Crowdfunding do's and don'ts
It can be tough to know the best way to raise funds or even complete your crowdfunding campaign if you’ve never fundraised before. Take a look at our crowdfunding do’s and don’ts to ensure that your first fundraising effort will be a success!
Do: Include photos and video
Show people why you are raising funds by uploading photographs of the beneficiary, or even a 30 second video telling people why you have decided to start crowdfunding. The photographs and video also add a layer of legitimacy to your fundraising efforts, which often helps potential donors feel reassured that their hard-earned money is really going to an individual or charity. If you include the photographs and video, then it is also easier to promote your crowdfunding campaign across your social media accounts and gain further attention to your fundraising efforts.
Don’t: Create a crowdfunding campaign with only text
A crowdfunding campaign should be easy for a potential donor to read on mobile. Consequently, we suggest that all crowdfunding campaigns have short paragraphs, broken up with space. If you include photographs or video then you give donors the option to read or watch for information about your crowdfunding campaign, therefore making the information more accessible to a wider group of potential donors. Crowdfunding campaigns created without photographs and videos are much less successful, as they are not as engaging visually and do not keep the reader’s attention.
Do: Explain why you are raising funds
Clearly tell the reader why you wish to collect donations. If a member of the public sees your crowdfunding campaign, then you should provide basic details, such as who you are crowdfunding for, why you are raising funds and how the funds will be used to assist the beneficiary.
Don’t: Be vague
If you include only a couple of sentences in your crowdfunding campaign description, then unfortunately people may be reluctant to donate to your cause. The key is to be clear and provide enough information for your potential donors to understand who you are, who you are fundraising for and how their donation will make a difference. Ideally, a crowdfunding campaign should have at least 2 paragraphs to adequately explain the fundraising efforts to potential donors.
Do: Connect your social media accounts & promote your campaign online
We suggest that you connect whatever social media accounts you have to your mycause campaign. By adding these accounts to your campaign, you add another layer of legitimacy to the campaign by confirming your identity. This reassures donors that you have good intentions, therefore making them more willing to donate.
Don’t: Expect strangers to immediately support your cause
We find that the first people to donate to your mycause campaign are the friends and family of the beneficiary and the campaign creator. People that you do not know are unlikely to donate when your cause is launched, as they will require more assurance that your cause is legitimate than your loved ones. Generally speaking, members of the public will support the campaign once it is circulated amongst the community through word of mouth, the media and social media accounts.
Do: Provide the correct bank details
It may sound self-explanatory, but providing us with the correct bank details is vital if you want your donations to be processed. If the bank details provided to us are missing a number or are incorrect, then we will get in touch with you to verify your banking details. The funds will be withheld until those details can be verified.
Launch your crowdfunding campaign today! If you have any questions while creating your crowdfunding campaign, don’t hesitate to contact us.