Configuring Rewards (Pledges / Addons)

1. Image Best Practices

When creating an image for your reward, follow these simple guidelines to make it more effective and increase the chances of capturing a backer's attention:

• No Title: There's no need to add the name of the reward to the image. Our system, like Kickstarter's, will display the reward name directly beneath the image, so including it in the image itself is redundant.
• No Price: Similarly, avoid adding the price of the reward to the image. The price will be clearly displayed in a prominent place, so there's no need to include it within the image.
• Clear Display of Content: Ensure that the image clearly conveys what the reward includes at a glance. Backers should be able to quickly understand what the reward is about without having to read detailed descriptions. This is especially important when you offer multiple rewards. Each image should be distinct and help differentiate the rewards. For example, if you have a "Standard Edition" and a "Deluxe Edition" that are packaged in the same box, the image for the Standard Edition should feature just the box, while the Deluxe Edition image should show the box along with the extra content (such as tokens, miniatures, etc.) outside the box. This way, backers can easily identify the differences between the two rewards without needing to read through the details.

2. Naming Conventions

a) When distinguishing between an item that is available only to Kickstarter backers and one that is not, add "(KS)" to the title of the Kickstarter-exclusive item. For example:

• For the pledge available to everyone, use the name: "Standard Edition"
• For the pledge available only to Kickstarter backers, use the name: "Standard Edition (KS)"

b) Do not use the word "Pledge" in any pledge or add-on titles.

c) To distinguish between a pledge and an add-on, simply add "(Extra Copy)" to the title of the add-on. For example:

• The pledge name is "Standard Edition"
• The addon for the same item should be named "Standard Edition (Extra Copy)"

d)  You can also combine the rules above to create specific names. For example, for an add-on that is only available to Kickstarter backers, you might use "Standard Edition (Extra KS Copy)".

By following these simple naming conventions, you ensure that the names are clear and easily understood by both you, your backers, and the fulfillment hubs, reducing the chance of errors.

3. Categories

If you have many addons it is best of you group them together using the field "Category". This will allow the system to create nice headers and group visually the addons, making it easier to your backers to find what they are looking for.

The "Display Order" of each addon also works within the same category, allowing you to sort the addons within the group.

If you want to sort the categories themselves you have two options:

• Either let the system sort them alphabetically. For example "Accessories", "Extra Copies".
• Or, add a number followed by a dot before the name, to force the system's order. For example: "1. Extra Copies", "2. Accessories". The system will both sort them using the number before the dot and it NOT display the number, to make the header look nicer.

For each reward (whether it is a pledge or an addon), you have various options on how to limit its availability. There are different filters you can define, and all of them can work together as well.

Per Backer Type

If you want to limit access based on the different types of backers, you can accomplish this by using the field "Availability".

There are several options you can choose from, each with a different effect:

• Everyone: Makes the reward available to all types of backers
• Only to Early Birds: Makes the reward available only to Early Bird backers. These are the backers who selected a pledge marked as "Early Bird" during your campaign.
• Only to NON Early Birds: Makes the reward available only to backers who are not Early Bird backers.
• Only to Late Pledge Backers: This applies to backers who either pledged directly on Hive (without pledging on Kickstarter), late pledged on Kickstarter, or pledged "No Reward" on Kickstarter.
• Only During Pre-Campaign: This option is available only for pledges (not add-ons) and is used to implement "VIP Rewards" as part of your pre-campaign strategy. For more details about this feature, please refer to the article.
• Noone: This hides the reward from everyone who doesn't already own it. If you mark a reward as available to "No One," backers who already have the reward from Kickstarter (because it was available there) will still see it in their pledge. However, if they do not already own it, the reward will not be visible. This feature is particularly useful for VIP Rewards you don’t want to be visible to anyone other than the designated recipients, or for very limited rewards that you do not want new backers to access.

Per Country

There are two fields that control the availability of a reward based on the backer's country.

