I’m guessing you’re here … because you have a crowdfunding campaign and wanna get media attention. You might be contemplating how to get a reporter to write about you or get a story in the media.
Indeed, getting media coverage that lets you promote your crowdfunding campaign is never easy. It demands strategic foresight, masterful storytelling, and consistent efforts.
Despite the difficulty, you know you direly need to earn the spotlight to market your crowdfunding campaign. And if you get it right, you’d build momentum for your entire project.
When you get media coverage, you can exponentially increase your brand’s visibility. It will significantly enhance awareness among potential backers and the general public.
Plus, it’s a powerful endorsement of your project’s validity and potential. And with that, you can attain credibility that can be hard to get by other means.
I heard you, so without further delay, let’s get into the ten steps to getting PR for your crowdfunding campaign . . .
10 Steps to Get PR for Your Crowdfunding Campaign: Spotlighted
The following are the steps to get PR for your crowdfunding campaign:
1. Analyze successful campaigns.
You need to understand what makes a crowdfunding campaign successful. The first step is to analyze campaigns that achieved their financial goals and managed to get media attention.
When studying about their success stories, you should focus on several key aspects:
- the strategies of the campaign creators,
- their compelling story, and
- the various channels to reach a broad audience and get media coverage.
Researching these components immerses you in what successful crowdfunding is. Moreover, the timing of the campaign, the rewards offered to backers, and the transparency regarding the use of funds contribute to overall success.
Through this analysis, you’ll discover valuable lessons on how to promote your crowdfunding campaign.
Oh, there’s more! A complementary route is to enroll in a crowdfunding PR course to master how to get media attention. Who knows? The knowledge you’ll get from this might, one day, make the reporters go knocking on your door to feature your project …
2. Establish connections in advance.
You must build strong relationships with the media before launching your crowdfunding campaign. When you get a reporter to write about you or get media coverage, you can amplify your message.
The process begins with identifying the right journalists and influencers. They should have a track record of covering topics related to your project.
You can efficiently handle it by using tools and databases that categorize journalists. Try sorting them by their areas of expertise, past articles, or platforms. This helps you pinpoint individuals who’ll most likely market your crowdfunding campaign.
Once you’ve identified potential media contacts, engage with them before you even think about making your pitch. Your first encounter with them can be one of the following:
- interacting with them on social media,
- commenting thoughtfully on their articles, and
- expressing interest in their work.
As you notice, the above strategies build rapport based on mutual respect and interest. Engaging in those ways shows that you value their work and are not just contacting them out of self-interest.
Now, there comes the time to pitch your campaign; your pre-established connection makes your outreach feel more personalized and well-received. This increases the chances of you getting media attention to promote your crowdfunding campaign.
3. Participate in industry gatherings.
Attending events is an irreplaceable strategy in public relations, especially when you want to get a story in the media to market your crowdfunding campaign.
Networking at industry events, workshops, and conferences offers exceptional opportunities to meet journalists and influencers.
These in-person interactions are invaluable. They allow you to introduce your project more casually and engagingly. In turn, you can gain immediate feedback and interest.
In addition to your face-to-face discussions with prospective individuals, industry gatherings allow you to grasp the types of stories journalists continue to cover. With the insights you will get, you can write your pitch aligning with their interests.
Furthermore, you will understand the latest trends that get media coverage. Being present lets you witness what makes a story or campaign stand out.
Overall, engaging with industry peers and media professionals in these settings can foster long-term relationships. Therefore, you must prioritize attending relevant events not just for immediate gains. Build a sustainable network that supports the visibility of your projects over time.
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4. Set SMART objectives for your PR campaign.
To effectively market your crowdfunding campaign, define your PR goals. Adopt the SMART criteria: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
SMART enables you to set clear, structured objectives that steer your PR activities toward tangible outcomes.
First, by setting specific goals, you clearly identify what you want to accomplish, such as securing a certain number of articles in targeted publications or achieving a specified percentage increase in website traffic.
Second, measurable objectives allow you to track progress and quantify the impact of your PR efforts, making it easier to assess success.
Third, achievable objectives entail having ambitious yet realistic goals. This takes into account your resources, budget, and competition.
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Fourth, relevant goals match your project targets. This ensures that your PR efforts contribute directly to your broader ambitions.
Lastly, time-bound goals set deadlines. They create urgency and help you prioritize activities to sustain your campaign’s momentum.
5. Determine your target audience.
Identify your target audience. After identifying, tailor your messaging and select the most appropriate media outlets.
Understanding your audience involves diving deep into their characteristics. Consider demographics such as age, gender, location, income levels, and education.
Also, reflect on psychographics, such as interests, health and lifestyle, and issues.
This profiling lets you craft messages that appeal on a personal level to potential backers.
Furthermore, if you can grasp your audience’s preferences and behaviors, you can write compelling content that addresses their needs, wants, and pain points.
