Some awesome projects just don’t work out. We’ve seen it time and again on PledgeMe, and trust me – it’s pretty heart breaking on this end too! We thought it might help to share some tips/learnings to help you succeed:
- It’s really scary to tap into your crowd… but you have to do it. The first supporters are normally your family, friends and fans. We sometimes see the people behind the projects being too scared to tell their networks about their campaign. And, without that first wave of support it’s hard to get other people to believe in you. So share your message far and wide, and make it personal.
- You need to plan. You want to put a project up? Awesome! About 30% of the project time should be spent planning though, 50% on promoting it while it’s up, and then 20% on fulfilling rewards, following up with your pledgers, and saying thank you. So spend the time to get it right at the start!
- You need to think about how much you’re asking for. It’s a bit of a catch 22 really, you need to be honest about what you need – but if you ask for too much it can put some supporters off. And, the more you ask for, the more time you need to be willing to commit to marketing your project.
- The project description needs to be clear so your supporters know exactly what they’re pledging for. What is the money being used for? Who is behind the project? What kind of incentives are there? Why should they help (ie. all-or-nothing funding model)? These are all really important points to touch on in your pitch.
- No video = a lot harder to succeed… We really really recommend having a video. It shows people you’ve put some time into making your pitch, and that you’re committed to your project, as well as making your page 100 times more engaging. Seeing is believing!
Ok, hopefully some of these shared insights will help you pitch your project. And, remember – even if you don’t succeed the first time you can still try again!
