Practical advice from the campaigns that did well. Read before you launch, refer back as you go.
Your fundraising campaign doesn't begin the day you upload it online, it begins days, weeks and months before as you strategize for your campaign. Failing to plan is planning to fail, so try to have a plan in place before you upload. Identify your target audience, set a deadline, and start building your network.
Why reinvent the wheel when you can learn from a similar, successful campaign? Browse Discover, see what story worked, what photos worked, what amounts worked.
The target you set for your campaign is critical to its success. Donors are more likely to contribute when the target is reasonable and achievable. A target that is too high might turn potential donors off and end up not raising as much as it could have because it will look like the campaign doesn't have momentum. If you do choose to go with a high target, remember that the higher your target, the more efforts, publicity, time, and resources you should be prepared to invest. Whatever your target is, give a detailed explanation of how you will use the money and keep your costs transparent.
Your campaign page needs a description and an accompanying image or video. The more potential donors can connect with your campaign, the better your chances of receiving a donation. Use your campaign description to tell a captivating story about why you're raising money and use your image or video to connect with your audience. Your campaign's image should be clear, relevant, and high quality.
It helps to have an active website, a Twitter account, or at the very least a Facebook page dedicated to your campaign. Your campaign page should also have an active email address or phone number so that interested persons can reach you with questions.
WhatsApp, Twitter, email, or text. You can even go old school and tell people in person. You can't crowdfund without a crowd, so let as many people as possible know about your campaign and also encourage them to share it.
Do you have a co-worker or family member with 2,000 Twitter followers? Try getting them to post your campaign image and link to boost views and donations. You can also reach out to contacts who work with newspapers and radio to get them to feature your campaign on their platforms.
Are you 300 Dollars away from reaching your fundraising target? Are you looking for that final push since your deadline is 5 days away? Did your campaign just receive 1,000 Dollars in donations? It's important to keep your campaign, Facebook, or Twitter page updated with campaign milestones, images and videos.
Don't leave donors in the dark after they've supported your campaign. If they've invested their money into it, they are interested in your campaign's success. Interact with your donors through frequent updates on your CX Pay 2 Fund page, thank you emails, and responses to their questions and feedback.
More and more people from Curaçao are making transactions online with their debit cards. Currently, online giving is still new for many donors. Help potential donors as they navigate the website. There are different donation options available, Visa and Mastercard and various alternative payment methods. Once they have successfully made their donations they will receive a confirmation and a thank you email message from CX Pay 2 Fund.
We send out a thank you email on your behalf to every donor, but it would be nice if they could hear from you too. Reach out with the details they provided and say a heartfelt thank you for donating to your campaign. You can even tell them more about your plans for the funds you will raise. If you plan on doing more crowdfunding, it's good to start building a network of past donors.
It's not the end of the road once your campaign is over and you've received your funds. Get to work on your campaign, but don't disappear. Remember that website, Facebook, or Twitter page you made? Let donors know how you are getting on with the funds you raised on that page via email. Happy crowdfunding.
