Category Archives: Funding

Crowdfunding can bring you investment IF you do it right

Crowdfunding using online platforms has gained in both popularity and in use. You can easily find many success stories related to businesses and companies with a quick google search. In fact, you may be happy to learn, or jealous perhaps, that there are probably many others in your very industry or ‘space,’ or a founder or business that you find has a lot of similarities and parallels with yourself or your own business that have successfully raised and received a lot of money using crowdfunding.

Here are some examples for you to go look at: check out RocketHub, CrowdRise, KickStarter, IndieGoGo, OpenIDEO, 33Needs, GoFundMe, Razoo, Appbackr, Crowdfunder, IPOVillage, CrowdTilt, EquityNet, CielEx, GoGetFunding, UpStart, and the list goes on. Yes – the list goes on! There are an entire host of other sites that are based on specific types of industries or funding needs in addition to these: you can find sites for rock bands and music, medical startups, social enterprise and nonprofits, various tech-related niches, etc.

Unfortunately for you, this extensive and comprehensive availability of crowdfunding platforms does not mean you will be successful with online crowdfunding. Its not automatic anymore – you’ve already missed that boat. In fact, even if you were to copy the essential aspects of a successful crowdfunding campaign – and, this is not a bad strategy – that probably wouldn’t do it.

Let’s say you found a crowdfunding campaign that raise just a little over twice the amount of funding you are hoping for.

Let’s say you take the time to break-down each aspect of the campaign, from the videos (more than one) to the website, to the copywriting and the images, to the order of delivery of campaign elements.

You really study what they did, and you copy it almost identically without copying any actual artwork or words (so you don’t get sued for infringement for copyright or trademark violations).

You even have the sophistication to understand and do the keyword research behind every key term that is being spoken in the well-scripted videos and that is being written in all the headlines and text!

Even if you go to this length, you are not guaranteed to attract the investment than you want or even need. You’re not – even after you go to this length – not guaranteed any respectable funding for your startup or small business. The audience and funding “public” has become more sophisticated than you and has acquired an undeniable taste for high quality and hints of prior success.

Imagine that: you have to show your funding audience that you have a high likelihood of success!

Here’s a simple break-down of my approach to crowd-funding:

1. Crowd-funding can be a low risk, and relatively low(er) budget method of seeking cash;

2. Crowdfunding has already gained market acceptance and there are a lot of players in this space. There are a lot of options for an entrepreneur to choose from. There is also an evolved, ready acceptance of this entire process from funders – both regular funders and investors as well as micro-investors and group-funders.

3. Crowd-funding has become competitive and success with crowdfunding now depends entirely on mature and sophisticated campaigns. You need above-average content, targeted and tested messaging, and engaging format (i.e., video, animation, etc.)

4. All around you there are people with knowledge and skills to put together crowd-funding campaigns that are likely to be highly competitive – they are called ideal startup team candidates!

5. You can test and learn how to put together a winning crowdfunding campaign with a test project – something small that has already proven successful in the broader consumer market, so that it is easy to amass proven copywriting, quality video, original or licensed pictures, clear benefits and features, etc.

6. Local communities already have offline platforms that can offer entrepreneurs and businesses a higher chance of success – and most of these local communities don’t even know it. Go find a local business community such as a board of trade, business association, or especially private groups for entrepreneurs and business people. These groups usually don’t know it, but they are an ideal test bed for each of the components of your future successful crowdfunding campaign. (If you are in the Vancouver area, go check out a plethora of great meetings by searching for your ‘keywords’ on meetup.com)

Now what?

In most cases, you need to learn more about getting started.  Don’t waste your time – take action now.

If you want to try this out and need a place to post your idea, campaign or business, post it as a blog here and get feedback!  

I am making this entire website available for YOU to post as a Guest.  I will not charge you and I will keep your post up as long as you like – or take it down whenever you wish.

However, I have a caveat: I have to like your campaign and personally think it “has legs.” Its only my opinion, but you have to pass this first little test before you can get started down this particular road to funding your project, business, venture, or enterprise with crowdfunding.

Connect with me on LinkedIn through the Startup Phase Forum 2 LinkedIn Group and send me a message.  I’ll get you set up right away.

Now you’re ready – ready to start an amazing crowdfunding campaign and raise from serious capital.

And ready win in your business!

Want to ask me a specific question?  Send me a message on LinkedIn – you can connect with me by joining our LinkedIn Discussion Group and you’ll also find an entire community!

View Chang Han's profile on LinkedIn