Do you buy, or do you buy-in? Here’s how I see the difference. When you buy a product you’re simply one half of a transaction. The buyer. The seller. When you buy-in to a product, you connect emotively. The purchase goes far beyond the tangible. You possess something that matters to you. You believe in the idea that product represents.
A playground for buy-in…
Kickstarter is filled with ideas. Some good, some not so good. What truly matters is the way those ideas are presented. As potential early-stage investors, the question we’re asked is are we ready to ‘buy in’ rather than are we looking to buy.
It’s a great philosophy and one, I believe, we can all learn from. There’s just something about a Kickstarter that seems fresh and focused upon the right ideas, the right ideals. Take the following Kickstarter project as an example:
The video isn’t about the product, it’s features or it’s benefits. It’s about the story. The story of the product. The reason why I would want to own a Minnow skateboard. Why? Because it stands out. It owns a story and that’s a story shared…. ‘yeah, my parents bought me this board from our local skate store, it’s so cool…‘, ‘yeah? mine was made out of cast-off Chilean fishing products melted and reshaped into this awesome fish design helping to preserve sea life and protect the seas from pollution...’. See where I’m going?
What if we treated our new product launches like kickstarter projects?
Nothing is holding you back from launching your latest service, or announcing your latest product with a 3 minute introductory video. A case story. Something that tells your audience about why your product exists and the people, the minds, behind that product. Something for your audience to believe in.
When you view a kickstarter project your focus is drawn to the story. That can be the vision of the inventor or the innovation that product represents. Usually, a concoction of both. The kickstarter video isn’t a demonstration of technical prowess. It doesn’t need to be. It’s simply the sharing of a vision… and that vision makes for an awfully compelling story.
The viewer doesn’t ask ‘how much?’, they ask ‘how can I be part of this story?’ That’s a marketing skill that relies upon a shared value, or belief, with your viewer. It’s a refreshing way to present your project and one that shouldn’t be restricted to the startups in business.
Marketing isn’t simply about persuading people to buy. Marketing that matters is about persuading people to buy-in. There’s a gulf of difference. A gulf of measurable difference for you and your audience.
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