using Kickstarter, like a strong mailing list and social proof that comes from public success, you can launch an online store with a built-in audience.
Retailers also pay attention to Kickstarter. A funded campaign signals market demand, making it easier to secure partnerships and shelf space. In short, Kickstarter is an excellent springboard, and if you use it well, it can set you up for success in the broader marketplace.
Final Thoughts
Kickstarter is a great place to raise funds for products that you want to make. You can test the market in real-time and acquire your first customers, all while keeping financial risk low. And the process of running a campaign itself is a solid way to create a community, earn publicity, and build credibility.
When you combine all these factors together, that’s when Kickstarter shows its true potential. Your goal doesn’t have to be limited to launching a single product. You can use Kickstarter as a way of earning the funding, feedback, and attention you need to set the stage for long-term success.
This guest blog was provided by Fulfillrite, a 3PL with warehouses on both the East Coast and West Coast to handle Shopify, ECommerce, and Crowdfunding orders. Looking for a new 3PL partner to fulfill your customer’s order? Click this link to obtain a custom fulfillment quote.
