A Guide to Designing Rewards for Creators Preparing for Their First Funding Campaign
Last Updated: June 30, 2026
For Creators
Rewards Design Guide
What You’ll Learn from This Article
- Rewards go beyond simply selling products; they’re a token of connection with the fans who cheer for your work.
- Instead of offering complex options, focus on 2–3 core rewards, and be sure to include images of the actual product or mockups that closely resemble the real thing.
- Once the funding campaign launches, you won’t be able to change reward amounts or options, so follow this guide and design your rewards step by step.
01. What are Rewards?
A rewardrefers to a product or service provided to supporters who participate in a project as a token of appreciation. It’s not simply a commodity exchanged for money; it symbolizes support for the maker’s project.
Well-designed, attractive rewards can encourage supporters to complete their payments more quickly and help increase the total amount raised for the project.
Why is this important?
wadiz supporters visit the site out of curiosity, not necessity
Supporters don’t visit wadiz because they need a specific product right now. They visit the site to discover “interesting projects.”
Even if they don’t need the product right away, supporters may still engage in funding if they find the rewards appealing or sense the maker’s sincerity.
Key points to consider for creative launch and fanbase-building projects
1. Is it better to offer more Rewards options?
Too many choices can cause supporters to procrastinate and eventually leave. Focus on the core Rewards and place the most popular options at the top. It’s best to limit the number of options to 2–3.
2. What do creators often overlook when designing Rewards?
When running funding campaigns for the first time, enthusiasm can sometimes lead to unintentional oversights. You can prevent mistakes by simply being careful with the following four common pitfalls.
- If you offer far more units than you can realistically handle
- If you divide the options into categories that are too complex to manage in practice
- If you change elements not shown in the images or descriptions later on
- If the campaign lacks the creator’s unique personality and is structured like a generic merchandise sale
02. How to Structure Rewards
1) Deciding on Rewards
Creator rewards can be broadly divided into three categories. Choose the type that best suits your project.
However, you don’t have to choose just one. The more you combine them, the more variety you can offer your supporters.
| Type | Example | Example Project |
| Physical Rewards | Music albums, books, poetry collections, essays, art prints, handmade goods | A Heartwarming Spring Outing All in One! Caran d’Ache Oil Pastel Drawing Kit |
| Digital Rewards | Audio files, PDF manuscripts, high-resolution images, video content | [The Wailing, Exhumation] The Ultimate Guide to K-Eastern Philosophy: “The Korean Occult Handbook” |
| Premium Rewards | Performance & Exhibition Tickets, Online Classes, Studio Tours, 1-on-1 Feedback | The first album production project by a failed singer! |
2) Setting Up Rewards
① Single & Set Options
Rewards can be offered as single items or as sets. Sets are an option for those who want to cheer even more.
Combining individual or experiential rewards with set rewards can attract more supporters.
How Creators Can Expand Their Offerings When They Only Have a Single Item
- Creating a “Related Content Set” to Add Value
If a single product feels a bit plain on its own, you can bundle it with a small accessory or text/video content that complements the main Rewards, offering it as a set.
This allows you to significantly boost the value of your Rewards without incurring major costs.
Examples: Album + lyric booklet, poetry collection + author’s postcard, movie + behind-the-scenes footage
2. Creating “Special Experiences” with Added Exclusivity
This method maximizes exclusivity by incorporating the maker’s dedication, time, and opportunities for in-person engagement—experiences you simply can’t find anywhere else—into the Rewards.
Examples: Limited-edition signed copies, handwritten thank-you notes, in-person thank-you performances
3. Create “Tiered Packages” to Lower the Barrier to Entry
It’s also a good idea to create a structure where supporters—from those who want to show lighthearted cheers to core fans who want to show deep cheers—can freely choose options that match the size of their hearts.
Examples: Digital single item / Digital + physical merchandise / Digital + physical + experience (autograph, postcard, thank-you message)
② Rewards Name
The reward name is the most important piece of information for supporters to remember the reward, so it’s effective to create it according to the formula below.
- Template:
- [Early Bird Badge] + [Brand/Product Name] + [Contents]
- [Early Bird Badge] + [Set (Package) or Product Name] + [Product Name] + [Contents]
- Example: Make emojis and merchandise easily! The Complete 3D Modeling Mastery Set: All You Need Is an iPad
Please use consistent and accurate names for rewards so that supporters can easily find the rewards they read about in the Story at a glance.
- Please create descriptions using consistent rules so that each Reward can be easily distinguished from the others.
- When creating sets, giving them unique names based on the context, duration, and size will help supporters remember them longer.
③ Rewards Description
Please include the following items so that supporters can clearly understand what they will actually receive.
- Included Items:
- Rewards name, contents, quantity
- List of rewards (color, size, etc.)
