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Everythingyou needto knowMake youridea .co.uk
Introduction“Raise funds to make your great idea happen.If you are a community group, a business, a charity, a social enterprise, a sportsclub, or a person with the spark of an idea that you want to make happen, thenwe can help you fund it.We have worked with thousands of people to raise millions of pounds with thepower of the Crowd. We’ve learned a lot about how to prepare, build, createand fund successful crowdfunding projects.When people come together, great things happen. Change your world.”Phil Geraghty, Managing DirectorCrowdfunder.co.ukHow crowdfunding works1.2.3.Create your unique project pageon Crowdfunder.co.uk, set atarget and how long you needto reach it.Spread the word to friends,professional contacts and others inyour community, telling everyoneyou know about the project.People who like your idea donateor pledge money in return for areward that they’ll receive onceyour project succeeds.
Benefits of crowdfundingCrowd validationCrowdfunding is a fantastic way to test your idea. A successful project provesthere is demand for what you’re doing, and gives you confidence in your idea.Marketing boostRunning a project on Crowdfunder can raise your profile in a big way. Think of thefunding period as an intensive marketing exercise and an opportunity to try outnew ways of promoting yourselves, expanding your experience and expertise atthe same time.AdvocatesCrowdfunding is for life, not just for fundraising. The people who support you onCrowdfunder become your customers, volunteers and members. Your supporters takepart in the journey, meaning they make incredible ambassadors for you in the future.Future funding Having a successful crowdfunding campaign can help to unlock loans and investment orcan be a pre-curser to a much bigger equity crowdfunding or community shares campaignin the future. It proves you know what you’re doing.Extra fundingThere is extra money available from a range of partners on Crowdfunder– money that goes towards your target, just like money from the Crowd.Find out if your project could be eligiblecrowdfunder.co.uk/funds
Making a planThis is your crowdfunding project, so it’s up to you to make sure you have everything linedup and ready to go before launching. You might want to use a simple checklist list or diveinto the detail with a spreadsheet; it’s your call.You’ll build your plan as you work through this pack, adding other tasks that are specific toyour Crowdfunder campaign. To get you started, here’s our checklist with all the essentials:ChecklistAssign rolesEdit your videoDraw your network mapBrainstorm rewardsList influencersRefine rewards listIdentify super-backersSet your targetNurture CrowdPlan project timelineBullet point key messagesMarketing preparationChoose titleWarm up your CrowdAdd project imagePlan launchWrite descriptionLine up first 10 pledgesAdd visual contentGet fundedPlan your videoShoot the footageKey actionUse a calendar to prioritise and map outdeadlines for each task, showing what needs tobe done by when. Try your best to stick to thosedates to stay on track.
Identifying your CrowdLocalYou will need to engage with your personal and professional contacts tomake your project a success. Usually your friends and family will be the first topledge, with new audiences coming later. Let’s look at the big picture first.The best way to start is to gather your team together and start drawing a mapof your network. Using this network map template will give you a much fullerpicture of the shape and size of your Crowd. Your unique network map will bethe basis for all the key elements you’ll be creating next, so leave nothing out.RelevantNationalFriendsand familyExistingsupportersLocal peoplePartnersPossiblesupportersFacebookPress andblogsInstagramTwitterLinkedInAnyoneelse?
The perfect pageRegular updates,to keep the CrowdconnectedClear, memorable titleEngagingshareable video(approx. 2 mins)Clear conciseproject aimEncouragingpeople to shareRealistic targetGood choiceof rewards atvarying costsGreat visualsClear subheadings
Writing your descriptionWhen visitors land on your project, you need make a connection quickly and get them excited aboutyour project. To do this well you’ll need make sure your description is structured, concise and engaging.Add some images and testimonials to give it a professional-looking finish.StructureOpeningBriefly summarise your key points in two or three sentences. Keep it simple.What are you trying to achieve?Explain the problem that your project solves and why it’s important. Does it address social exclusion?Does it give people training or skills? Does it build a sense of community?What makes your project great?Introduce your project and all the key facts. Focus on what makes it unique. Why is it different? Whyshould people support it? Why is it important?Who are you and what’s your experience?This is your chance to show off your expertise and build credibility. Demonstrate clearly that you are theright people to make this idea happen.Tell your storyExplain how your idea was started and why you decided to make this project happen. Talk about yourjourney and inspiration. Don’t forget that your story is still unfolding – what does the future hold, whereare you going?How is the money being spent?Outline what the money raised will enable you to do. Create a pie chart to show that you’re makingsmart decisions with your spending.RewardsIf you have chosen to give rewards, use this section to highlight the strongest rewards and draw moreattention to them. Give any extra information that will make them more attractive to potential backers.FAQsAnticipate common questions that people might have about your idea, organisation or crowdfund.
