15 Top Tips For Successful Music Crowdfunding And Fan Funding Campaigns
Lots of people are sharing their tips and advice on crowdfunding and fan funding campaigns in areas from music to just about every fundable topic one can imagine. I took five different tips articles, including some not focused on music, and pulled out excellent tips of relevance to musicians. In some cases they address issues not previously discussed on Hypebot and in other cases they amplify key points that are well worth restating.
Today's tips were gathered from the following five articles:
The April Maze (pictured above):
The April Maze Unveil Five Tips for a Successful PledgeMusic Campaign
Cindy Marie Jenkins:
Notes from the Kickstarter Workshop I attended at LA Makerspace
Kelly Thompson:
Kickstarter Campaign vs. Kickstarter Reality
Jon O'Brian:
5 Common Crowdfunding Video Mistakes That'll Kill Your Project
Kickstarter HQ:
5 Project-Crushing Kickstarter Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
In the following tips list, each source is identified by author. I've edited or rephrased some of the tips so these aren't direct quotes. In many cases there is also additional information in the source post.
Note: These tips skew heavily towards planning your campaign and creating your pitch video and project page.
15 Top Tips for Music Crowdfunding and Fan Funding
First Steps
Choose your platform carefully. Think about what you want and what you relate to. (April Maze)
First thing to do if you're thinking of starting a campaign is fund a project. Get involved in the community. (Cindy Marie Jenkins)
Planning and Budgeting
When budgeting, build in extra padding no matter what. (Kelly Thompson)
Take into consideration that nothing ever goes right in production…and postage. (Cindy Marie Jenkins)
Rewards
Get creative with your exclusives. But make them realistic and a fair price. (April Maze)
Visualize who would back you at different levels. What rewards would excite them? (Cindy Marie Jenkins)
Pitch Video & Project Text
Never just turn on the camera and wing it. These videos are boring, lack clarity and waste people's time. (Jon O'Brien)
Write it so they can't misunderstand it. After writing what you think is a clear description, add images or videos, and show it to a bunch of people. (Kickstarter HQ)
Address their interests, over yours. Talk mainly about what they will get and the reasons why they might want to back you. (Kickstarter HQ)
Remove the fluff in your pitch and related text. Repeatedly. You have only moments to grab backers attention, and then seconds to help them understand how your project helps something they care about. (Kickstarter HQ)
Marketing
Don't depend on your chosen platform to be found. (Kickstarter HQ)
Updates
Keep your supporters posted. (April Maze)
While you may typically think of a crowdfunding video as the video on your main page, update videos can be just as critical throughout the campaign. (Jon O'Brien)
Fulfillment
Break up the international shipments. Make sure to get all your customs forms in advance. (Kelly Thompson)
Throughout
Say thank you. Your Pledgers are helping you fulfill your dreams. Don’t take them for granted. (April Maze)
The Importance of Saying Thanks
Sayings thanks came up in different ways in multiple articles. Let me say that this is a much more important topic than many realize and not just in crowdfunding.
For example, lots of people are starting to ask me for free advice and some are forgetting to thank me. That undermines my willingness to help and is already making me think about setting limits on that help.
If you develop a reputation as a musician, marketer or entrepreneur who expects help without even saying thanks, you'll not only undermine your own brand but the potential for others to receive help in the future.
More:
- It Takes A Fanbase: Amanda Palmer's Tips For Kickstarter Success
- 5 Big Lessons From A Successful $13,000 Kickstarter Album Funding Campaign
- Lessons Learned From Three Successful Kickstarter Music Campaigns
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/App.net) also blogs at All World Dance: Videos and maintains Music Biz Blogs. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
Great post. Thanks for taking the time to put them all together in an article.
I agree with your thoughts on saying thanks wholeheartedly. “If you develop a reputation as a musician, marketer or entrepreneur who expects help without even saying thanks, you’ll not only undermine your own brand but the potential for others to receive help in the future.” Great quote.
And thanks for that!
good post.. we just linked you and compiled a list of all music crowdsourcing platforms + ressources on how to use them at: http://www.traxx24.com/musician-crowdfunding-sites-2013