spent decades cultivating, and you get it (albeit on a smaller scale) absolutely free
with a crowdfunding campaign.
Word of mouth
Cultivating thousands of organic users who share your product or service is very, very
hard to do with traditional marketing. But crowdfunding doesn’t have a commercial
image, so everyone is that much more inclined to help you out. And, if you get
enough people sharing your campaign, it might even go viral — which means more
backers, a bigger community to research from, and more chance of attracting
media attention.
New partnerships
You’re not just targeting backers and the media. Create a buzz around your
crowdfunding campaign, and you could draw out potential partners as well. It
might not be the primary focus of your campaign, but don’t underestimate the
power of a professional network. Optimize your crowdfunding campaign to attract
new partners by ensuring your campaign is literate, and includes testimonials from
people you’re already working with.
Customers
With backers pouring in (we hope), you’ll find creating a strong database of
customers remarkably easy. This is the data of highly targeted and potentially loyal
customers — and it’s priceless.
Confidence
Investors are always looking for successful companies. A large number of people
interested in your project is a great asset; it shows investors that you have appeal
and a solid community behind you. It’s not uncommon for crowdfunding projects to
receive greater funding from investors after their campaigns. The best example is, of
course, Oculus Rift. In September 2012, they raised a cool $2.4 million
through Kickstarter, prompting a $2 billion buyout by Facebook only six months later.
Best of all… It costs (almost) nothing, and you walk away with funding, insight and
the support to make your dreams a reality.
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