A quick guide to setting up a great campaign

Your quest to generate REAL IMPACT for your cause starts with an engaging and compelling campaign page.

Thousands of Australians launch crowdfunding campaigns every single day. But what sets apart campaigns that reach their target, and those that do not, is the content on the page, the engagement.

Once your page is published on mycause and before you share your page and ask for donations, ask yourself this question:

Am I giving visitors to my campaign a good reason to donate?

Capture people’s attention and their hearts in the first minute they land on your page.

Use the power of storytelling, images, videos and personal experiences .

Don’t launch your campaign into your networks until you work through this quick checklist:

TARGET : EXPLAIN YOUR GOAL

Donors feel more secure when they know where their money is going. What project, equipment or service are you funding?

Clearly explain what you are raising money for.

For example: “I am running the Melbourne marathon to raise $10,000 for John’s cancer treatment”

or

“I need $5,000 to fund flights, accommodation and expenses for my volunteering trip to Vietnam.”

CAMPAIGN TITLE: THE FIRST IMPRESSION

When you share your campaign, what name will you give so that it sticks in people’s minds?

Most people will click a link you share that will take them directly to your mycause page, but for anyone who lands on the mycause homepage, what name will they search for?

The campaign title will also be included in the unique web address link, so make sure the spelling is correct.

The page below has a great catchy and relevant campaign title "Ease the Dread". Cute and catchy.

TEXT: TELL A COMPELLING STORY

In a world with thousands of charity and personal causes, why should your crowds donate to YOUR cause? Address some of these questions on your page and structure them into emotional & easy to read paragaphs:

• Who is the beneficiary and why do they deserve the donations? Give them a background and get people to engage with them as a person
• If you are not the beneficiary, who are you and how are you connected to them?
• What is the money going towards and how much does it cost?
• What difference will it make to the beneficiary?
• What other activities/events are you doing? (i.e. a fun run, bake sale, abstinence challenge, cut/shave)

TIP: Break it up into headings with paragraphs so it’s easier for people to read.

Kobi's campaign below provides an incredibly compelling story and his parents have also attched a full colour PDF document about this brave young boy.

IMAGES: A PICTURE TELLS A THOUSAND WORDS

Your campaign will be much more appealing if you have photos on your campaign page.

It puts a face to your cause and gives your audience someone to relate to. Sometimes it’s not possible to provide images of someone who is sick or no longer with us, but photos of them when they were well will engage visitors to your page. Please note mycause will not feature your campaign on the website if it does not have an image or video.

Here are some ideas of images to include:

• The event you are participating in or the team you are with
• The place you will travel to
• Displaying your struggles and condition
• Vital life-saving equipment 
• The house you are crowdfunding to fix
• A family in need after a loss
• Your pet that needs surgery
•  A nice family photo

Campaign creators for little Arianna included amazing pictures of her to raise thousands to help her Cerebral Palsy. Check it out!

VIDEO: THE POWER OF VIDEO

If a picture says a thousand words, video says a million. Videos which educate, incite emotions and ask for cooperation can generate a lot of exposure for a cause.

Thousands of videos are uploaded every day with millions of people tuning in to platforms like YouTube and Vimeo.

Although it is not necessary, a video can increase your chances of receiving donations and more social media shares.

Simply include the YouTube or Vimeo link to your mycause page. If you get any media coverage, include the link there.

Videos will then display at the top of the page and the photos will be pushed underneath the story text.

TIP: Make sure that the video is set for public viewing.

Check out the video for the Saving Chlose Saxby campaign for an example of what video might do for your cause.