Creating your videoIt’s becoming more and more important for organisations, charities and businesses to use video toconnect with their Crowd. Stay ahead of the curve and create something bespoke for your Crowdfunderproject. It doesn’t have to be professionally made, shooting it with your phone or camera is fine!Short and sweetLess is more when it comes to video. Keepit short, 2-3 minutes maximum. Make sureyou get the key information into the first 30seconds - who, what, why, how?Get personalScriptGetting in front of the camera will helpyou to build a rapport. Don’t be afraid toinclude others too.If you’re struggling to think of what to say,write a rough script but let people ad-lib andspeak from the heart, honesty will always winpeople over.Avoid using animation videomakers or image montagesQUIETSettingChoose a place where your voice can beclearly heard on record - wind, traffic andcrowds will drown you out.They often come out tacky and won’t get acrossyour unique personality.Watch the The Big Finish video here“Ask people in your network for feedback onyour video at every stage. Script, storyboard,shots and the final cut.”Georgie Barr, Customer SupportCrowdfunder.co.uk“Include your campaign’s URL at the end ofyour video to direct external traffic onto yourproject page.”Sami Mauger, CoachCrowdfunder.co.uk
Giving rewardsOn Crowdfunder you can offer rewards in return for pledges, as well as simply collecting donations.Rewards are a great way of increasing the amount of money a supporter will pledge as well as a great wayfor generating excitement around your project. Think about the kind of people who will be making thepledges and offer rewards that you yourself would want to get. Consider the four main types of reward thatyou can offer:Productsand servicesExperiencesand events Thank youSponsorship7 top tips for rewards1234Rewards should be good value for money.If one of your rewards is available elsewhere,20-30% discount it a great way of making itattractive to your Crowd.Offer exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ experiences,tickets to events, masterclasses or specialeditions – things that aren’t available elsewhere.Limited rewards are a fantastic way of securingearly support. Having just a small numberavailable is a good way to get your Crowdmotivated.Offer authentic mementos or opportunitiesto leave a legacy in some way.567Have a few rewards priced at around 20– this where a good chunk of pledges are made.Spread your rewards evenly across differentprice points from 10 to 100 and include somesort of sponsorship at the top end to attractsupport from businesses or large organisations.Don’t just stick to numbers that end in zeros– odd numbers imply that your rewards havebeen thoughtfully costed.No rewards? No problem.You can run a project with donations only.Example rewardsSome great reward examples from GrowhamptonPledge 10Pledge 40Pledge 500Souper Sandwich – Awonderful Growhamptondrink of your choice and asandwich or soup. And asa special thank you from us,your name will appear on ourGrowhampton Hall of Fame.Eggcellent tour – Come andmeet our newest addition –the growhampton Chooks!Our Chickens can’t waitto meet you and provideyou a set of half a dozenGrowhampton eggs.Come dine with us – Host yourvery own private dinner party forup to 10 people. Includes threecourse dinner, drinks and coffee.Including dinner entertainmentfrom our very own ‘Live At TheHive’ artists.
Marketing basicsNow that your project page is looking good, you need tobuild a plan to connect with your Crowd.Take another look at your network map. Now think aboutwhich communication tools are best for each group. Forexample, who do you usually reach via email, who’s bestto reach by phone or on Facebook? Add these notes toyour network map.When spreading the word about your Crowdfunder,always start with the people closest to you, beforeengaging with others. People who already know you aremore likely to support your project than those who don’t.Start fromthe middleand work yourway outSimilarly, people who are already aware of your businessare also more likely to engage than those who are not.As your project starts gain momentum, it’ll begin to lookmore attractive to people outside of your own network.Be patient – get some pledges before posting publiclyon social media.Remember that you need to win people over.Take the time to start conversations and engage withpeople personally. Spamming doesn’t work.Be personal. Be direct.“Plan plan plan! Know who you’re going topromote to, how and when. Ask people toreview your rewards and the campaign beforeposting it – whether it’s friends or peoplewho’ve successfully crowdfunded before.”Ilana Taub, Co-founderSnact“Have a member of your team available torespond to questions, feedback or concernsduring and after the campaign.”Matt Giles, Head of ProjectsCrowdfunder.co.uk
