What number of instances this month have you ever already been requested to donate to crowdfunding campaigns? One may simply go broke donating to each play, brief movie, or web-series that pals are starring in! I’m considering of beginning a crowdfunding marketing campaign merely to assist replenish my checking account for the entire campaigns I’ve contributed to.
Right here’s the factor. Crowdfunding is well-liked for a purpose—it’s a useful gizmo for actors who wish to create their very own initiatives with out coping with the trouble of traders and sponsors (or begging their households). It’s fingers down the simplest and most reasonably priced option to get a venture off the bottom. As a substitute of ready round for auditions, we are able to self-produce, write dream roles for ourselves, and lift cash for initiatives we’re actually obsessed with. As a substitute of asking our lengthy misplaced Aunt Cathy for $10,000, we are able to ask all of our pals (actual and digital) to chip in small quantities, and supply signed posters and social media shoutouts in return. Sounds straightforward, proper?
However loads of us are affected by “crowdfunding fatigue,” and admittedly can’t afford to help each venture on the market. As a creator, you now you need to go above and past to create a profitable crowdfunding marketing campaign, one that basically grabs the viewers and stands out from the gang.
A number of months in the past, I raised $17,000 on Indiegogo for a marketing campaign I did for my brief horror movie “Conceal/Search”, which I directed and is now on the pageant circuit. Our authentic purpose was $10,000, and we have been in a position to elevate 178% of our purpose, which is taken into account very profitable. At present I’m in the course of my second marketing campaign for a brand new webseries I’m directing referred to as “Fairly Individuals, Inc,” utilizing the identical platform. I’ve discovered quite a bit about this course of, have achieved loads of analysis, and I’m right here to move alongside some tricks to you.
1. Select the suitable platform on your venture.
Large platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter are used for every little thing from movies to bodily product launches, whereas different, smaller websites like Seed and Spark are extra particularly focused to funding movies. All of them take a share of your complete quantity raised. Do your analysis. Some supply versatile funding (the place you retain the cash raised irrespective of how a lot), and a few supply mounted funding (the place you solely hold the cash should you attain your purpose).
2. Resolve on a price range.
It’s important to be life like right here. When you ask for an excessive amount of, folks will suppose you might be loopy. What’s life like? It’s at all times good to get a line producer to present you an thought of what your venture will price earlier than you resolve on a marketing campaign price range. Are you doing a take a look at pilot for a web-series, or a full-scale function movie? In your marketing campaign, clarify to your viewers precisely the place that cash goes, be trustworthy, and break it down into line objects. With these campaigns, belief is every little thing, and it’s essential to let your viewers know you have got achieved your analysis. Don’t overlook so as to add in post-production prices, like sound mixing, modifying, and pageant submissions!
3. Know your viewers.
Who’re you advertising and marketing this to? Buddies? Horror followers? Is your viewers area of interest or are you reaching out to a extra various group? Whenever you begin to market your marketing campaign on social media, you wish to be particular and supply perks that cater to that viewers. To encourage engagement, I saved a weblog the place I posted behind the scenes images and wrote articles on the casting course of, manufacturing, in addition to publish manufacturing.
READ: “Methods to Get Forged in a Horror Movie”
4. Provide particular perks.
Whenever you ask your viewers for cash, you get to supply nice perks in return. These can vary from “particular thanks” on the finish of the movie, to a downloadable hyperlink to the completed venture, to dinner with the inventive group, and even an affiliate producer credit score for the highest donators (normally reserved for individuals who donate $1000 or extra). These perks get your viewers excited, and extra invested within the venture.
Once I created the marketing campaign for my brief horror movie “Conceal/Search,” I catered to horror followers, in addition to my performing college students at MN Performing Studio. In return for his or her funding, I used to be in a position to supply perks that might be attractive to this group corresponding to non-public performing teaching and enterprise consultations.
Understanding who your viewers is and providing perks that relate to them is essential. Preserve it private, and join! And as soon as the movie is over, be sure to ship in your perks! When you don’t, they may by no means donate to your initiatives ever once more.
5. Make a fantastic video.
The marketing campaign video is every little thing. The standard of the video is instantly associated to the manufacturing worth of the venture. When you spend the time and vitality to make an thrilling, prime quality video describing your venture, why you might be obsessed with it, and who’s concerned, your viewers will likely be extra more likely to donate. I’ve seen too many individuals do that flawed, and never spend sufficient time on this.
6. Preserve the momentum.
When you create a 30-day marketing campaign to lift funds, chances are high the preliminary pleasure of donating will put on off after just a few days. That is the place you wish to get savvy, and proceed to publish about it on social media in attention-grabbing methods, so that you could maintain curiosity as you get nearer to your finish date. Preserve your viewers excited, remind them how a lot you have got left to lift, what number of days, and supply them thrilling tidbits into the pre-production course of.
Good luck! I stay up for donating to your venture.