- Benefits or special offers (early bird discount rate, limited quantities, etc.)
- Shipping method: Free shipping, packaging method
- Validity Period
- Example:Easily Create Emoticons and Merchandise! The Complete 3D Modeling Mastery Set Using an iPad
④ Rewards Image
The reward image is the first impression that makes supporters think, “I want this.” An analysis of wadiz project data from May 2026 showed that projects that uploaded a representative reward image had a 1.7 times higher funding conversion rate than those that did not.
|
Projects with a featured image
|
Projects without a featured image
|
|
| Rewards Click-Through Rate | 30.9% | 23.6% |
| Funding Conversion Rate | 8.2% | 4.6% |
Criteria for Good Rewards Images
| Recommended Rewards Images |
Rewards images not recommended
|
|
|
Image Tips by Creator Type
- Musicians — Full shot of the physical album and entire package. Spread out the contents—such as the case, lyric booklet, and included postcards—so that all components are visible in the photo.
- Author — Book cover + part of the interior + all included items. Photos that convey the book’s texture and the feel of the paper are most effective.
- Visual Artist — A single photo that clearly shows the colors of the physical print. Staged photos of the print hung in a frame or mounted on a wall help supporters imagine what it will look like when they receive it.
If the physical rewards aren’t ready yet and it’s difficult to take photos, it’s perfectly fine to show a mock-up image of the planned packaging and provide a detailed explanation of what components will be included and how they’ll be arranged.
Fordigital Rewards, since there is no physical product, the key is to visualize “the feeling of receiving it.”
- Audio files → Replace with album cover images or artwork
- PDF manuscripts/e-books → Use mockup images (showing the content displayed on a tablet or laptop screen)
- High-resolution images·digital drawings → Use the artwork itself as the Rewards image
Avoid text-heavy images and instead use visuals that convey the atmosphere and quality of your content.
03. How to Set Rewards Amounts
The reward price is determined by adding the production costs of the Rewards to the expenses required to execute the project.
- Actual production costs (based on cost price):These are the actual expenses incurred in creating and deliveringthe Rewards.
Production costs + labor costs + packaging costs + shipping costs + wadiz commission + margin = Rewards price
Things Creators Should Pay Special Attention To
If you set the Rewards price too low, the project won’t be sustainable. In many cases, setting the price too low leads to losses after a successful campaign.
Set your price based on what is “sustainable.”
Refer to similar projects. Searching for creator projects in similar categories on wadiz can help you determine a realistic price range.
04. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Can I add or change Rewards later?
A. Changes to rewards are restricted once the funding campaign goes live.
- Options (such as size and color variations), pricing, and quantity limits can only be changed before the launching soon period ends; they cannot be changed once the main funding campaign begins.
- Reward names and descriptions can be edited both while the funding campaign is launching soon and while the main funding campaign is active, and adding a new reward is possible even while the main funding campaign is in progress.
|
Item
|
Launching Soon Period
|
After this funding campaign launches
|
| Rewards Amount | Editable | Cannot be edited |
| Options (Color, Size) | Editable | Cannot be edited |
| Quantity Limit | Can be modified | Cannot be modified |
| Rewards Name / Rewards Description | Editable | Editable |
| Add New Reward for Rewards | Editable | Editable |
Q. Is there any way to change Rewards options after the funding campaign launches to accommodate supporter requests?
A. Once the funding has launched, you cannot directly modify existing Rewards options. If you wish to add new options while running the project, we recommend the following approach:
While keeping the existing options and packages unchanged, please supplement the description on the project page or use the “News” feature to politely inform your supporters of the situation. Afterward, the safest and wisest solution is to create a new Rewards option that reflects the necessary changes, allowing supporters to choose this new option.
Q. Do I have to set a quantity limit?
A. It’s not mandatory. However, setting a quantity limit can create a sense of scarcity. Once set, it cannot be changed after the campaign goes live, and setting the quantity too high may result in a large amount of remaining inventory being displayed, which could backfire by making the Rewards appear less popular. For physical Rewards, be sure to confirm the producible quantity first before setting the limit.
📍 Check out wadiz’s step-by-step funding content
- Understanding Funding Stages
- Setting the Funding Goal
- Designing Rewards
- Writing the Story
- Receiving Payments
Selecting and structuring Rewards, using images, and setting prices—if you’ve made it this far, you’re already halfway there.
Here’s a tip: take a look at successful projects in the same category. Examining the rewards structures and price ranges of creators who’ve conducted funding for similar projects will be a great help in determining whether your current setup and pricing are appropriate.
Now, finalize the rewards structure that best suits your project and launch your funding campaign.
Start with wadiz, Just Start on wadiz
Find a practical guide covering everything from preparation to success in funding at the wadiz maker center
