Planning a Press Release for your Crowdfunder

by Crowdfunder | Jan 23, 2019 | Learn

You’ve got a great project, but how do you get that all important coverage?

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. As true believers in the power of the crowd, we think that connecting people and resources to make ideas happen is the best approach to keep in mind when planning your Crowdfunder project. By working together, human beings can achieve incredible things – and you can have a lot of fun with your PR in the process!

Most importantly, as we say to all project owners, don’t ever underestimate the power of social media and press coverage. You can connect with local papers and notable figures (don’t be shy!) via Facebook and Twitter to get a real buzz going around your project.

If it’s relevant to your project, you can go one step further and get in touch with the local, or even national, press to gain some serious coverage. How do you go about this? You can use search engines to find the details that you require to contact various media outlets – this is a great way to form your own press list.

Local news reporting companies are a great resource to help build momentum and target potential backers. We know that this can seem scary, but they will be waiting to hear from you (and often saves them going out to find the story themselves!)

Don’t forget that it’s always a good idea to have some high-quality images to hand as a newspaper loves to put a photo to a story. Also, be sure to chase them – it’s important to follow up on that juicy press release you sent over with another email in a couple of days, if you hear nothing in the first instance.

So, now we’ve dropped the term ‘press release’, what exactly should you include?

Headline

This needs to be catchy and sum up exactly what you’re doing. Make sure your project name is in there and remember to include your location.

For example: ‘Manchester based ‘project title’ launch ‘what your project is about’ to raise ‘x amount’.

First Paragraph

A one-sentence paragraph/opening statement that gets straight to the point. Think about this sentence as the one you will use if you had 30 seconds to explain your project. Remember to include your project name, what you need the money for and how much you want.

For example: ‘Project title’, need ‘x amount’ to help them …’

Next Two Paragraphs

Now it’s time to explain your project in a little more detail. Your headline and first paragraph will be so punchy, that everyone will want to know why they should back your project! Outline what exactly the money is being used for. Explain your project in more detail – it’s okay to use information from your project page.

For example: ‘The ‘x amount’ raised through Crowdfunder.co.uk will be used for …’

Quote

It’s now time to get a really interesting quote in there, that stands as a testimonial to your idea. Make sure that you use your quote to say how important your project is and why people should pledge. Always make sure the quote is from the project owner, or someone influential.

For example: ‘Your name, your title’, said: We believe that ‘project title’ is a great project that will benefit the local community. The ‘x amount’ of money we are hoping to raise through Crowdfunder.co.uk will enable us to …’

Last Paragraph

This is the time to really sell your project and sum it all up. Mention your rewards, or the impact your idea will have on a greater scale and remember to put the URL to your project page.

For example: ‘Project title’ are offering some great rewards, for ‘x amount’ you can get etc…’ OR ‘Project title’ will have a huge impact on the community by…’

For more ideas and suggestions to help you with your Crowdfunder.co.uk campaign, be sure to check out our ‘Crowdfunding Tips’ and PR advice in our guide to ‘Running Your Project’.