Please note that although these fields may appear similar, they serve different purposes.

Exclude Countries: In this field, you can provide a list of countries where this reward will not be available. For example, if you enter "IT, CA", the reward will be unavailable to backers in Italy and Canada.

Only for Countries: In this field, you can specify a list of countries where the reward will be exclusively available. For example, if you enter "CA, US", the reward will only be accessible to backers from Canada and the United States.

IMPORTANT: Both filters are applied simultaneously, so it’s important to ensure they do not conflict. For example, if you use both filters as described above, the reward will only be available to backers from the United States, since Canada is included in the "Exclude Countries" list.

Per Stock or Count

Here are a few things to keep in mind when filling out this field:

• Unlimited Rewards: If you want a reward to be available without limit, set the value of this field to 0.
• Kickstarter Orders: The system will not remove items from backers who have already paid for them through Kickstarter. For example, if you've already sold 100 items on Kickstarter and set the limit to 70, the system will still allow the 100 Kickstarter backers to check out with their rewards.
• Checkout Timing: There’s a chance—especially in campaigns with many backers—that multiple backers may attempt to check out at the same time, which could result in the system assigning more items than the set limit. Based on past experience, this typically results in 1 to 3 extra items being assigned beyond the limit. While this is a rare occurrence, it’s still a possibility.
• Buffer for Replacements: If you have a limited number of items, never set the limit to the maximum amount. Always leave a buffer to account for replacements, damaged items, or lost packages.
• Multiple Pledges/Addons: If the same item appears in multiple pledges and/or addons, make sure to set the limits across all of these rewards so that the total number corresponds to the number of items you have. Based on our experience, it's a good idea to set a larger number for pledges and allocate the remaining quantity to add-ons. For example, if you only have 100 items, set the pledge limit to 80 and the addon limit to 20. If you notice the pledge availability running out but the addon still has availability, you can adjust the limits by lowering the add-on limit and increasing the pledge limit.

We generally do not recommend increasing prices for "Late Pledging." A more effective strategy is to offer a "Kickstarter Exclusive" item that backers receive for free during the campaign, but which late pledge backers will need to pay an extra $5 or $10 for.

This approach not only maintains the FOMO (fear of missing out) during the campaign but also provides a clearer pricing model, which will be beneficial when transitioning to retail. For example, when your product hits retail, what price will it have? It can’t be the same as the "Late Pledge" price, or backers will have no incentive to pledge late—they could simply wait for the retail release. Creating a separate price just for retail can complicate things further.

However, if you choose to go down that road, here’s how to configure your pledges in our platform:

Step 1:

Create two entries for each reward (pledge and/or add-on) that was available during your "Late Pledge" in Kickstarter. You can easily duplicate an entry by clicking the "Clone" button under each reward.

Step 2:

• One entry should be priced the same as the Kickstarter price during your campaign and set to "Only to Kickstarter Backers".
• The other entry should reflect the Late Pledge price and be set to "Only to Late Pledge Backers".

Step 3:

Make sure both entries have the same "KS Reward ID" value in the relevant field.

Step 4:

If desired, you can adjust the description of each entry in case the text needs to differ or if you want to customize other settings.

Step 5:

If you've activated Late Pledging on our platform, mark the entries available to "Only to Late Pledge Backers" as "Visible During Late Pledge".

How to Set Up Quantity-Based Discounts

Suppose you have an item you'd like to sell at $35 each, but if a backer purchases 4 or more, you want the price to drop to $30 per item. Here’s how to set this up:

1. In the "Discounts" field, enter pairs of quantities and prices separated by semicolons (;). Each pair should include the minimum quantity required for the discount and the new price per item at that quantity or higher.

Following our example, you'd enter: 1,35;4,30

This setup tells the system to:

• Charge $30 per item when 4 or more items are purchased.
• Charge $35 per item when the quantity is between 1 and 3.

