The campaign execution step is when the campaign is live and backers and pledging their support to your crowdfunding campaign. Most campaigns run 4 to 6 weeks, long enough to gain enough traction, but short enough to maintain a sense of urgency. Most campaigns see a flurry of support at the start as the backers and influencers you reached out to during the community-building phase make their pledges. Also, there typically is a flurry of support near the end of the campaign window as the pledge window’s closure creates a sense of urgency.
When it comes to planning your launch, make sure that the start or end dates do not fall on holidays or in the middle of the night or you may miss your most productive pledge activity windows. If possible, consider planning the campaign around a conference or event you can go to with a prototype to build awareness about your product and campaign. The best days to kick off your campaign are Mondays and Tuesdays and if possible should coincide with your launch party where you press the launch button to make the campaign go live.
If your campaign execution window includes a conference or event, be sure everything for your campaign is mobile-friendly. With smartphones and tablets, the people you speak to at an event can be encouraged to pledge right there at the conference or event. Perhaps by pledging at the event, they can even receive a special gift or recognition for doing so.
Make sure that the backers you spoke to in the pre-launch stages know how important it is to pledge on the first day so your campaign has a good chance of getting a featured position by showing campaign traction early on.
It is best to make a schedule ahead of time that you will follow throughout the campaign to keep up awareness and momentum.
When you get money from a backer:
Use an autoresponder to thank them and remind them of the importance of their contribution to the success of the effort.
Call them the next day to thank them personally. It is not about the amount of the contribution as much as it is about community building.
After a few days, send them another email and ask if they could forward the campaign information to three friends or post your campaign on their social media. If they refuse or simply do not follow through, don’t stop requesting their help. Studies have shown that after a rejection, the guilt of the rejection makes them more likely to grant a follow-up request. In any communication with backers at any level, be sure to make them feel included by referring to it as “our” project. After the pledge, it is not over. They can still help. Continue to express messages that they are part of something bigger.
Recognize their contribution to your social media, blog, and campaign to make them feel pride. Think about having a “biggest backer” or “backers of the day” message to encourage competition among backers and perhaps lead to multiple rounds of support from backers.
Be sure to include links to your campaign in all emails. You may also want to make several Webcam videos interlaced with other campaign videos, pictures, and audio that you can post on your social media platforms.
It is not uncommon for support to drop in the middle of the campaign window. Be sure to keep up the momentum by sending updates on funding milestones as they are reached. For example, send out a message when you reach progressive funding milestones (e.g., 20%, 30%, 40% of your goal). Also be sure to send news, development updates, feedback, testimonials, and when you get support from media or bloggers.
Don’t forget to mention non-monitory supporters in your communications too. As you reach the end of your campaign, contact your backers and offer special add-on rewards. Try to get a matching gift from an earlier backer or agreement to match other contributions.
How do you plan to keep up the momentum during your campaign execution?
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