Why Crowdfunding

Why Crowdfunding?

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Business organizations, Non-Profits, NGOs, fund-raising is something every organization needs to consider sometime. You might need to develop your organization, work on some project, or something else. But whatever be the case, you have to go for some method of fund-raising. While there are some other traditional methods of fund-raising like bank loans. But there is a better option – Crowdfunding. In this article, I will tell you why Crowdfunding is the best fundraising option.

What is Crowdfunding?

Before going on to the Why Crowdfunding part, let us first understand what is crowdfunding.

You have an idea which is either profitable or meant for social good or maybe even your personal use. To work on it, you need money. Now there are a bunch of people out there who have money and might be interested in investing in a profitable idea. So you go out to them, tell them about you idea. If it convinces them, they invest.

This is the simplest explanation of crowdfunding. And trust me! This doesn’t just look promising but is extremely profitable in reality as well. Now let us move to the Why Crowdfunding part.

Why Crowdfunding?

#It gives you a positive reputation.

A successful crowdfunding campaign not just yields you money, but also a good reputation. Your potential customers would trust you more since there is already a crowd who has their faith in you. Thus, you get a pre-formed positive reputation in the market. This is one of the best reasons why crowdfunding is an amazing option.

#Your first customers are Ready!

When you are crowdfunding for a business venture, your backers are all ready to become your first customers. Since they have invested in your project, they have ample faith in you. Thus, when your product releases, they would be the first ones to buy it.

#Your concept gets feedback before market lunch.

Not everytime the market receives your concept nicely. The approval of critics doesn’t matter. The customers should like it. Now since your backers are from the normal crowd, they would be able to give a genuine review. If they receive it well, you can be sure that the market will receive it nicely too. This is why crowdfunding becomes a profitable option.

#Donors are ready for your next initiative in case of Donation-based crowdfunding.

This is the reason why crowdfunding is a feasible option for NGOs and Non-profit organizations. An NGO doesn’t need money just once in a lifetime. They need fund-raising at frequent intervals to sustain their organization. When you choose crowdfunding as the method of fundraising, you have donors ready even for the next time. This is because once the people who have donated to your organization know about your work. Thus, they will crowdfund your next project as well.

#Your costs for fund-raising are minimized.

When you use traditional methods like a bank loan, you have to repay the amount back and even pay the interest. But this isn’t the case with crowdfunding. For non-profits, you just have to invest in publicity. For other ventures, you have to invest in marketing and rewards.

There ain’t one but many reasons why crowdfunding is the best option. Now whenever someone asks you why crowdfunding is the best, you surely have an answer.

Crowdfunding Process

The Complete Crowdfunding Process in Detail

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Crowdfunding has emerged as the most popular fundraising method in the past decade. Well, when you consider the pros of it, it is surely worth a shot. I mean, you have a legitimate idea, good management, and attractive presentation, you got your bucks! In fact, all you need to do is just do it right. To help you do it the right way, let us understand the crowdfunding process in detail.

#Step 1 – Get the Idea Clear

If you are looking for the crowdfunding process, you surely have a plan in mind. You want to crowdfund an idea of yours. But make it clear first. Clear as a crystal. And not just clear, but even make it tangible and understandable. That is the one kickstart for your crowdfunding process.

#Step 2 – Materialize the Idea

The next step in the crowdfunding process is to materialize your idea. Once you have the idea clear, you need it convert it into a form that is visible. For example – If you are planning to crowdfund for a product, you can probably make a sample for the product. If not, you can at least define the idea clearly and with details.

#Step 3 – Find the Right Platform

After you are done with your idea, you need to find the platform as well. Now, today if you look into the market, you can literally find a hundred websites for crowdfunding. But not all are meant for you. Here you need to filter. You need to find the platform which is just perfect for your project.

#Step 4 – Marketing

Now the marketing step surely comes before the “campaign launch” in a good crowdfunding process. This is because marketing is going to help you make it all popular. And once people are familiar with your idea, concept, and name, the chances are higher that your campaign will be successful. To be honest, this is the most crucial step in the crowdfunding process. If this goes right, the campaign is a success.

