KAROL'S TIPS

So you wanna crowdfound? Okay. You’ve got something, perhaps it’s a project, a plan, or a personal goal; perhaps it’s something you’ve designed or dreamed up, and need some cash, now, to bring into being; perhaps it’s a book, a website, or even an event - whatever it is, to crowdfund successfully you need to undertake marketing, and the success or failure of your crowdfund will almost definitely come down to this.

A crowdfund is where a lot of people each give a small amount towards a venture. Very often, this will be in return for an incentive or reward, so step number one is to decide what rewards you are going to offer and how many of each at each level. For example, a basic contribution to your cause of 10$ might earn just a mention on your website or in your book; if 20$ is donated, then it could be a mention as well as something more tangible.

It’s worth looking at current crowdfunds, and part crowdfunds which have been very successful, in order to get some ideas and inspiration for how you can manage this yourself and what kinds of things to offer.

Step two is to market your crowdfund. One hugely influential way to do this is to take your marketing into the real world, and set up a live event in a public place to help you ‘sell’ your idea. Hiring a conference room in a hotel is one effective way to do this, and there are some incredible rates available if you look. Many hotels have dayroom options, too, which means you can also hire a hotel room for a few hours to shower, change, and prep before your big sale. This is particularly good as an idea if you live outside of the city. Dayrooms are available in all major US cities and in other metropolitan centers.

Cities hold huge numbers of people, so marketing your crowdfund in this way can lead to remarkable results. There are hosts of IRL (In Real Life) crowdfunder events on, for example, Eventbrite, and it’s worth taking the time to look at these and get a feel for how these events run. Your crowdfunding platform of choice can also offer tips and, sometimes, leads.

The issue with a crowdfund is that you need to expand beyond your circle of family, friends, and acquaintances, and reach the world. A conference event is one way to get some real interest in your fund, and you can capture people’s hearts, heads, and pockets in one fell swoop. Presentation, in this instance, will be key, and you need to prepare video, music, talk, and perhaps even guests in order to make your conference the very best it can possibly be.

Backing this up with virtual and digital marketing will be your third step. Together, these three steps will lead, if combined rightly, with diligence and skill, to success and the realisation of your endeavour.