Anna Vogelzang’s HIKER: “Every mile, every song, every show led to here.”
Artist Anna Vogelzang has developed her career throughout the years — majoring in opera at Carnegie Mellon University and touring with musicians like Amanda Palmer. She launched her album Canary in a Coal Mine in 2011 with the help of her fans and five years later, her latest Kickstarter-funded album, Hiker, has gained even more success. With each project, she was relentless with her funding goals and campaign vision. As Anna put it: It is the best thing I have ever done.
If you backed Anna’s album, Hiker, you could read her liner notes or even have her perform in your living room. Her campaign successfully closed the gap between artists and fans; making supporters a huge part of her artistic process. And for Anna, each song, reward and project update is an intimate moment that leads to greater connectivity. Despite any changes in the record industry, Anna still finds ways to delight her fans! The community she built on Kickstarter has positively shaped her musical journey.
In this Creator Hangout, Anna explains how she used Kickstarter to grow her fanbase and successfully fund, create, and distribute her music.
Set a realistic funding goal
Set a funding goal that allows you to develop your music project and fulfill all of your rewards. If you need $25,000 to record and release an album, raising $5,000 may be a jump start, but it won’t allow you to complete the project as you’ve envisioned. According to Anna, “I had my bare bones budget. I needed 20,000 to make the album. And then I had my ideal budget which was $40,000. I’m going to ask for the amount that I need. And if we stretch goal, that’s great.”
She targeted big donors, calling them on the phone and emailing 400+ contacts in order to make her campaign a significant success. She was eager to gain momentum and build the energy with her fans. “My goal was to hit 50% on the first day of my campaign. When I asked people to back my project, I [said] this is the day it’s launching and I’d really like you to back it on that day.”
Get in the practice of understanding the full scope of your financial goals and be fearless with your ask. Ultimately, Anna realized “you have to learn how to ask for money, no matter what your industry is”.
Offer one-of-a-kind rewards
For Anna, her reward tiers help her build her connection with her fans. “I dug through other Kickstarter projects that I had backed that did really well. I looked for things that they did. I spent a day writing down reward tiers that I liked. I thought about it and took time to do the research before I launched,” says Anna. One of Anna’s most popular rewards was the $50 reward which included a mix CD featuring some of her favorite musicians, a thank you Polaroid, and a copy of HIKER:
Here are a few more rewards from Anna’s campaign:
Pledge $1 or more
The SINGLE
THANK YOU for being here. please, enjoy a digital download of the title track of the record!
Pledge $30 or more
The VINYL
A limited-edition, signed & numbered 7” single that includes a download of the full album inside + a button!
Pledge $100 or more
The BESTIE
Signed CD + signed vinyl + mix cd + 4 buttons + sticker + thank you polaroid + a Hiker-inspired-surprise-trinket!
Anna found ways to engage her fans in a meaningful way and set her project apart. Some musicians offer an exclusive first listen to their EP or backstage tickets to a live show — whatever the experiences, ensure that you are creating an intimate connection with your community.
Engage with fans using social media
Anna embraced social media as a tool to engage with her fans and share news about her campaign. She used Youtube, ConcertWindow, Twitter and on-site concerts and parties to get the word out.
“I reached out to fellow musicians, people that I have supported, sharing a four track preview of Hiker a week before my project launch, asking them to share with their online communities.” The social shares definitely amplified her project online, along with consistent project updates. She shared backstage photos at concerts, day-to-day mailing of rewards and the link to her highly anticipated album. Every milestone was an opportunity to share her excitement with her fans. The Hiker album release was a collective effort and Anna’s community rallied behind her both online and off.
Anna used her online networks in a way that was genuine; thanking fans who backed the project or shared it on Twitter or Facebook. She recommends sharing special updates that provide your audience with a sneak peek of what’s to come. Introduce yourself and your work to new fans while getting your existing community excited. Anna’s approach and commitment to her fans is inspiring example for all musicians. Her top takeaways:
- Set a realistic funding goal
- Offer exciting rewards
- Drive people to your social media channels from your Kickstarter project
Watch her #CreatorHangouts video, in full here. And take a listen to her album!
Creator Hangouts are designed to impart creator insight and firsthand knowledge to the Kickstarter community. Watch more Creator Hangout videos here.
