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In her book Cash From
the Crowd, Sally Outlaw, founder and CEO of crowdfunding website peerbackers,
reveals the secrets of funding your business with help from colleagues, peers,
family, friends and even perfect strangers through a crowdfunding campaign. In
this edited excerpt, the author offers details on the three groups you should
approach when marketing your crowdfunding requests.
The term is
crowdfunding, as in: You need a crowd to fund your idea. There are three groups
you'll need to include in your marketing strategy, and each of these will
require a different approach:
1. Your existing personal network of
friends, family, and acquaintances like co-workers and neighbors.
2. Any subscribers, followers, or fans in
your social media world.
3. The new audience you want to attract.
1. Personal network: As you look through your email contacts, Facebook friends and
LinkedIn communities for those who may help support your campaign, put them
into separate lists of friends, family, acquaintances and business associates.
Each of these groups will require different messaging. You wouldn't send the
same note about supporting your project to a business associate as you would to
a family member or good friend. Those with whom you haven't recently
communicated will need a more extensive introduction to your crowdfunding
initiative vs. closer friends who may have heard every detail of your business
and impending campaign.
It's also important to look over your contacts
to identify "super" connectors and promoters in your own network
who'll help you spread the word. You'll want to get these people involved as
early as possible in your campaign by asking them to play a larger role in your
efforts. You can start by asking for their input on any of your campaign
elements and having them preview your page. The hope is that they'll begin to
feel a part of your efforts and invested in your success.
Whatever you do, make sure you're reaching out
in a personal way and enough in advance to genuinely reconnect. As one of the
entrepreneurs I spoke with pointed out, "I wouldn't want to get an email
from somebody I haven't spoken to in two years saying 'Here's my campaign.'
"
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228543