Counting down to launchSave the datePrepare imagesReview the planOnce you’ve decided on a launchdate, make sure everyone has itmarked on their calendar. Set upa virtual event on Facebook, sendout messages or even postcardsto start getting people excited.Check that you have plenty ofnew images that you can use topromote your project. Photographsof people, places, events andproducts are all great. Bright, boldimages make creating content,flyers, posters and social mediaposts much easier and effective.Make sure that you are clearon the plan to promote yourCrowfunder from the firstday to the last. Check whichmessages you’re sending outto which groups, when they’rebeing sent, and how.Getting off to a good startLaunch day can be both exciting and nerve-racking. If you’ve put in the workand followed your plan, it could be one of the biggest and best days of yourCrowdfunder campaign.There are three main ways of getting off to a good start. If you want to get off toa great start, do all three. Crowfunder from the first day to the last.Check which messages you’re sending out to which groups, when they’re beingsent, and how.10Line up the first10 pledgesThe hardest part is getting off zero,so aim to have secured at least10-20% of your target in promisedpledges before going live. Makesure those people know exactlywhen your project is launchingand encourage them to make theirpledge in the first couple of hours.Getting a strong number of backersearly on will give your projectcredibility and make it look muchmore attractive to wider audiences.Pick up the phoneThrow a launch partyCall, text, WhatsApp, FacebookMessenger – all give you accessto your friends and family at thetouch of a button. Drop them aline to let them know that thebig day is here as soon as yourproject goes live. Try not to stressif people don’t reply immediately.Give them a gentle reminder ina day or two, be persistent andthey’ll probably still pledge inthe first week.The best way to get everyoneexcited about your campaignis throwing a party. It can be aninformal affair in your living roomor as lavish as you like. Ask all thekey groups on your network map tocome along and get them to bringa friend. Make it fun, showcase yourproject video, serve great food andintroduce people to some of yourrewards. Choose somewhere whereattendees can access the internet ontheir smartphones or other devicesand get the pledges flowing!Key actionA project without any pledges does not look credible or attractiveto people outside of your own close network. Because of this, it’simportant to secure your first few pledges be speaking directly topeople you know before promoting your project to everyone else.
Communication check listNext, a quick inventory check. Run through the list below to get abetter idea of which key communication tools you have ready to goand which you need to spend some time prepping. Decide whichones you need to focus your time on.ChannelPersonal emailsBusiness bsiteEventsPrintedmaterialsPartnerships# of peopleEmail and Facebook are thetwo biggest drivers of pledging.Plan
Sending emailsAround 40% of pledging on Crowdfunder is driven by emails, so don’t neglect your inbox during your campaign.6 email essentials123Contacting personal contacts directly withpersonal messages is key – nobody likes a‘Dear Sir’ email. One-to-one is always moreeffective.If your business has a larger email database,there are some fantastic tools like MailChimpthat can help to lighten the load. It’s handy tobe able to check open and click rates on youremails so that you can specifically target thosewho didn’t engage the first time.Emailing your personal and business contactsshould be high on your list of prioritieswhen your project goes live. If people don’trespond to your first message, email themagain a few days later.456When sending follow up emails to your contacts,name drop people who have already pledgedon the project – don’t forget to say thanks andcelebrate together!Think carefully about what to write as thesubject of your emails – make it interestingand unique, avoid using lines like ‘pleasepledge’ or ‘help me’ as they can look spammyand will put people off.Include an image and link to your Crowdfunderpage in your email signature so that everyonewill see it each time you message them!Updating your websiteFor the duration of your campaign, your website should aim to funnel all traffic over to yourCrowdfunder page. If your website has a great big image on the home page, replace it witha graphic that links straight to your Crowfunder project.You also have the option of using your own unique Crowdfunder widget. This is a little piece ofcode that you can use to embed on web pages. If you’re not sure how to do that, get in touchwith a techie friend or whoever helped you to set up your website.
