The Power of a Community in Crowdfunding: How to Build a List of Potential Backers

When it comes to running a successful Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, there's an essential tool that you cannot leave behind. A LIST, yes, a single place where you gather all the contact info of your followers, friends and potential backers.

Whether or not planning to launch crowdfunding, creating a list is a fundamental organizational tool that can help you keep track of your followers and keep them in the loop about your work.

In this article, we will see some tips and best practices to create a list of interested people that will support your crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

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1. FIND YOUR AUDIENCE TARGET

Building an email list is an essential step to do before the campaign's pre-launch.

The first step to perform is to determine your target audience, meaning the people who are most likely to be interested in your product or project, for example, tech enthusiasts, gamers, parents etc. The more you understand and dig into the demographics around your project the better will be your marketing strategy.

Don't forget to start with a good market research in order to understand if there's interest around your project and what kind of target revolves around it. Once you have a clear idea about your target, you can begin to identify the best places to reach them.

Nowadays we have some powerful handy tools like social media, that can be used to connect with your target audience and build relationships with potential backers. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be used to share updates about your project, engage with your followers, and ask them to sign up for your email list in exchange for exclusive content or early bird discounts.

2. USE DIGITAL WORD OF MOUTH

Now that you've found your target audience make sure to communicate and engage with them through every means possible! Luckily we're in the digital era, so another way that could help you build an email list is by collaborating with influencers or other creators in your niche.

This method worked so well with my client's project ''Mbrechees'' a horse back riding clothing brand, in fact, they turned to influencers in their niche to spread the word about their upcoming Indiegogo campaign. They ended up with lucky collaborations like Elettra Lamborghini (Italian singer and influencer with 7 million followers!), this for sure helped to spread the word to other influencers that accepted the collaboration with them, generating more awareness and potential backers around the brand.

If you find the right creator to represent you, a lot of interested people will come knocking at your door and eventually leave their contact information.

Look for people who have a really engaged following and whose work aligns with your own. They don't need to have 1 million followers or so (even because they could be really expensive), reach out to influencers that feel more connected with their audience and who are genuinely interested in your product, in this way it will have a positive influence over their followers who will decide to support you. Contact them and ask if they would be willing to help promote your Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign in exchange for a commission or other incentives!

Consider having a prototype to send them in order to allow to make contents to share with their following that gives credibility to your project.

3. PAID ADVERTISMENT IS KEY

In addition to these valid and fundamental strategies, you need to use paid advertising to build a rich email list. Platforms like Facebook ads and Google Ads allow you to target specific audiences and reach people who are most likely to be interested in your project. In this case, my advice is to ask for professional help in order to create and useful ads, not wasting too much money. Luckily, I'm here for this reason and I'll be ready to show everything you need to know about Facebook Ads, just click here to see how can I help you.

With paid advertising, you will have the chance to get a glimpse into a more specific audience and go and target the ones who are more active and interested, in this way the chances to convert them into backers will be wider.

Make sure to choose the best content to show them, in this way you'll trigger their curiosity and interest to follow your project and to know more about it.

Another important thing to do is making sure that people you gather through that paid ads are going to end up on a landing page in which you present the product and where you present a sign-up form in order to gather their email. In this case, what you really need is a high-quality landing page that does the job for you and converts people. It should be captivating, eye-catching and making them more interested in knowing more about the launch. No need to worry, I can help you step by step create a landing page that will convert your viewers into leads!

4. YOU'RE LIVE, USE YOUR LIST!

Finally, your Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign is live!

Now it's fundamental to reach out to every contact you gathered inside your email list. Let them know that the campaign they've been waiting is finally live and ask them to support you. With a solid pre-launch email list in place, you'll be able to hit your funding goal faster and make your project a reality, that's why building a list is so important. Keep them updated on how the campaign is performing, when you reach the goal, when the campaign is over, when pre-orders are available, when you're shipping the product and so much more.

Your email list is one of the most important assets in your business, you cannot forget about those people, you earned their contacts and worked hard to gather them, also they are important because they helped funding your dream project!

Overall, building an list is an essential step for any Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign. By identifying your target audience, leveraging social media, collaborating with influencers, running a referral program, and using paid advertising, you can create a list of potential backers who will help you to hit your funding goal faster. And by keeping your subscribers engaged, you'll be able to build a community of supporters and fan who are invested in your project's success.

WRAPPING IT UP

In conclusion, building an email list before launching a crowdfunding campaign is crucial for its success. An email list allows direct communication with potential backers, creates excitement and anticipation, and allows for continued engagement post-campaign.

By offering a lead magnet, utilizing social media, adding a sign-up form to your website, and networking, you can start building your email list today and set yourself up for a successful crowdfunding.

Always remember that before launching your project you will need to analyze and prepare your pre-launch phase to launch your first product, I’ve got you covered with my crowdfunding pre-launch free e-book called ''3 steps to success on Kickstarter and Indiegogo''. 

As always make sure to subscribe to my channel to stay updated on fresh new content that I’m gonna drop there.

Ciao ciao! 

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