Tip Sheet: Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the social media version of fundraising. It’s is a great way to raise funds, but it also raises public awareness, mobilizes communities and expands audiences. Any fundraising project in your community would achieve that, but with crowdfunding, the world is your community.
Your Fundamentals
Getting Started
Like any fundraising campaign you need to have a plan before you dive in – Establish start and end dates, a financial goal, what your messages are, and a social media plan for the campaign period.
Recruiting a Team
Crowdfunding is not a one-person job and it’s all about communicating through social media. You will need a team of people to help manage your campaign who have a working knowledge of social media tools like e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. It’s a great way to involve younger participants in your community both as social media managers, trainers and ambassadors.
The Campaign Length
A typical crowdfunding campaign spans 45 to 60 days using a compressed period of time to create a sense of urgency and momentum. Remember, over that period of time you need to keep both your campaign team, your supporters, and your followers engaged and committed to the project. Drafting a timeline with key messages and a content calendar may help you keep on track, and on message
Tell Your Story:
The story about your project should be compelling and engaging. It should clearly state why this is a place worth saving, how the money you are raising will be used and how it will impact your community. You only have seconds to engage people in your site so grab their attention with photos and videos that tell your story.