Using social mediaSocial media is another heavy-weight crowdfunding tool that can hugely impact your campaign’s success,if you use it well. Most of us are pretty familiar with various social media platforms and use it to stay in touchwith friends, share photos, find jobs or even just stay up to date with the latest hashtag trends.Facebook is one ofthe best platforms forgenerating pledgesTwitter is brilliant forgenerating awarenessLinkedIn is a greatplace to look forcorporate supportInstagram is bestsuited to businesseswith strong visualsGet establishedMix it upIf you haven’t set up a Facebook page for your businessyet, now is the time! Add a strong profile picture,pre-load a few interesting posts, then invite everyoneyou know to like it. You could even run a give-awaycompetition to drive likes before launch.Post a variety of different types of content; stories,testimonials, videos, infographics, stats, jokes, progresstowards your target, behind the scenes updates and anynew rewards that have been added will keep your postsinteresting.Profile updateKeep it freshChange the profile picture and cover photos for allyour social media channels so that every time someonelooks at your profile, they’ll be seeing that you arecrowdfunding!A good rule is one Facebook post a day and 4-6 Tweetsa day. Use tools such as Hootsuite or Buffer to scheduleposts and updates so that you’re always active. Look atwhen your audience is most likely to be online – that’s thetime to post!Create and curateShare a mixture of things that you’ve written and thingsfrom elsewhere on the web – just make sure it’s relevantcontent. Be sure to balance shouting about yourCrowdfunder campaign with talking about other thingstoo.SpotlightTag your backers on social media to show yourappreciation and make them feel important – particularlythose who have contributed larger amounts. It’s a greatway of get your project in front of their contacts too.Visuals rockAlways include an image, video or link – posting withplain text alone is a big no-no in 2017. Prepare a bank ofgood quality, vibrant, eye catching images.“Social media was the most useful tool for us.We had a large following already on Facebook(over 1,000) which really helped us get the wordout there. We asked our friends and supportersto spread the word”The Control Tower Bed and Breakfast“Cut sections from your video into short snippetsthat can be shared around on social media.”Si Walker, CoachCrowdfunder.co.uk
Press and blogsIf you’re hoping to reach a wider audience, havingyour Crowdfunder featured in the press oron blogs should be high on your priority list. Don’tbe disheartened if you don’t get any coveragestraight away – be persistent and try a differentangle.FocusGo local Ask if anyone you know has any contacts inthe press or blogging world. An introductioncan massively improve your chances of gettingcoverage. Bloggers are contacted every day by strangerswho only want publicity, without offering much inreturn. To stand out, think about out how you canhelp them out – don’t rush straight in with yourrequest. Look through newspapers to find the name ofjournalists who are writing about stories like yours– address your press releases to them personallyand follow up with a phone call. It’s usually quiteeasy to find journalists on Twitter too.Unless your project has a big national impactconcentrate your time on local media. Local newsoutlets love publishing stories local angles, so makethe connection clear in your press release.Make sure all press coverage mentions yourCrowdfunder campaign specifically. Include yourproject URL and check the spelling carefully– ask for it to be included in the piece.Make connectionsTimingWait until your project has started to gain somemomentum before pushing out a press release. Itneeds to be ‘newsworthy’ to catch journalists’ attention,which is usually just after launch, when it hits a keymilestone or closes successfully.ImagesAttach a selection of vibrant high resolutionphotographs with your press release. Include realpeople, not just product images and a mix of portraitand landscape.Sending project updatesFrom your Crowdfunder project page you can send‘updates’ to keep your supporters in the loop. It’s thebest way to keep in touch with everyone, make themfeel valued and excited about the campaign. Includea shareable graphic or bit of text that you can ask yourbackers to re-post to their own contacts.It’s also a brilliant way to show newcomers that you’reactive and engaged – make them want to join yourCrowd!Each project update you send out will land in everybacker’s email inbox, so try to keep to sending just oneor two updates a week. It’s fine to send a few more atthe end when things can move very quickly – keep ontop of the excitement. Use a mix of text and images toencourage your backers to share the message.In a recent survey, 84% ofCrowdfunder supporters said thatreceiving project updates is importantto them. Keep your supporters up todate and build stronger relationshipsfor the future.
Going offlineAlthough most activity will take place online, you can still go out into the offline world to share youridea in person. This is particularly important if your project is rooted in a particular place – if you’reopening a new cafe or upgrading a community space for example.ConversationParty time!Talk to people face to face. Drop it intoconversations. Let people know that you’reworking in something super exciting at the moment.A launch event is a great way to showcase youridea, bag a few pledges and generate someinterest, but it’s not the only opportunity fora knees-up.EventsIf your project is very relevant to locals, attendas many community events and networkingopportunities as possible to meet more people andspread the word. You can also research any relevantindustry events or conferences and be sure to attend.Celebrate the half-way point of your campaignwith a few drinks or nibbles. Invite along everyonewho has pledged on your project so far to makethem feel valued and give everyone a fresh burstof energy.PostersGather everyone for an event an hour beforethe campaign closes. You can rally for some morepledges from around the room and get to celebrateDesign your own or download a poster from yourproject dashboard, in the ‘promote my project’section. Then you can put it up anywhere andeverywhere, including noticeboards, local shops,libraries, community centres, bus stops etc.FlyersA good old-fashioned flyer can go a long way.Dish them out in your office, hand them out inperson and take a few to a local shop, cafe,co-working space or university. the momentwith your Crowd.“Have business cards printed with detailsof your project and the URL. They’re easyto keep on you at all times – rememberto give them out whenever you talk tosomeone about your campaign.”Sami Mauger, CoachCrowdfunder.co.uk
Next stepYou’re now ready to launch yourproject on Crowdfunder and startcollecting funds. GOOD LUCK!www.crowdfunder.co.uk/start-crowdfunding
People who like your idea donate or pledge money in return for a reward that they’ll receive once your project succeeds. “Raise funds to make your great idea happen. If you are a community group, a business, a charity, a social enterprise, a sports club, or a person with the spark of an idea that you want to make happen, then