Finally, if you know your audience, you can choose the proper dissemination platforms. These include social media, traditional media, or niche forums and publications.
6. Develop your PR narrative.
To distinguish your project from the competition, you must craft your PR story. This narrative introduces your project, team, mission, and value proposition and conveys the uniqueness of what you offer.
A compelling PR story articulates the problem your product or service solves, its unique selling point (USP), and why it merits investment or support. This means showcasing how your project addresses a prevalent issue or introduces a solution that can impact your audience’s lives.
You must also integrate a call to action (CTA) within your narrative. This encourages readers to engage directly by visiting a website, signing up for more information, or investing in your project.
Testing different versions of your story on various platforms and with varying segments of an audience can provide valuable insights.
This iterative process makes your PR story responsive to your audience’s needs and preferences. In turn, it helps to drive engagement and get media attention for your crowdfunding campaign.
7. Prepare your PR asset and media list.
You must build a robust PR asset or media list. Here’s how to effectively prepare your PR assets and strategize your outreach:
a. Press Kit Preparation
A comprehensive press kit should include the following elements:
- High-quality images: You need to have a selection of high-resolution images representing your project.
- Backgrounder: Write a detailed document about your project, including its history, mission, key achievements, and other relevant information. This helps journalists understand your project’s context and significance.
- FAQs: Prepare a list of frequently asked questions along with their answers. This can help address common queries.
- Contact information: Include detailed contact information for your PR representative. Be sure to have multiple communication channels like email, phone, and social media profiles.
b. Media List Compilation
Your media list should be tailored to your project’s niche. Here’s how to compile it:
- Identify relevant journalists and publications: Research and list journalists and media outlets covering your industry or related fields.
- Categorize and prioritize: Organize your list by relevance, reach, and the likelihood of interest in your project. Prioritize contacts based on these factors.
- Keep it updated: You need to regularly update your list to include new journalists and remove those who have left the field or changed paths.
8. Develop your pitch.
Developing a pitch requires personalization, persistence, and adaptability.
When contacting journalists and media outlets, you must show that you’ve done your homework. You need to reference their recent work and demonstrate how your story aligns with their interests.
Personalization is not just using the journalist’s name; it involves understanding their storytelling style, the subjects they cover, and what engages their audience. This approach increases the chance of your pitch to get a story in media to market your crowdfunding campaign.
Having a mental block in writing your pitch? I have written 7 journalist outreach templates for your crowdfunding campaign. If you’re in Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and the like, this is a perfect go-to guide! With a little tweaking needed, you’ll be ready with your top-notch pitch!
Following up after sending is equally important in the PR process. While following up, maintain professionalism and respect for the journalist’s time and decision-making process.
Be ready to modify your pitch based on the feedback you receive. Staying flexible and responsive to these shifts can open up new opportunities for coverage.
Wait, I know you’re thinking, “What if I don’t get media coverage right in time or not at all?” You can also consider crowdfunding press release distribution services to help you get media attention.
Maintaining PR relationships and leveraging social media ensure the longevity and success of your campaign.
If you get a story in the media, express gratitude towards journalists, backers, and supporters. A simple thank-you note can go a long way in fostering long-term relationships with these key stakeholders.
Keep them informed about your project’s progress, milestones, and achievements. This will help maintain their interest and support, benefiting your future endeavors.
In addition, social media platforms offer a dynamic, interactive space to continue the conversation with your audience. Regular updates, behind-the-scenes content, and engaging posts help keep your project top of mind.
Meanwhile, you can use social media to leverage the momentum generated by media coverage. Interactive elements, like polls, live Q&A sessions, and user-generated campaigns, deepen your connection with the community.
10. Evaluate your outcomes.
Utilizing a variety of metrics enables you to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts comprehensively. Below are some things you can consider to evaluate your outcomes:
- Website traffic, for example, can indicate the level of interest generated by your PR activities. This metric is particularly insightful when there’s a spike in traffic following specific PR efforts.
- Social media engagement is another indicator. It includes likes, shares, comments, and follows. High engagement rates help expand your reach organically.
- The breadth of media coverage is measured by the number and diversity of publications that feature your project. It reflects your pitch’s effectiveness and your story’s relevance to a broader audience.
Key Takeaways
I know, and I agree with you — traversing the world of public relations (PR) within the context of a crowdfunding campaign requires strategic planning, storytelling, refining, following up, and the cycle goes on.
Remember, understanding your target audience lets your campaign speak directly to your potential backers. Equally important is cultivating solid relationships with media professionals. With those, you can secure coverage that amplifies your message across your desired channels.
Last but not least, the ability to stay the course even when faced with challenges can make a difference. Your campaign can fizzle out or soar to success. It’s always your call.
Since you’ve reached this point, you definitely deserve the free crowdfunding PR course I’ve designed to help you attain your Kickstarter goal. In it, you will learn proven PR strategies and techniques, the secret to getting media hits, and low-budget influencer strategies. Have fun learning!
