min read
Set Yourself Up For Success
Communication about your fundraising campaign doesn’t start on day 1 of your project.
Promotion should start well before your campaign officially launches. The “pre-motion,” or promotion ahead of the public launch date, is some of the most crucial work you’ll do to ensure your campaign reaches its goal.
It’s natural human tendency to support something which is already popular among the masses.
That’s why you’ll want to get your best supporters on board early with a gift so that by the time your campaign is open to the greater public there’s a clear mass of support.
Campaigns starting at or near zero support run a huge risk of falling flat when promotion to your wider audience begins.
In a study in which researches influenced the rates of initial success for individuals in a variety of pursuits, they consistently found that early success produced significant improvements in subsequent rates of success compared with the control group. Put simply, success begets success.
We know that the 30% mark is a tipping point in donor psychology.
People recognize that this is no longer a fledgling campaign, but a story with momentum. The faster a story can get to the 30% mark, the better. You should aim to reach 30% of your goal before your campaign’s public launch date.
Connect With Your Champions
In order to reach that 30% mark quickly, you will need to have an organized group of champions ready to communicate on behalf of your project.
List out your potential champions:
- Who is already a part of your core campaign team
- Who do you know that is already a strong supporter of your cause
- Who has a strong influence, a large network?
Find those that with the willingness and capacity to reach out to their own networks. Consider collaborating with previous campaigns or offices within your organization to identify and recruit strong champions.
Connect with your champions early and often.
Personally invite them to be a part of your campaign promotion team and be prepared to explain how their promotional efforts will make a difference for the campaign.
Once you have your Champions on board, they’ll need guidance. Just because they’re up for championing the cause doesn’t mean they know how to best help with your promotion!
Equip Champions With:
- An overview of how they fit in to promotion efforts
- Language to use
- A timeline for when to reach out to their networks
- Goals for their personal outreach
Gather your group of promoters, or campaign “champions.” You’ll want a team around you spreading the word about your campaign to cast a wide net.
When it boils down, crowdfunding is just storytelling x sharing.
One individual can reach many. When many individuals reach out to many, the extent is great. This is the multiplying effect of crowdfunding.
Check out our webinar to learn more about social champions and how to leverage them during a giving initiative.
Communicate Out Before Launch
Use this time before your campaign is live to inform supporters that the story is coming.
Build anticipation through save the date announcements and share about why your team is fundraising for the cause. Keep it light, fun and informative
60 Days Before Launch
- Send postcard Save the Dates to potential supporters
- Post a Save the Date announcement through email and social media
- Create a Facebook event or other means to put the event on people’s calendars
3-4 Weeks Before Launch
- Share the vision and impact of the story through emails to potential supporters and social media posts. Be sure to share a direct link to your story.
1- 2 Weeks Before Launch
- Announce your story anywhere and everywhere!
- Share your story and hashtag through Facebook and Twitter posts. Tag friends in your posts.
- Email your extended network to let them know the campaign is beginning soon.
Laying the foundation is a critical step of your fundraising event, so make sure to set yourself up for success by communicating with both your internal and external communities.
