In this slideshare, learn how to plan and execute a successful crowdfunding campaign to fund your next project. Be it Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or another crowdfunding platform, there are three key steps you can take that will increase the funds raised on any project. This slideshare was by Katie Jeanes, program director of Spring Activator. After running her own crowdfunding campaign and achieving mediocre results, Katie took those lessons learned now helps entrepreneurs fund their startups on Indiegogo and Kickstarter. To date she has helped to raise over $48,000 through crowdfunding.

1. Spring Activator
How To Run A Successful
Crowdfunding Campaign

2. Crowdfunding Works
Pebble watch raised $10.2M, goal was $100K
Ubuntu Edge raised $12.8M, goal was $32M

3. Contests, Bloggers, Hire Help
Step 1: Public Relations

4. Thunderclap
A Thunderclap is the best way to launch your crowd funding campaign.
!
It’s free, easy for people to sign up, and amplifies your campaign’s reach on launch day.

5. Bloggers
Look for aligned bloggers in your industry, or those with complimentary offerings.
!
Fashion campaign: fashion bloggers OR home decor, cooking, gardening, or diy bloggers
!
• Guest Blogging
• pitch them on creating content for their site
• Contest Collaborations
• run a contest together, leverage their audience
• List Sharing/Social Media Support
• ask them to profile you in their newsletter
• ask them to support the campaign through Thunderclap and the duration
• Reviews
• give them product to preview and review

6. Create New Content Throughout Your Campaign
Step 2: Social Media

7. Champions
These are your biggest fans.
!
Make a list of 20-50 people you can email and ask for online support.
Listen in on social media to find them.
!
Look for:
• existing customers
• super fans
• friends
• family
!
Create canned tweets, facebook updates, and email/blog copy for them to share with their
networks on your behalf

8. Influencers
These are people with large online audiences.
!
Make a list of 20-50 people you would like to align your campaign with.
Listen in on social media to find them.
!
Look for:
• bloggers
• tastemakers
• ambassadors
!
Start building relationships with them early on, make sure you have something to offer them.
Great for contest collaborations, guest posting, and sharing content.

9. The Rule Of Thirds
One Third
• personal content
• ex “We’re already 29% funded! Thank you so much! [link]”
!
One Third
• business content
• ex. “Fund our campaign with $100 and get this awesome perk [link]”
!
One Third
• shared content
• ex. “Miss @influencer looks amazing in her #clevercampaignhashtag sneakers. Get yours here [link]”
!
Always say thank you. Keep it personal.

10. Make Your Ad Budget Work For You
Step 3: Online Advertising

11. Know Your Target Market
Create customer avatars to target through online
ads.
!
Look at:
• geographic location
• male/female
• age
• job/education
• single/attached
• hobbies/likes/similar interests
!
!
!
Example: Dress Company
• Location: Canada and US, major cities
• Women
• 25-44
• Lawyers, Accountants, Bankers
• Single or attached
• Likes: Kate Spade, Tory Burch

12. Cost Per Acquisition
How much does it cost you to get funded?
!
Example:
$10 of advertising gets 100 people to your campaign
10/100 people watch your campaign video
1/10 people fund your campaign with $100.
!
$10 advertising = $100 funding.
!
• Check your ads every 24 hours.
• Always run 2 ads at a time.
• Always kill the weaker ad,
• Always create a new and improved ad to compare.

13. Margins & Timing
More Things To Remember

14. How To Set Your Goal
Know your numbers
• Platforms take ~5% of total funds raised
• Payment processors take another 3% + $0,20 CAD per pledge
• Set a campaign budget. If you’re budget is zero, don't crowdfund.
!
Set your funding goal. Smaller is better.
• Make a list of close friends and family, budget how much they’ll donate.
• Cut that number in half. This will be 30% of your funding goal.
!
How many backers do you need?
• The average pledge is roughly $70.
• Funding goal / average pledge size = number of backers.
• $10,000 / $70 = 143 backers.

15. Margins
Know your numbers.
!
Your Fundraising Goal =
• Funds you need to expand
• Crowdfunding fees
• Payment processing fees
• Cost of perks
• Cost of shipping perks (consider including International Shipping as an add-on perk)
• Marketing budget
• Cost per acquisition of funders
• PR person
• Cost of making your campaign video
• Cost of your time to run campaign

16. Campaign Success
Crowdfunding is great for projects and terrible for expansion.
!
Success rate: 44% Kickstarter, 34% on Indiegogo
!
Success Factors:
• PR - hire a publicist from 6 weeks before your launch date through to the end of your campaign.
• Pre-launch - create a launch plan, do a thunderclap, get as many people beforehand as possible.
• Friends and Family - ask them to contribute.
• Time Invested - this will become your full time job.
• Perks and video - they need to be awesome.
• CPA - know how much it costs you to get a funder.
• Launch - have a party, host a contest, make a lot of noise.
• The first three days are crucial to getting your campaign off the ground.

17. The Lead Up To Success
90 days out
• film video
• write draft campaign
• create Thunderclap
• start wrangling champions, influencers,
friends, family
• plan launch party
• promo Thunderclap/email list
• create hashtag
30 days out
• reach out to bloggers and influencers
• line up pr for launch day
• invite everyone to launch party
• promo Thunderclap/email list
7 days out
• email first 100 and remind them of launch
• big push for Thunderclap
LAUNCH DAY
• Thunderclap
• Launch party
• PR storm
• Influencer/Champion social media storm
• email first 100 and get them to donate
The first 3 days
• get every “friendly” to fund you in the first 3
days
• Reach out to bigger pr outlets using traction as
the story