5 types of content to promote your Crowdfunder project

You don’t need to be a marketing genius to crowdfund, but you do need to think about how you’re going to promote your Crowdfunder project and reach more people. Why? Because it will increase potential pledges!

As Head of Content here at Crowdfunder, I spend my days writing all about crowdfunding but if you’re new to the gang, then the whole thing might feel a bit daunting. Don’t worry! Myself and the team are here to give you advice every step of the way to ensure that you have a smooth journey to success.

So, first thing’s first. In order to successfully crowdfund, you need people to support and pledge on your project. Seems simple, right? In some ways yes, but you need to have a plan in place for how you’re going to reach those people. If you don’t tell them what you’re doing, then how are they supposed to know?

What I’m trying to say is that crowdfunding needs to be approached with a gung-ho attitude. You need to be prepared to shout from the rooftops! And the way to do this and reach more people (and keep them engaged) is through a rich variety of content – on top of a hard-to-resist Crowdfunder project, of course. By content, what we are referring to is the information and words that you use to direct potential supporters to engage with and pledge on your project. I’m not saying that you need to start writing your first novel, but as the project owner, there really is no one better to inform the world of your idea than you. I promise!

Through content, you can build momentum and that all important buzz around what you’re doing, as well as tap into those people that you don’t know; the people beyond your immediate network. Of course, word of mouth is always a good avenue to maximise, but there’s extra things that you can be doing and sharing along the way to lay your own path to success.

If you’re not sure where to begin, then use my five suggestions below to get started, and remember, crowdfunding is all about community and collaboration. If you’re not sure how to do something, then ask someone who does.

1. Social media posts

For Facebook newbies, my first suggestion would be to check out the excellent article that our Social Media Manager, Georgie, wrote recently on getting started, growing your crowd and using the platform to promote your Crowdfunder project. Check it out here.

Social media comes in many forms and you really do need to test out a few different channels to find out what works best for your idea/brand/project. As a rule of thumb, Facebook works for most. If you’ve got lots of good quality imagery, then give Instagram a go and if you have lots of connections on Twitter, then this may also be a great place to start.

For some people, you’ll be starting from square one. In this case, I would say that it’s better to focus your attention on one channel to begin with rather than being a master of none, so don’t give yourself too much new ground to tread. Also keep in mind that it’s good practice to begin this process before you launch your Crowdfunder project so that you have a crowd to work with when you’re live.

Writing and planning social media posts is the quickest form of content that you can use to promote your Crowdfunder project because it is generally snappy one-liners which then has the huge potential of reaching a massive audience. If you’re not too sure about what kind of thing to write, then have a think about how you engage with content on a daily basis on various social media channels and then try this out with your own messaging.

2. Blog posts

If you’re new to the world of blogging, then don’t be alarmed. By definition, a blog is a regularly updated web page that is written in an informal style. Therefore, this kind of writing can take the pressure off because it’s intended to be conversational. If you feel like starting your own blog, then it really will be another string to your bow when it comes to writing about what you do and it means that you can cover all kinds of topics around your sector – like the fact that you’re going to be crowdfunding, for example.

One of the things I really love about written content is the collaborative aspect and I would encourage anyone thinking about crowdfunding to seek out other bloggers to see if they would like to write something about your project. It’s great when you write your own content about what you’re up to, but it’s even better when you can get someone else to show that they support you too! See if you can find any bloggers writing about the sector that you work within such as charity, community, environment etc. One of the questions that we get asked regularly at Crowdfunder is how to tap into other people’s networks – basically, the people that you don’t know – and I would say that collaboration is the key.

And remember when I mentioned using a rich variety of content? Share that blog on your social media channels. Double whammy!

3. Email/Newsletter

Content comes in all shapes and sizes. Some content has the potential to reach a bigger audience, whereas other content is much more focussed on working with the people who are already in your world. If you’re thinking about crowdfunding in the near future, then start building a database of email addresses so that you can reach out to your crowd and let them know that you are going to be launching. Do make sure that you are meeting GDPR requirements.

Need some inspiration? Sign up to a couple of newsletters from organisations that you love to see how they’re doing things. Start to keep an eye on the emails that hit your inbox and how the language used has an impact on you when you’re reading them.

4. Press

One of the key ingredients to launching a successful Crowdfunder.co.uk project is to make sure that you are not just making a lot of noise about your project, but to ensure that this noise is as effective as possible. Therefore, the more content that you can get other people to write about you, the better! When people work together, the potential reach that you can have is far greater.

Getting in touch with local newspapers and radio stations can feel daunting, I know, but more often than not, they are looking for the juiciest stories to talk about. If anything, you will be saving them the time and effort of coming to find you!

Check out our blog on writing a press release for your Crowdfunder project here.

5. Podcast/Interviews

Do you listen to a podcast that really resonates with the aim of your Crowdfunder project? Got a friend that works at a local radio station? Reach out and see if you can secure a spot to talk about your Crowdfunder project. The worst thing that could possibly happen is that they say no. And the best result? You’ll be live and talking all about your crowdfunding adventure, with the opportunity to get into the details of why you do what you do.

And don’t forget to let us know! Seeing and hearing what our amazing Crowdfunder projects are up to is a much loved activity at HQ, but if you don’t tag us or drop us a message then we can’t always see everything that is going on.

Remember – Crowdfunding is your opportunity to shape your idea and make it happen so be bold, be creative and most importantly, have fun!

• Feeling ready to get started with your Crowdfunder project? Start crowdfunding here.