Campaign support is about introducing your campaign to a list of people that might be interested in not only supporting you but in helping you throughout the process. In most cases, campaign support should take you about 2 weeks or so to do effectively.
At this point in the process, you are making people aware of the fact you will be launching a campaign shortly. Your goal is not only to ask them for advice to help them feel engaged with your campaign but also to get them to agree to share your campaign communications and blog posts once you begin developing them.
During campaign outreach, your goal is to bring people into the campaign and create a sense of community. Specifically, you will want to reach out either in person or by phone to your friends and family to discuss your campaign idea and solicit their advice, support, and involvement.
When you find an eager party, see if they will be able to help with specific efforts such as writing and sending emails to potential backers, writing posts for the campaign blog, or answering questions about the campaign with potential backers. There is so much work associated with running a campaign that having a team to help you will improve your ability to wage a successful campaign.
Once you have solicited support from your friends and family, it is time to reach out to the backers of similar campaigns. This is the list that you got from other campaign owners in the campaign research step. Contact the backers and say that you see that they have backed similar campaigns. Tell them that you would like their feedback on your upcoming campaign. Now is NOT the time to ask them to pledge their support.
Look at forums for crowdfunding in general and by category to locate potential backers. Use Google to help search for forum names. For example, if you are selling a water bottle for runners, search “forum running.” Go to the forum and introduce yourself. Offer some valuable comments. Perhaps you can write a comment indicating the need to think more about the need for proper hydration during a race. Answer other posts and float the idea that you are thinking about a campaign for a new hydration device for runners and want feedback.
Have you gathered enough support and lined up enough help to make your campaign a success?
