Successful crowdfunding campaigns always begin with market research.

Market research, also called validation, is the phase of your crowdfunding campaign during which you gather feedback from the market to identify ways to strengthen your campaign.

Basically, it involves discussing your campaign with other people and asking them how they feel about it and if they have suggestions for how it can be improved.

It’s like beta-testing, and whether you’re crowdfunding through Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or GoFundMe, your campaign can benefit from market research.

So, where can you go to validate your campaign?

Here are 10 sites to get feedback on your Kickstarter or crowdfunding campaign.

1. Facebook

Let’s start with the obvious.

Popular social media sites like Facebook are great places to find people who can give you feedback on your crowdfunding campaign.

Feedback from friends and family can be precious, so if you reach out with a Facebook post or set up a page for your campaign, you might be surprised by how far you get.

You can also join some of the groups set up for crowdfunders to seek feedback from one another and share your campaign there.

2. LinkedIn

Professional contacts on LinkedIn can also help you validate your Kickstarter or crowdfunding campaign, especially if you have some trusted colleagues and mentors in your network.

Sharing information about your campaign on LinkedIn is a great way to both announce your project and start gathering feedback.

Like Facebook, LinkedIn also has several groups for crowdfunders who are looking to validate their campaigns.

3. FeedbackJack

Because surveys tend to generate a lot of personalized and actionable feedback, they’re one of the best ways to do market research for a crowdfunding campaign, and FeedbackJack makes them easy!

FeedbackJack allows crowdfunders to create surveys that address every aspect of their campaigns, including images, logos, titles, text, and product designs.

All you need to do is tell FeedbackJack what questions you want to ask and what demographics you want to answer them.

FeedbackJack will make sure your survey falls into the right hands and provide a detailed report of the results.

4. PickFu

PickFu is a site where crowdfunders and entrepreneurs can conduct market research through polls.

Users can ask simple questions to gauge consumer interests and preferences. Then PickFu will send them to the target market and start generating results.

PickFu is known for its highly efficient data-gathering procedure, with results sometimes flowing in within minutes, so if you’re looking for a fast way to start validating your Kickstarter campaign, look no further!

5. SurveyMonkey

SurveyMonkey is an online tool that allows users to make online surveys about almost anything, including crowdfunding campaigns!

You can use one of the templates on SurveyMonkey to ask your target demographic what they think of your campaign and whether or not they are interested in what you have to offer.

SurveyMonkey will provide you with a link to send your survey to anyone who might have an opinion on your campaign, and in return, you’ll receive a detailed report of the results.

6. Crowdinsight

Crowdinsight enables users to receive product reviews directly from the market.

Crowdinsight has access to a large community of frequent online shoppers and backers, and through their platform, you can order reviews for your products.

The platform will identify the candidates within their network who best represent your target market to review your page. Then you’ll receive a detailed report of results within 24 hours.

Crowdinsight specifically caters to crowdfunders and eCommerce sellers, so if you’re looking to get feedback on your Indiegogo or Kickstarter campaign, they are a great resource.

7. Hyperstarter

Hyperstarter is an agency that helps crowdfunders identify areas of improvement in their project and do market research for Kickstarter campaigns.

Using data from the most funded crowdfunding projects, the professionals at Hyperstarter will analyze your campaign and help you adjust your approach to maximize your chances of success.

They also specialize in helping Kickstarter and Indiegogo creators perfect their marketing strategies to bring in more backers.

8. GrowthMentor

An experienced mentor is an excellent source of feedback for your GoFundMe, Kickstarter, or Indiegogo campaign, and GrowthMentor can help you find one!

GrowthMentor is a platform that matches users with mentors from their professional spheres and allows them to communicate through video.

Crowdfunders can use Growthmentor to get feedback on their campaigns from successful professionals who know the industry.

The best part about having a mentor in your corner is that they’ve likely been in your shoes before and can offer some much-needed perspective!

9. Reddit

If you want an informal way to get free feedback on your Kickstarter or crowdfunding campaign, posting on a forum is a surefire way to connect with fellow crowdfunders.

Reddit is a popular online community with over 430 million users and 1.2 million forums, some of which are dedicated to crowdfunding.

By making a post on a subreddit like r/kickstarter, r/gofundme, or r/crowdfunding, you can ask other users for validation or link to surveys about your campaign.

You can also search for forums in your niche to reach your target audience.

10. KickstarterForum

Looking for a whole site dedicated to discussing Kickstarter? Look no further!

On KickstarterForum, crowdfunders gather to discuss campaign strategies and share ideas, so if you’re running a campaign, you can use this site to seek input from other users.

Though KickstarterForum is mostly centered around Kickstarter, there are also threads to help you do market research for Indiegogo.

Conclusion

Market research can save you a lot of time.

Without knowing what your audience wants, you could end up investing a lot of resources into a product that doesn’t have a market or a niche that’s already filled.

That’s why it’s so important to ask your target demographic what they look for in a campaign.

Thanks to sites like FeedbackJack and the others on this list, doing market research for a crowdfunding campaign has never been easier.

So start making surveys and reaching out to your audience today.

You might be surprised at how much of a difference this can make!