5 Don’ts of Crowdfunding Campaigns

After working on tens of crowfunding campaigns (and closely watching several hundreds), I have noticed a pattern in campaigns that don’t reach their goal. It’s not about the product – I sometimes feel really awful for great products that won’t get to see the light of day! –, it’s mostly about the way said product is “sold”. Here are the top five mistakes people make in their crowdfunding campaigns (and why you should avoid them):

#1: DON’T ask for help

Crowdfunding is not charity. Yes, there is a humanitarian section in Indiegogo, but remember that things work differently in this world – that’s why you have to offer perks in return, not just thanks. People don’t want to “help”, they want to be part of a journey. So, instead of saying “Help us make our dream come true” try something like “Be part of our amazing journey”, “Be the first to try X awesome product”. Make people feel like investors, not donors, even if your project is a humanitarian one. List every perk clearly and explain what’s in it for your backers from the very first line.

#2 DON’T promote your campaign too soon

You pushed “Publish” on Indiegogo or you got your campaign accepted on Kickstarter and now you ache to start your AdWords campaign, your Facebook one or your blogger outreach? Not so fast! First get at least 10 supporters to your campaign (family, friends, colleagues, you can even send money in your own name) then start investing in ads. There is safety in numbers and potential backers won’t want to be the first to get behind your campaign. They want to know they are part of a community.

#3 DON’T use negative words

(Like I did in this article)

Instead of “Don’t miss the chance to…” or “Don’t wait until it’s too late” try “Grab this chance now!” “Get yours” and so on. Positive phrasing encourages people to take action. When used in a blog post, negative words are powerful and help people remember what they read, but they are to be avoided in a sales pitch.

#4 DON’T rely on the power of the platform alone

Kickstarter makes it easier for your product to get noticed since every project has to go through an approval phase. The result? Less projects online, more chances for yours to make the home page or Kickstarter’s newsletter. On Indiegogo, things can get pretty crowded – there is no approval phase, so everyone can post a project. Chances are there will be hundreds of project similar to yours, so spread the word – public relations, social media, friends and family, paid ads, everything counts in getting your project to rank higher. I’ve written more about the GoGo factor and how to hack it and get your project noticed here.

#5 DON’T just publish the campaign and forget about it

Crowdfunding means constant work; expect to work at least one month to prepare your campaign and an extra one month after it has ended, not to mention the amount of work you need to do DURING the campaign. Post updates (ideally, every two days), reply to comments, tweak your social media ads, work on your blogger and other media outreach and the list could go and on. Make sure you have the time to do all these or postpone your campaign until you do.

Need help to reach your crowdfunding goals or simply want more crowdfunding tips? We can help:

Photo source: thenextweb.com