From Spain to the world, a dream come true.

Hello everyone! I'm Pilar, the creator of AIAM , a handmade footwear brand that combines timeless design, sustainability, and a passion for the authentic. This November 2024 marked a milestone for us: we launched our first campaign on Kickstarter and, thanks to the incredible support of our community, we managed to successfully fund it.

But it wasn't an easy road. Kickstarter taught me a lot, from strategies that worked to challenges I never imagined. Today I want to share with you some of the most valuable lessons I learned. If you're thinking about starting your own project or are just curious, these reflections might help you.

First of all, what is Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform. What is that? It is a way in which a project can be financed thanks to the contributions of several unknown people.

1. Research, research, and keep researching.

Before I started, I studied all the similar campaigns: footwear, fashion, and sustainable design. Learning from what others did well (or poorly) is key.

2. Build your audience before you launch.

Success on Kickstarter doesn't start with the platform. You need to build a community beforehand, whether through social media, email marketing, or collaborations.

3. Activate your pre-launch page early.

I uploaded my pre-launch page later than I should have, and I lost valuable time gaining followers. Once you've set up your campaign page, you can submit it to Kickstarter for review. Once they've approved it, you can start a pre-launch page where people can sign up. I thought you needed to finish your page before doing this, but you don't. It takes time to build followers. Do it sooner rather than later!

4. Kickstarter's "Project We Love" tag helps.

Achieving this distinction can bring additional traffic to your campaign. Look at examples of other successful projects and structure yours in a similar way. However, it is not guaranteed that your campaign will be successful, but it does help to generate traffic.

5. Don't wait, take the initiative.

I contacted the Kickstarter editorial team directly, who reviewed my campaign to award the label. Do this in advance and leave nothing to chance.

6. Find mentors and ask for help.

I spoke to other creators who had already launched campaigns. Their advice was crucial, from marketing to how to structure rewards. Kickstarter is hard! But beware, any campaign comes with an additional cost, unless you are an expert. Not all marketing experts know the platform.

7. Connect personally.

Many sponsors came to AIAM because I spoke to them directly. Whether they were friends, family or followers on social media, those personal connections made all the difference. Always reply to messages that come in, you have to be active.

8. The power of community

The campaign reminded us that we are not doing this journey alone. Cross-promotion with other campaigns and mutual support between creators inspired us. While it does not always result in a lot of direct contributions, it creates valuable connections and strengthens the network of creative entrepreneurship. We did this with KURE.FIT, from HONG KONG. The audience may not be the same, but we shared the values.

9. Innovate on the fly

Halfway through the campaign, we experienced what they call "the media crisis." It was the perfect time to introduce a new reward, but we didn't do it. We don't know if it would have been key to strengthening the relationship with our backers and creating new links. Instead, we did opt to hire the services of "Backermany," whose community of backers helps your campaign potentially take off, and if you don't reach the conversion goals, they give you your money back (of course, taking a % off for the inconvenience). The result wasn't what we were looking for. Why? Because they are not our audience, and they don't tell you that, just like platforms like "Backerclub" do. They inform you that even if your campaign or product is great, it's not for their audience, and so you don't waste time or money.

10. Goals must be authentic and achievable

From the beginning, we set a goal based on a % of what we really needed for our initial production. We made sure it was achievable, while still dreaming big. We learned that success on Kickstarter is not only measured in numbers, but in the connection you generate with your community. Of course, the total amount is much higher than what we raised, but it is an injection to avoid taking excessive risks.

11. The emotional challenge

Kickstarter isn't just a platform; it's an emotional marathon. The campaign consumed all of our energy for weeks (before, during, and after), but every message of support and every new backer reminded us why we started this journey. Running a campaign is depressing, and while my campaign got over 50% funded after the first few days, it's very hard to dispel worries that it's going to fail until you've comfortably surpassed the goal. Running a campaign also takes up 100% of your time; it's very difficult to find time to do anything else. If you're thinking about running one, be prepared for a rough few weeks! It was a powerful reminder that great achievements take effort and resilience.

And now what?

Although our campaign was successfully funded, this is just the beginning. Thanks to Kickstarter, AIAM has shown that sustainable design and Spanish craftsmanship have a place in the world. A challenging journey awaits us, but with the support of our community, we are ready to take every step.

If you're thinking about launching your own campaign, I hope these lessons inspire you. And if you want to join us on this journey, our online store is now open for pre-orders.

Ready to walk with us?

👉 Visit our store here: https://aiambrand.com/
👉 Discover our story on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aiam/aiam-exclusive-footwear-that-endures-and-inspires

Thank you for being part of this adventure. “Authenticity defines you” . 🌿

#AIAMKickstarter #CrowdfundingLessons #StepsThatInspire #aimthenticity