We want to honour all the Mothers who help make crowdfunding campaigns a success. Here’s just a few examples of the value your Mother can will add to your campaign.

Because she is often the first person to pledge

You may joke that the only person who reads your blog is your Mother, so what? The audience of one is still an audience. In his TED Talk “How To Start a Movement, Derek Sivers said “The first follower has a crucial role. He’s going to show everyone else how to follow.” So, ask your Mother to do you the honour of being the first person to pledge to your campaign. In crowdfunding, every little bit helps. Your Mother’s pledge didn’t just help you get started, but it validated your project’s existence, it demonstrated to other people that there are signs of life and that people are already interested in your project.

We had one project creator who consciously sent her project out to three people the day before she started publically promoting – to her mother, her best friend, and her best friends mum. They all pledged, and gave the project it’s first boost.

Remember: Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd. And your Mother will convince others to stop and look simply by being the first person who showed up.

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Because her wisdom will only make your campaign better

Your Mother doesn’t have to be a crowdfunding expert. She just have to give you helpful answers. Ask your Mother “Is this a good reward?” “Is this text easy-to-read and clear?” “What do you think of the photos?” “Would you pledge to this campaign?” Remember: It’s busy people like your Mother who will take a look at your campaign. So, her feedback matters. Absolutely everything on your campaign page (the text, photo, video and rewards) must convince busy people to pledge. If your Mother finds the text too wordy or too much, or the photos too busy or too crappy, or the rewards too lame, make changes based on your Mother’s feedback.

Because she will help keep you honest in your pitch video

To make a good pitch video, you need to be real, honest and transparent. You have to be yourself on camera and tell people why you need the money and what you will do with it. Ask your Mother “How do I come across?” “Is the “me” in this video the “me” you know?” “Do you smell bullshit?” My Mother will tell me if I come across as anything but myself. If I come across as a fake, desperate or anything but honest and transparent, my Mother will tell me. She knows me better than I know myself. And for that reason, she is the best first person to watch my pitch video before it’s uploaded to the web for the world to see.

Because she will be an advocate for your campaign

To run a successful crowdfund campaign, you need advocates. Advocates are people who will campaign for you on your behalf. They ring people and send messages. They turn apathetic people into pledgers. They get pledges rolling in! And what better advocate is there, than your own Mother? All those times your Mother shamelessly bragged about you at a get-together might have embarrassed you as a kid or teenager, but now, those brags are highly valuable to your campaign. Her brags are what make her a great advocate. Her brags turn her social network into pledgers. So, let your Mothers do what they do best: brag.

Because she is networked

Your Mother has a network. Your Mother’s network connects you to more potential pledgers. Remember: Your Mother is already an advocate, but what makes her an even greater advocate is her network. Look at how your Mother is networked in your community. She might be involved in a church, sport, community, or hobby group. She might be a volunteer. She might simply know the neighbours. The chances are high that your Mother is not only willing to talk about your project, but she has somebody she can talk about your project to.

She could be a part of your campaign

Pink Ribbon Calendar Girls fundraised to produce their first calendar – and this image showed Jean and Cushla, mother and daughter cancer survivors. We were so touched by this mother – daughter duo, and everything the campaign tried to do, that we had to share.