Crowdfunding is an exciting way to raise funds for your project. Perhaps one of the most exciting features of modern crowdfunding is how easily it can facilitate community engagement. In this post, we will look at some of the ways you can connect with your backers and involve them in your campaign. You will learn how to use updates, project comments, perks, and stretch goals to better reach your audience.
Respond to All Campaign Comments
On many crowdfunding platforms, backers are given the option to comment on your project. They may present questions or give you some praise for your work.
When it comes to comments, there is nothing wrong with responding to them individually. In fact, this will show your backers that you’re listening to them. Comments do not need to be particularly long. Just tailor your responses to what you receive. If someone asks a question, do your best to answer it concisely. If someone writes a compliment, a quick “Thanks for your support!” can show the person that you really value your customers.
Now, if you start seeing the same questions over and over again, then it might be time for an update.
Keep Your Backers Posted Via Campaign Updates
Updates are a powerful way to keep your followers in the loop. Updates should not be posted daily, but they should be often enough to keep supporters feeling like they’re on this journey with you. Therefore, updates should mark substantial checkpoints in your progress.
Updates can also be used to address major concerns. In this way, the updates section can become a sort of group meeting. It is not uncommon for campaigners to even use polls as a way to gauge what the public wants. This makes the community feel included and excited for your project — which can ultimately lead to them sharing your campaign with their friends.
In the same way that updates can increase enthusiasm for your project, however, a lack of communication through updates can lead people to believe that your project is going slow, or even worse — that the project has been abandoned altogether. Just make sure to at least periodically provide updates for your backers, and you should be alright.
Interacting through Perks
In our previous post, “What is Crowdfunding,” we took a look at a few fun and creative perks that caught our attention. Perks are special because they not only give you an opportunity to thank your backers, but they also provide an easy way to interact with them.
There are a number of options you have when deciding on perks. You can offer Early Bird discounts on your product, you can offer bundles, and you can offer personalized orders. Something else you can consider, though, is creating perks that will allow direct interaction with your team. One good example of this is the “Curious George Documentary” campaign:
Curious George Documentary (Kickstarter)
This campaign offers dinner with the filmmakers, private screenings, a 30 minute Skype conversation with one of the artists, and much more. It’s personalized perks like these that an give people a huge incentive to contribute. This option is definitely worth looking into if you think it fits with your project.
Keep Your Backers Excited With Stretch Goals
Finally, we will talk about stretch goals. A stretch goal is an updated financial target that you can set once you have successfully reached your initial campaign goal. Stretch goals are an amazing way to excite your backers. Here are two exceptional examples of implementing stretch goals:
LaserDock – Your Music on Lasers (Indiegogo)
LaserDock’s campaign serves as an excellent example because the campaign’s stretch goals are desirable but not essential to the functionality of the original product. Each stretch goal is also a good distance from the next, keeping expectations realistic. LaserDock is a good example of a standard, well executed implementation of stretch goals.
Following LaserDock is a video game remake called System Shock. Here is where I would like to draw some attention. While conventional methods can undoubtedly be effective, there is always room for creativity in running your campaign. As you can see by the illustration, System Shock’s implementation of stretch goals is anything but conventional. In the left photo, you can see that the creators have made a sort of game out of their campaign. For a certain amount of followers on various social media platforms, the backer community receives a point. When these points add up, they unlock the different stretch goals you see on the right. This encourages backers to get involved with the project, and it actually makes them want to share their campaign. There is an incentive involved.
Ultimately, there are many ways to engage with your backers through crowdfunding. And the best part is you can personalize it and make it as much fun as you see fit. The possibilities are endless.
Have you seen any creative campaigns lately? Share them with us in the comments below.
Need help on your campaign? Submit your project and we’ll see how we can help.
