Crowdfunding
Build a core team Shortlist a group of people you can rely on for ongoing support throughout your campaign. Meet this group pre-launch and ask for their you could run a brainstorming exercise to get an idea of the various networks each person can tap into. Challenge this core group to obtain at least one pledge each, and aim to secure the to the campaign going live. Once your campaign is live, meet with your
support team at least once a week to share updates on progress, identify the promotional channels that are working most effectively, and review and distribute action points. Encourage your support team to sign up and
click on ‘become a helper’ on your campaign page. Each person then has a unique link and you can monitor the effectiveness of their promotional efforts on the ‘network’ tab. Your leaderboard monitors the amount of clicks and donations generated by the link that each person shares.
Reach out to influencers As well as raising money, crowdfunding is a fabulous tool to help build awareness of the resource for which your school is raising funds, might support you, not necessarily by pledging money, but by spreading the word. This might include charitable organisations working in the learning or the arts; or a prominent individual a substantial following on social media. By including their Twitter handle in a tweet, they will hopefully share your message with their followers. Be creative in your
Reach potential donors Review your contact list and note which channels are most appropriate for each sector and which channels might help reach new contacts. This might include: at school events or calls to local business leaders; personal emails; text messages; Facebook; Twitter; LinkedIn; events (local community events as well as Think also about the different ‘hooks’
that might be used to engage different groups, for example, a charitable organisation might be interested to note how your project addresses certain social issues, while a parent will want to know what additional learning opportunities your project will give their child. Tailor your messages and visual marketing collateral accordingly.
26 SPRING 2017 FundEd
TIP: core team of supporters to secure at least one pledge each. Once you have some pledges, more will naturally follow.
Get savvy with social media How much social media presence you need really depends on your campaign and your audience. If you are promoting your campaign primarily online, having a social media presence is vital. This will give you a platform to share your project, reach more people, thank donors, send regular updates, and generally create a buzz around your campaign. It also allows your campaign team to engage and easily share messages. All of this builds credibility, excitement and hopefully inspires more people to get involved and pledge. Twitter, and any other social media channels your audience is actively using Consider setting up a dedicated Facebook page for your campaign if you don’t already have a Facebook presence for your school Join relevant LinkedIn groups and engage in discussions. This will make your message appear less like spam when you come to share it Create a Facebook event for the launch date of your campaign, invite friends and ask them to invite others. If you are hosting a launch event
Monitoring each method As mentioned, each person who signs up to support your project has a unique link to your campaign. Use the leaderboard to monitor the clicks and donations generated by the links each of your core team shares. This is valuable information and can be used to create some out which channels work best. If you see that one of your supporters is doing much better It may be that a beautifully-crafted personal email is resulting in donations far more effectively than a general mass mailout.
Jonathan May is a highly respected crowdfunding expert. He is Director of the UK Crowdfunding Association and a member of the Westminster Crowdfunding Forum – an advisory board to Whitehall. His technical background and creative vision continue to steer Hubbub’s success.
Coming next issue... In the summer issue of FundEd Magazine (out 27 Apr) we explain how to get the best from social media.
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