Crowdfunding: Your Next Artistic Project

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. *musicians, filmmakers, and artists have successfully raised funds and fostered awareness through crowdfunding”

Pre-Game : before you start its best to get organized

The essentials before you start a crowdfunding campaign are  :

1) to create a compelling reason both factual and emotional for people to contribute to your project .

2) Create a hook , where by you generate an interest , and bring your contributors continually into the creative process.

3) Have a marketing plan take stock of your connections thru social media and email lists . Don’t forget the press, vblogers, radio and bloggers and don’t forget face to face networking .Set a realistic goal for the amount of money you want to raise , recognizing it will be a 24/7  mad dash of activity till you get to the finish line.

The Campaign :

Create a Pitch Video , make it short say(1-3 minutes) that expresses your goals and intentions and make sure the first ten seconds of your video count. First impressions are everything.

Your Written Pitch , must contain the most important information first. Make sure you tell a compelling story, and keep it short.
Explain exactly why you are raising money. Share important details about yourself, your team, and important events or people that shaped your project.
Show what the money is going to be used for ,build trust with a specific budget breakdown.

Create Perks and a Perk Strategy , Keep it simple make perk names and descriptions clear. Very important and often over looked ensure you can fulfill perks and still complete your project. Make sure you  call out the urgency of perk availability related to the length of your campaign. Use words like “limited edition,” “exclusive,” and “early-bird. ”Make sure your perks will connect the contributor to the project emotionally as well as physically. Consider your perk pricing strategy — offer a $25 perk and a $100 perk to incentivize funders with varying disposable incomes. Be reasonable with your perk prices. Offering a magnet and mug for $500 or a t-shirt for $1,000 wont encourage contributions.

Update as you go , Answer all emails , make short videos continuing to update your contributors always making them feel they are a part of the creative process . That they are connected . That without them this is not going to happen.