#Step 5 (i) – Campaign Launch

The campaign launch is seriously the riskiest step in the complete crowdfunding process. It is like the result day of your exams. This step will decide the fate of your campaign. Now here, you not just have to raise funds, but also continue the marketing and publicity. This would give that extra help to your campaign. And it will be a huge success.

#Step 5 (ii) – Feedback

Campaign and Feedback are completely co-related in the crowdfunding process. Feedback gives the direction to your campaign. You get to know what you are doing right and what is going wrong. Thus, never miss this step in the crowdfunding process. Always ensure to get feedback from your audience and potential backers. This way your campaign would just never go wrong.

#Step 6 – Followup

This is a step in the crowdfunding process that most people forget after the success of their project. Your backers have trusted you with their money. They are hoping that you would use it for a good purpose. Thus, it is your duty to keep them updated with the progress of your project.

 

 

Real Estate Crowdfunding

8 Platforms for Investing in Real Estate Crowdfunding

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Real Estate has become a larger than life business today. It has become such a popular way of investment. Since the demand for real estate is ever increasing, the scope for investments in them is increasing as well. However, investments in real estate can cost you a fortune. You cannot make small investments in it. But don’t worry. There is a way out here. Real estate Crowdfunding. Yes! If you go for investment in real estate crowdfunding, you can work with smaller amounts. And yet, yield good profit. So here are a few platforms you can use for real estate crowdfunding.

#Realty Mogul

Realty Mogul is a real estate crowdfunding website which only works with accredited investors. The best part of this website is that it allows you to invest as little as $5,000. You can either chip in for equity investments or real estate loans. Either way, there is a certain fee to be paid to the website.

#Realty Share

Realty Shares is a website where you can invest in private real estate projects. This website as well allows an investment of as little as $5,000 in real estate crowdfunding. Additionally, the accredited investors of the website can access detailed information on the listed projects.

#iFunding

iFunding is another website which focuses just on real estate crowdfunding. The minimum amount to be invested using this website is $1,000. The best part of this website is the simplicity of their platform. They have a carefully designed website. Here you can browse the exact type of property you are looking for to invest in.

#Patch of Land

Patch of land is famous as a real estate crowdfunding website due to their “$5,000 minimum and no investor fees.” Their accredited investors in a variety of real estate project online. Using Patch of Land, you can either invest in real estate loans or make equity investments for real estate crowdfunding.

#Fundrise

Fundrise is an “open for all” real estate crowdfunding website. Local investors can crowdfund public projects. While accredited investors can crowdfund private projects. This website mainly focuses on equity real estate crowdfunding. The fees of the website range from around 0-3%.

#Crowd Street

Crowd Street is a real estate crowd funding website which focuses more on accredited investors and professional projects. Using Crowd Street, you can invest in equity as well as debt crowdfunding. Plus, there is no fee for joining the website or browsing the projects.

#Groundfloor

Groundfloor is a real estate crowdfunding website which is more preferred by small investors. This is because you can invest even just a $100 if you wish to. Additionally, you don’t have to be an accredited investor to invest in projects.

#Crowdbaron

Crowdbaron is a real estate crowd funding website which allows investors to invest in international real estate projects. This website is slightly different from other similar websites. It has no minimum investment amount fixed. The minimum investment amount is decided by the project you are funding. You have to invest minimum 1% of the total deal.

Invest in real estate crowdfunding using a website which suits your requirements.

 

Crowdfunding on Facebook

5 Success Tips for Crowdfunding on Facebook the Right Way

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Crowdfunding on various websites is very common! But did you know about crowdfunding on Facebook? I know right! Seems phenomenal. Though, it is no new concept. But there are very few projects which actually use crowdfunding on Facebook. The reason is that some people believe that it does no good for the campaign. But do you know what the reality is? Well, the reality is that anything did the wrong way ends up being wrong. Crowdfunding on Facebook is not wrong at all. But the way people do it is wrong. So here are a few tips which would help you doing crowdfunding on Facebook the right way.

#Keep up the Hype!

Convincing people for funding your project is the key! And keeping up the hype is the ultimate way to do that. Always keep them engaged with your polls, events, and posts. Post some interesting facts. Update them with your project details. And they will be more than attracted to your project. Remember, good content is always the way to a great audience. No marketing is better than content marketing. And what can be a better platform than Facebook?

