There’s plenty out there to guide would-be entrepreneurs as to the typical habits of the highly-effective and the hugely successful.
But what about would-be crowdfunders? For those who manage a campaign, there are also five important skills that often lead to crowdfunding success.
1. Be Personal
The signature of a good crowdfunding campaign remains one in which the project owners have taken the time to continually engage with their audience. With the modern choice of free-to-use Social Media channels, it’s relatively simple to create an effective social network online with an enthusiastic audience. The clincher is to hold their interest, so be authentic and regularly update them with your campaign’s progress.
Being yourself, telling your story, sharing your excitement for the cause and highlighting your positivity regarding its outcome will all add that personal touch to your project that will connect you with your backers.
2. Be Comprehensive
The devil is in the detail, so they say, and this adage is never more apt than when applied to crowdfunding. Owners of successful crowdfunding campaigns made sure to explore every possible avenue for the promotion of their campaign, and they paid attention to every detail.
Ensure you make full use of all available resources across the marketing spectrum, both offline and online, and, if possible, offer tempting promotional packages throughout. Keeping a journal of your progress, as well as any notes and records, will keep you on track and moving in the right direction.
3. Be a Team Player
Listening and learning is the name of the game here, as well as surrounding yourself with talented individuals more knowledgeable than yourself. Although the project may be your brainchild, building a team and working cohesively with them, encouraging questions and ideas, is crucial to reaching your final goal.
The most reliable team with great communication, commitment and adaptability is the one which generally wins the crowdfunding race.
4. Be Creative
In a sea of crowdfunding campaigns all doing the same thing, how can you make yours stand out? Whatever the campaign’s core cause, you as project owner will need creativity. This applies not only to how you will operate your campaign, but also how you aim to catch and keep the attention of your potential backers.
Always be prepared to try new things and remember to be authentic in how you engage with your audience. Repeat backers are usually those with whom you have connected on a personal level (see point 1).
5. Be Strategic and Proactive
Your crowdfunding campaign is first and foremost a business opportunity in which you are asking a group of people to give you financial backing. They are your investors, who you must persuade to invest money in you.
A business plan, where your campaign is comprehensively planned from start to finish, is therefore a worthy investment of your time and effort. This business plan must be continually updated and researched, with a strategic outline, a marketing scheme, and a timeline that guides you from pre-launch through to delivery.
This investment also extends to yourself, and in your determination for your campaign to succeed. Fortune favours the bold, so be proactive, overcome any shyness and ask for donations, think like your backers and seek face-to-face meetings with potential sponsors.