Are you launching an electric scooter? Or maybe an apparel brand? Or an awesome app that might transform lives of some people? Yes? Then you might be in great need of funds. And sometimes it may even be extremely difficult for you to fund the projects! Isn’t it? Well, if that’s the case for you too, then we have an answer for you – Crowdfund!
How to crowdfund?
First step. Decide what product you want to crowdfund.The people who know you at personal level are most likely to crowdfund your campaign. Do you know if any of these could be your potential customers? If yes, then make a note of such folks.
Set up a crowdfunding page. Ketto, Wishberry and lot of Indian startups provide you this opportunity. If you are an NRI, you may even explore Kickstarter, Indiegogo etc.
Record a video and take some brilliant pictures to communicate what you are building. These are part of your campaign’s catalogue. So make sure they must be able to connect with people.
Get a PR and Marketing plan. Decide in what all ways can you promote your campaign. Can you partner with bloggers or journalists who might be interested to cover this? Can you get your friends to give you a shout-out?
Keep different rewards for different funds. Check some brilliant Kickstarter pages to understand what all gifts you can keep. Your second-cheapest option is likely to be a bestseller. So make sure you keep something simple, affordable and yet interesting at this spot.
Get your team and close-folks promote the campaign heavily on social media. Change DPs with campaign picture or put cover stories or something else to keep up the momentum.
Start campaigning heavily.
Once you start getting funds, make sure that you thank each and every one of the funders publicly. Also don’t forget to put them on your mailing list to keep them posted on your campaign’s progress.
Let your initial customers who sign up for your product become your first evangelists. If your product is good, they will keep sharing things with their friends, thus helping you reach a bigger audience.
Even after your campaign gets over, don’t forget to keep these funders updated about your other projects. Always remember, they have invested in your project, because either they connect with you or with your cause. Happy fundraising!
Rajeev Tamhankar is IITR Silver Medalist,ex-Flipkart, Xiaomi and Founder, TBS Planet Comics. Write to him on Rajeev@TBSPlanet.com