We are a reliable "business partner" for makers Among ‘Wadiz Official Partners’ CEO Park Seong-jin of 26.7 Design Studio, and Shin Hye-rim, CEO of Dear ID,
and shared valuable tips for makers who find it difficult to write their Wadiz stories.
With 250 people signing up for the lecture alone, it attracted a great deal of interest from makers right from the start, and even though it lasted over an hour, the makers’ enthusiastic responses and questions never ceased.
Part 1. 26.7: Tips from Park Seong-jin, CEO of Design Studio
What truly moves people is always "sincerity." Don't tell us a "great story"—tell us "your" story.
CEO Park Seong-jin introducing Design Studio 26.7 @Wadiz School
Q1. The story? It feels so vague and overwhelming.
CEO Park Seong-jin: It’s okay if there isn’t a dramatic or grand story. Every maker has a story about their product, so I encourage you to think about how best to convey the depth and breadth of the thought and effort we’ve poured into it. In fact, brands like“Blue Mama,”“Human Scale,”and“Pepe,”which produced their crowdfunding content at 26.7 Design Studio, were able to move supporters’ hearts by sharing stories about their brand history, the creators’ genuine passion, and the trials and errors they encountered during the production process.
Q2. I have so much I want to say.
CEO Park Seong-jin: Start with the message you really want to convey. I recommend reflecting on questions like, “What makes our product unique?” and “What is the one thing I really want our backers to hear?” and then distilling your message from there. For the portable beam projector, we emphasized its small size and light weight first and foremost. For the necklace, we expressed the product’s uniqueness through the slogan, “This is a sparkle you’ve never seen before.” Similarly, for the Santorini beer-flavored sparkling waterand the Saddle Chair, we achieved great results by highlighting the core features of the products right from the start.
Q3. There’s a big difference compared to professional photographers and designers.
CEO Park Seong-jin: It doesn’t have to be professional. It’s not just professional designs that can win over supporters’ hearts. If you can effectively convey your sincerity as a maker, you can still move the hearts of Wadiz supporters even if the photos aren’t quite professional.
Park Seong-jin, CEO of @Wadiz School, shares practical tips for writing stories that you can apply right away
Top Tips for Creating Wadiz Stories from Park Seong-jin, CEO of 26.7 Design Studio, an Official Wadiz Partner
One well-made GIF is more effective than 10 photos. We recommend focusing on creating standout GIFs. Please put some thought into planning GIFs that effectively showcase your products.
The first 30 seconds determine whether a backer will fund your project. This is because, given the nature of crowdfunding, most visitors are simply “browsing” rather than people who have come specifically to buy your product. Does that mean you should skip the detailed explanation? Not at all. You can place the detailed explanation toward the end. Supporters who are interested in the benefits you highlighted at the beginning will likely read through the longer text in the latter part as well.
Finally, Try creating a dynamic product page using motion graphics. Wadiz Stories (product detail pages) are filled with the many stories makers want to share with their backers. By adding GIFs at points where backers might get a little bored, you can create a story (product detail page) that’s easy to read.
26.7 A final word from Park Seong-jin, CEO of Design Studio!
It’s important to clearly convey your genuine passion and focus on the core elements of your story. Rather than feeling pressured by other success stories, I encourage you to focus on your own story.
Part 2. Top Tips from Shin Hye-rim, CEO of DearID
Creating content that sells starts with the customer.
CEO Shin Hye-rim introducing DearID @ Wadiz School
Step 1. A "Current Status Analysis" You Must Conduct Before Creating Content That Sells
CEO Shin Hye-rim: I believe that analyzing the current situation involves thinking about how this product was created, who the target audience is, and how and where to attract those people. If this seems too daunting, I recommend writing it down on paper as if you were explaining it to a friend!
Step 2. It would be helpful to think about what questions customers might have.
CEO Shin Hye-rim: With crowdfunding , it takes about two months from the time you back a project until you actually receive the product. That’s why it’s important to create content that makes customers feel like they’ve seen the product in person, even if they haven’t. I’ll show you how to create content that makes supporters feel like they’ve “seen it in person,” broken down by product category!
# Fashion
In the fashion category, I imagine that, as a supporter, you’re curious about how the item feels and looks when worn. Since the key feature of Claddy’s boxer briefsis their flowy fabric, we included a GIF in the thumbnail that clearly shows the fabric moving gently. We also included photos that exude a sense of everyday life, visualizing what it would be like to wear this product in daily activities so that people can imagine the experience.
# Living
The Living category it is most important to show how the product is used in real life.For Life Hackers, the coffee bean storage container was a product where airtightness was the most important feature. So, we used images to instantly demonstrate that it was so airtight it wouldn’t leak at all, even when submerged in water.
#Tech
Power bankswere products primarily used at campsites. To demonstrate how they can be used in this way, we included an image that evokes the scene of someone actually using one at a campsite.
#Food
The food category can be more challenging than others because it must demonstrate that the product tastes good. For the Black Vinegar Collagen project, we focused on visualizing and symbolizing the product’s benefits. We emphasized creating a vibrant, lively look using bold colors that highlight the product’s collagen properties.
CEO Shin Hye-rim @Wadiz School, sharing key storytelling points that makers should focus on
Step 3. Just keep these four things in mind when crafting your Wadiz story!
# Maker Story
It can also be a great idea to share the story of the challenges the maker faced in creating the product or the inside story of how the development began in an engaging way.
# Product Benefits
You need to get into the specifics. Since people aren’t seeing the product in person before backing it, it’s important to use images or GIFs to present it visually in a way that even a child can understand. It’s important to explain even the details you might think, “Do I really need to explain this?” If customers fully understand the product before backing it, they won’t be disappointed when they receive it.
# Story Structure
Makers often say, “My product is great in every way—this is good, that’s good, everything is good.” It’s important to structure the product’s strengths in this way. A story that reads well directly translates to a story that sells well, and stories that read well are usually well-structured.
# Images That Feel Familiar Even Without Seeing Them
It is important to vividly convey the materials used and how the features are implemented. Production companies specializing in content creation are also grappling with the question: “How can we capture supporters’ attention with more dynamic expressions while helping them grasp the product’s strengths at a glance?”
A final word from Shin Hye-rim, CEO of DearID!
There is just one key point I want to convey to all you makers. It is crucial to make your backers connect with the products and stories you create, so that they think, “I want to back this project!” To achieve this, I recommend giving a lot of thought to the questions supporters might have and focusing on crafting a story that addresses their curiosities.
Wadiz’s official partners shared a wealth of practical tips during their school lecture that you can apply right away. We hope their insights will help you on your crowdfunding journey.
The Wadiz Partner Business Team will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our official partners become reliable business partners for you, the makers!
Top tips for content creation from Wadiz’s official partners! Want to check it out for yourself?
(👉Go back to Wadiz School)
Interested in creating funding content with Wadiz’s official partners?
(👉 Go to apply for the Wadiz Content Partner Service)
