Hrvoje Hafner on Blogomanija: What You Have to Know Before Starting a Crowdfunding Campaign

If you are not farmiliar with the term, Crowdfunding is  basically project funding through the collective effort of individuals who network and pool their money, usually via some sort of Internet platform, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Crowdfunding is used in support of a wide variety of activities, including disaster relief, citizen journalism, support of artists by fans, political campaigns, but nowadays platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo mostly help various projects come true.

Hrvoje Hafner, the founder of Croatian crowdfunding platform Doniralica, runs a crowdfunding blog where he writes extensively about this topic, and at the blogging conference Blogomanija he held a workshop for everyone who’s got a great idea, bud no funding to back it up.

Crowdfunding and crowdsourcing are often used interchangeably, but the latter is an umbrella term and former is a microfanancing method where different people help close a project’s financial construction.

There are around six hundred different platforms for crowdfunding- they cover different niches, some of them are local, some global, and the two most famous platforms are afore mentioned Indiegogo and Kickstarter.

When you are starting a crowdfunding campaign, you have to know that it is a marketing campaign. People will fund a project because they can identify and stand behind the idea you present or because of rewards annd benefits you will offer, but you have to present your case well, Hafner noted.

Creating a Succesful Campaign

If you choose to fund your project this fay, marks Hafner, you have to plan everthing in great detail and have it all mapped out before you set your campaign into motion. It is very important to have a business plan and a strategy so thet people who invest in you can see what you plan on doing with their money. Transparency is of utmost importance.

You also have to be available to answer all potential questions and concerns from your potential backers. Many platforms have special sections for this sort of interaction, where backers can get more info,satisfy their curiosity and learn a bit more about the project.

The whole campaign should be personally colored, because people tend to reac better when they see there is a flesh and blood human being behing a certain projest, and not a corporate drone of some sorts. It is also a good idea to include a video in the campaign. In fact, video-campaigns have 112 percent better chances for succes, Hafner stressed. It need not be top production video, but it should tell your story.

Getting the News Around

 When you start the campaign, have a number of backers at ready. Your friends, familiy and aquaitances- they will give you social credibility and will be the first microinvestors, paving the way for all other backer.

Bear in  mind that a crowdfunding campain is a marketing campaign and you have to think long and hard about your niche, your target audience, the media that would be interested and research if there is a specialized forum space where you could throw in some feelers and see how people react to the product you want funded.

News of campaigns usually spreads through social networks first, then over the blogosphere and only then does it reach the mainstream media. Blogs are especially important because they can review your product and give you feedback, as well as present your project to the target audience.

If you have more questions about crowdfunding, check out Hafner’s blog or contact him via Twitter,