Now that it’s 2018, should you launch a crowdfunding campaign?
Should you focus your time and energy doing one this year?
As much as I love working with new entrepreneurs and creative types, crowdfunding isn’t for everyone or every business.
I want to give you rock solid information that you can work off of in terms of the pros and cons of raising money from the crowd.
That’s why I’ve put together a video to address this topic, along with some of the common questions and expectations around online fundraising.
If you’ve been vaguely thinking of launching a Kickstarter or Indiegogo, or you’re wondering if it’s a good idea, the video below will reveal all!
So… what do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment on YouTube.
You now have good information to work off of when making this decision. You have a better idea about the pros/cons and costs/benefits.
As much as love logical thinking (I’m a nerd), I realize that there is also an emotional component to making this decision.
Below, I’ll go into a few things that might be passing through your mind and address some of these questions and concerns.
Will it work for me?
This is an excellent question. Crowdfunding won’t work for everybody.
To get started, you can start to browse the various categories on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Your project must fit into one of these categories. These include:
- Film and video
- Theater
- Dance
- Technology
- Publishing
- Gaming
- Fashion
- and more.
The next thing that you can do is begin to listen to my podcast, Crowdfunding Demystified.
On this show, I interview real-world creative types, entrepreneurs, inventors, and business owners who have successfully raised money from the crowd.
They share with you how you can follow their path and do the same. You’ll also discover that you don’t need to be a marketing superstar to get funding. You just gotta follow the right process.
This show will give you a clear idea of how ANYONE out there can get funding for a project. You don’t need to have launched a campaign before. You don’t need a massive budget.
Is this still working?
I got started blogging in 2012 on the topic of crowdfunding. You might be wondering… well… that’s great, but is this still something going on today??
The answer is 100% YES!
It’s bigger than it has ever been. More than $3 billion has been pledged to Kickstarter campaigns alone.
Now is the perfect time to launch a crowdfunding campaign. There are also mentors (like me) and service providers that can hold your hand every step of the way.
I think that we’re going to be seeing continued growth into 2018 and beyond. We’re also seeing others platforms like Indiegogo getting into advanced crowdfunding through ICOs and equity crowdfunding.
Crowdfunding is in it’s infancy. The sooner you hop on the bang wagon, the faster you’ll see results. The funny thing is that it’s becoming more and more common for me to interview creators who have run several successful campaigns.
So, whats the catch?
There are tons of benefits to launching a crowdfunding including:
- Funding for your business
- Early adopter customers
- Media exposure and social buzz
- Reaching strangers and super backers
- Feedback on your initial prototypes
At the same time, there are costs associated with putting together a project. These take the form of both financial and time costs that you’ll take on a creator.
Let me ask you… what if I told you that there was this thrilling outdoor activity that would make you feel like you’re flying. Actually, it makes you feel like you’re gliding down a mountain.
When you master this activity, you won’t feel remotely scared or anxious. You’ll feel peaceful, tranquil, and, if you speed up, excited.
I’m talking about skiing! Skiing is sooo much fun (well – I prefer snow boarding). Everyone loves to do it and raves about it.
However, the first few times you do it, it kinda sucks. You fall a lot. You’re wobbly on your feet. It just feel freakin’ awkward.
The potential is there to engage in this fun sport that will give you happiness into your later years. I personally have so many great memories snowboarding with my friends.
But, in order to unlock the fun of the activity, you gotta first dedicate some time to mastering it. If you don’t, you’ll end up flying down the mountain and probably crash.
The same goes for crowdfunding.
You can try to do it all yourself. You can launch without a teacher or a mentor. You can try to figure out the best practices.
The only thing is… you’re likely to fail.
The catch is that if you really want to raise funds, and unlock all of the benefits I mentioned above, you gotta learn your craft. You need to discover what goes into a successful launch and how you can prepare for it!
That’s where I come in. With this video and others, I’ll share with you what you need to know about launching a successful crowdfunding campaign (and avoiding costly mistakes).
I hope you enjoy the video and if you do, can you take a sec to give it a thumbs up?
Thanks! You can also subscribe on YouTube if you want more videos like this one.