2. Once you've configured this discount, the system will automatically display it to the backer clearly during checkout, as seen in the screenshot below:

Applying Discounts Across Multiple Items

If you'd like the discount to apply to different items collectively, you can do this by grouping the items into the same "Category" and enabling the "Discount applies to Category?" option.

For instance, if you offer dice in various colors and want backers to receive the discounted rate when purchasing any combination totaling 4 or more dice, simply:

• Assign all dice-color variations to a single Category.
• Enable the "Discount applies to Category?" flag for these items.

Now, backers can freely select any combination within this category, and the discount will apply accordingly.

If you'd like to offer potential backers the chance to not only provide their email but also contribute a small amount (e.g., $1 or $2) to gain access to exclusive "VIP Rewards" during your pre-campaign marketing, follow the steps below to activate this feature on our platform.

Step 1: Payment Information

Go to your "Account Information" page and, under the "Payment Details" tab, make sure to enter your Paypal email address.

When a VIP backer makes a payment for your VIP Reward, the money will be sent directly to your PayPal account. This means we do not charge any fees on this payment—this service is completely free!

Step 2: Setting up a VIP Reward

Go to your project’s "Rewards" tab and create a pledge. If you want this pledge to be available as a VIP reward, set its availability to "Only During Pre-Campaign". Once that’s done, you’re all set!

Important: Make sure to test your landing page before you go live to ensure everything is set up correctly.

There are cases where you may want your backers to choose the language for your game, book, or novel, or select a color/size variation of your product. Our platform supports several methods for handling these options. Depending on your product, we can also recommend different best practices to ensure a smooth experience for both you and your backers.

Language

If your product supports multiple languages (for example, if you have a book or game available in English, French, and Spanish), you’ll want to give your backers the option to select the language they want to receive.

To achieve this, you will need to set up your SKUs and add-ons, and then configure two different options based on your campaign needs and how you run your Kickstarter.

Step 1: Configuring SKUs

To ensure proper fulfillment of your items, each language version of your product needs a separate SKU with a unique barcode. For example, in the case of a book or game, create distinct SKUs in your "SKU List", one for each language (e.g. English, Spanish, and French).

Step 2: Defining Add-ons

Once you’ve set up your SKUs, create an add-on for each SKU. In this example, you will have three add-ons—one for each language. To help your backers easily identify the different language versions, we recommend doing the following:

• Title the Add-ons: In the title of each add-on, include the language in parentheses. For example, if the product is called "Jurassic Feud", then the English-language add-on should be titled "Jurassic Feud (English)", while the French add-on would be "Jurassic Feud (French)".
• Use Flags for Clarity: Since backers may not always pay close attention to the text (especially when scrolling on mobile), we highly recommend adding a small flag representing the language in one corner of each add-on image.

Step 3: Configuring Rewards for Your Campaign

When running your Kickstarter campaign, you have two options for how to handle pledges and add-ons.

1. One Pledge/Add-on Per Language: You can create separate pledges or add-ons for each language, allowing backers to select the language directly during the campaign. If you choose this option, all you need to do is match the Kickstarter "Reward ID" of each pledge/add-on to those in Hive, and you’re all set.
2. Single Pledge/Add-on with Language Selection in the Pledge Manager: Alternatively, you can create a single pledge/add-on and let backers choose the language later in the pledge manager. If you choose this option, follow these additional configuration steps:
   - Pledge Configuration: Ensure the pledges do not include the SKU for the item with language selection, as you won't know which language the backer wants. If the pledge doesn’t contain any other item, mark it as "Is Virtual". Also, remove the weight of the SKU from the pledge. Later, you’ll use the survey to add a "Freebie" to the backer’s pledge that will bring both the SKU and its weight into the final order.
   - Survey Configuration: Activate the "Survey" from the "Basics" tab of your project, and create a question for backers who choose a pledge with a product requiring language selection. The question should be "Multiple Choice", and based on the backer’s answer, it should add the relevant language-specific add-on (created in Step 2) as a "Freebie". For more detailed instructions on setting up the survey, please refer to this article.

