Looking to take your crowdfunding campaign to the next level?
Want to ensure that you hit and surpass your fundraising goal?
In this article, I’m coming to you with some killer crowdfunding tips and tricks that you can apply to your project.
I hope you’ll use these tips and tricks to enhance your project, and that you take away some value!
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Right now, let’s get into some of the things you can do to make your upcoming crowdfunding campaign more successful!
The Power of the Campaign Page
Many entrepreneurs underestimate the importance of a high-quality campaign page when going live with their product.
For example, when I was working on the Hupnos sleep mask Indiegogo campaign, we asked ourselves the following question:
How can we convey as much information as possible in as few images as possible?
The human mind always gravitates towards images and video. The first things potential backers will notice as they encounter your campaign page are:
- The pitch video
- Images
- Title & Subtitles
You should consider embedding texts over images, utilizing gifs, and constructing a benefit-driven title that explicitly includes the problem your product is solving.
What is the promise behind your product? How can you make a potential backers life better?
Your campaign page should clearly answer those questions.
Construct a Pre-Launch
When I was entering the crowdfunding industry in 2012, I was impressed by the big sums that businesses were raising.
But I couldn’t help but wonder: What was going on behind the scenes to make such robust fundraising possible?
Through launching my Podcast and talking with tons of successful creators who used crowdfunding to jump start their business, there was (and still is!) a consistent theme: they all had an effective pre-launch strategy.
Especially with all the competition on platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo today, you can’t just throw your campaign page up and hope that people gravitate towards it.
Instead, you have to build a network of potential backers before you launch.
You can do this by:
- Building an email list
- Press outreach (press releases)
- Create a social media presence
- Cultivate anticipation through telling a story
You want people to feel like something really cool is coming. Check out this video for a more in-depth analysis into constructing an effective pre-launch.
Invest Money in the Success of Your Campaign
Crowdfunding has changed a lot over the last couple of years. Today, it’s highly unlikely that a successful campaign grows with an exclusively organic approach.
Campaigns that raise large sums of money (think hundreds of thousands), invest money into their campaign. Some of the most effective ways to do so are:
- Hired an expert (book a free coaching call with me!)
- Put money into targeted Facebook ads
- Invested in quality PR outreach
You should expect to spend about 10% of your fundraising goal on marketing. That is, if you want to raise $500,000, you will need to spend $50,000 on getting the message out.
You’ll have to ask yourself if you are willing and able to put that kind of money behind your project.
As your campaign starts to grow through the initial investment you put into marketing, organic buzz will be generated. Media outlets, social users, and super-backers will all be drawn to your campaign, leading to exponential growth.
Get People Thinking About Your Product
The greater presence you have in a consumer’s mind, the more they are going to imagine your product going to work for them in the future.
When they imagine the product working for them, they are more likely to follow through and actually buy what you are trying to sell.
By asking questions on social media, getting people to interact with your pitch video, and telling a compelling story, you can increase your conversion rate.
Paint a picture about how life could be different.
Get people to emotionally buy into your product. If they believe that your product can solve a problem in their lives and make it better, then they will probably back your campaign.
To do this:
- Ask questions that encourage interaction
- Make clear, research-driven promises
- Clearly list and demonstrate benefits through campaign page and pitch videos
- Use scientific evidence and user testimonials
Do Your Research
If your financial resources don’t currently allow for you to assemble a team and put significant sums of money into marketing, you can find a way to do this on your own with the right dedication.
My mission has been to give everyone the opportunity to be successful in crowdfunding.
That’s why I produce a ton of free content, from my blog that has tons of killer tips and tricks, to my YouTube Channel where I’m always putting out great content, to my Podcast where I talk with industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs.
I’ve also written several books that go deeply in depth about crowdfunding best practice for all platforms.
By using these resources, you can work to build a successful crowdfunding campaign to make your dream project come true.
My goal is to provide lessons and teaching that you can apply to products that you believe in. Please use them—I love the feeling of helping you out!
