Backers are the foundation of every good crowdfunding campaign. You can have the most amazing, most innovative crowdfunding project ever created, but this means nothing without backers. Therefore, it is essential to keep your backers satisfied. In this blog, we will look at some of the best methods for making sure your backers stay happy.
1) Respond as Quickly as Possible
Never make your backers wait for a response if you can do something about it. Having a quick response to their messages shows them that you seriously value their contribution and their role in your project.
You can think about it this way. Imagine that your backer is seeing your project for the first time. They immediately like the project and they are about to buy into it, almost impulsively. But something comes to their mind that they realize is holding back their commitment to the product. They email you regarding their concern. You fail to email your backer until the next day, but now it’s too late. The backer has had time to second-guess their decision and realizes that they can actually do without it. Because you waited to respond, you just lost a sale and a supporter.
Moral of the story – always respond as quickly as possible.
2) Ask Your Backers for their Opinions — and Actually Listen
Don’t ignore your backers! And don’t just pretend to listen, either. Like we said before, your backers are the backbone of your project. They will be the ones using your product. Depending on the nature of your project, it could even be a good idea to use a poll to gather information on what your backers want. This builds a connection between you and your customers that might not have existed otherwise. It gives backers the sense that they played an important role in the final product of your campaign.
3) Admit when You’ve Made a Mistake and Do Something About It
We all make mistakes. It happens. The first thing you want to do is acknowledge your mistake. Once you acknowledge your mistake, the next step is to do something about it. Your customers deserve your honesty and action. This is especially true in crowdfunding because you have such a direct connection to your supporters. Crowdfunding campaigns are almost never black and white. There are obstacles that come up. It is to be expected. As long as you address these problems and sincerely do your best to fix them, backers will usually respect that.
4) Thank Your Supporters!
This cannot be stressed enough! Always make sure to thank your supporters. They are the ones believing in your product and your vision.
Often times, projects aren’t fully complete when they start out on crowdfunding websites. Therefore, many projects have risks. So, when people contribute to your project, they are not purely purchasing your product. They are buying into the idea for a great product. Backers deserve thanks because they have faith that you will succeed, and they contribute based on that faith alone.
5) Build an Awesome Customer Support Team
Customer support is extremely important when it comes to keeping your backers happy. When you are building your customer support team, choose individuals who know how to communicate, how to be polite, and how to be professional.
If you plan on interacting through emails, make sure you have strong writers; if you plan on interacting through phone-call, make sure you have strong conversationalists. These communication skills are extremely underestimated, and they are key to providing your customers with accurate information that they can understand. You certainly don’t want your customer support treating your backers poorly. This can quickly earn you a bad reputation that deters others from even giving your project a chance.
Ultimately, the theme here is that your backers are your project’s life-source. In crowdfunding, your backers are those people who believe in your project and believe that what you are doing is worth fighting for. Make sure to treat them with respect and show them that you appreciate their support. This is not an area you want to take shortcuts with! Hope this helps