We understand that this process may seem more complex than other configurations on our platform. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any help!

Size / Color

If your product supports different sizes (e.g., "T-Shirts") or colors (e.g., "Dice"), you will need to follow the same process as described for the "Language" configuration. However, you also have an additional option for how you want to display these variations to your backers.

Our system behaves differently depending on whether you use the "Variation Group" and "Variation Caption" fields, which are found in the add-ons' configuration settings.

a) If you do not use the fields: The system will show all available colors (or sizes) as individual items. This option is typically used for products with a smaller number of variations. For example, if you have 3 T-shirts available in 8 different sizes, showing 24 individual items might not be ideal. However, if you only have 6 options, this could be a matter of preference.

b) If you use the fields: The system will show only the first item (you can change the image to one that doesn’t have any color), and when backers try to add it to their pledge, they will see a pop-up prompting them to choose the color (or size) first.

We recommend testing both options to determine which one works best for your project. In either case, you’ll need to create a separate add-on for each color or size—it's simply a matter of how you'd like our system to present the options to your backers.

If you have digital items that you would like to deliver to your backers, then you have two different options of doing so within our platform.

Download URL

If you have a digital item that can be distributed by simply sharing a specific URL with all the backers that have bought a certain reward, then you need to do the following:

• Create an SKU for that item, and fill in the "Download URL" field with the relevant URL
• Assign that SKU to the rewards (Pledges/Addons) that include it

Doing the above, when a backer completes their pledge and becomes "Verified", they will see a list of those URLs in their pledge.

If the URL is not available when you open your pledge manager, you can fill the "Download URL" at a later time. But if you do so, you should also let your backers now to visit their pledge in Hive and look for it. You can do that by posting an update in Kickstarter and in Hive.

Unique per Backer Content (e.g. Steam Keys)

If you want to deliver unique codes per backer (e.g. Steam Keys, or promos codes, or DLC codes, etc), then you need to do the following:

• Create an SKU for each such item.
• Assign the SKU to the rewards (Pledges/Addons) that include it
• When you have the digital keys, go to the "Backers" tab of your project, click the button "Upload Digital" and upload a CSV with the right format.

You will need to upload a CSV that has 3 columns:

1. First column: the SKU that corresponds to the digital content you want to assign to backers.
2. Second column: the UNIQUE digital content you want to assign. This can be a Steam Key Code, a Code for MyMini Factory, a Download URL etc
3. Third column: a description for that digital content.

Do NOT include any "Header Line" in your csv.

When you upload a CSV file using this feature, the system will scan all Verified backers and if they do not already have the specified digital content, it will assign it to them. At the same time, the system assumes that each digital content is unique. As such it will check if it has already been assigned previously, and if it finds the content assigned it will skip it.

This means that if you upload the same CSV twice, the second time the system will assign only the content that was not assigned the first time to backers that do not already have content assigned to them.

If a backer has pledged for more than one item, they will receive that amount of digital content.

In our platform there is an easy way to implement a "Tip Jar" functionality. Just follow the steps below:

• Create an addon which you call "Tip Jar".
• Mark the addon as "Virtual" so that it doesn't need any SKUs or a weight assigned.
• Set the price of the addon to $1.
• Mark the addon to be exempt from taxes (for obvious reasons).

The backers can add any quantity of this addon to their pledge to match the amount they would like to tip you. For example if the want to tip $5, they can add this addon with a quantity of 5 in their pledge.

Make sure to add a cool image, and a description that is friendly and explains that this is a donation to the project, and that the backer can add the quantity they would like to match the amount they want to donate you.

Managing retailers requires more preparation and planning. Please read the article below for more information and details:

https://www.hiveinteractive.net/index.php?p=docs&id=24