#Crowdfunding Groups – The Best tool of Crowdfunding on Facebook!

We all know about the various groups on Facebook. But did you know they even have Crowdfunding Groups? Yes. People interested in funding projects or creating campaigns usually make some groups. Use such a local group while crowdfunding on Facebook. This would help you build some contacts in the crowdfunding community. And thus, you would be able to ensure a successful campaign.

#Use the basics – Polls!

Conducting Polls is something you can very easily do on Facebook. Use this basic tool for crowdfunding on Facebook. Post a simple picture with a question. Then, ask your audience to use the “reaction buttons” to answer. This way, you can get some feedback’s about your campaign. Also, the users would feel that you are feeling responsible towards them. This would turn out to be just for your benefit.

#Your Personal Network is good too!

Facebook is nothing new for us. We all have a huge friend list on it. We surely are a part of a lot of groups. That is your amazing personal network. Did you know that this network can be helpful too? Yes! Don’t underestimate the power of your personal network. Publicize your campaign extensively on your timeline. Post about it on all your groups. Even 5 backers out of the 1000 people in your network are good enough.

#The Personal Connect

The best part about Crowdfunding on Facebook is that there is no limit to what you can post. You can post just everything. Literally everything. Except for explicit content of course! Now this thing can be useful when you are Crowdfunding on Facebook. Post the bloopers, the behind the scenes, the funny pictures, the tired looks, everything. And do it on a regular basis. Make your audience feel that it knows you. Make them have that Personal Connect with you. This would ensure that your campaign is a success.

Crowdfunding for NGO

5 Success Tips for Crowdfunding for NGO

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A non-governmental organization works for social good. It tries changing the world. It tries making the world a better place to live in. If you are running an NGO, first of all, kudos to you! It is not an easy task. But is really good. However, doing something so good is always not easy. The main problem an NGO faces is funding. You may have the perfect team, amazing management and everything. But if you don’t have ample funding, all this is of no use. This is where crowdfunding for NGO comes to your help. Here are a few success tips for crowdfunding for NGO.

#Fix a Visibile Goal – Don’t vaguely go for Crowdfunding for NGO

Though crowdfunding is a feasible option when you want to raise for an NGO. But you cannot vaguely say that you are crowdfunding for NGO. You need to be specific about your goal. Fix a visible goal. So that the backers can understand your project and fund you. For example – You can say that you want to raise money for a specific education project.

#Choose the Right Platform

There are a lot of websites in the market which allow crowdfunding for NGO. Some are multi-purpose ones, while others are dedicated to crowdfunding for NGO. Then there are still others, which focus on specific goals like hunger or health. Choose the platform which has more projects similar to yours. This would ensure that you have ample audience. Also, decide if you want to go for a flexible project or an “all-or-nothing” one. Make sure to check the same with the website you choose.

#Get off the Zero

The most difficult part, not just in Crowdfunding for NGO but  in any type of crowdfunding is getting off the zero. People have a tendency to follow the crowd. If the website shows that your project is at zero funding, people won’t be motivated to donate. Thus, make sure that you have measures of getting off the zero. Ask your friends, relatives and acquaintances to donate in your project according to their capacity. This would kick start your project and ensure that people are motivated to fund your project.

#Skip Rewards

Though rewards are one of the basics of Crowdfunding. But when you are crowdfunding for NGO, skip this. People usually back a non-profit project with a noble feeling. They do it to do something good. They usually have a selfless motive. Thus, if you provide them some rewards, it would hamper their selfless motive. And they might not like it. Therefore, avoid providing any sorts of rewards to your backers.

#Show them your Progress

As mentioned, rewards should not be given in Crowdfunding for NGO. However, it is important to show the donors your progress. After your campaign is successful and you raise the required amount, update the donors with the progress of your work. Send them some pictures, videos or reports of your work. This would help them trust you more. And they would donate in your future projects too.

 

Crowdfunding Apps

6 Websites for Successfully Crowdfunding Apps

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Crowdfunding has been a boon to not just one, but hundreds of parts of the economy. Many different types of businesses and non-profits can use it for their benefit. Study, travel, business, charity, and what not! But do you know that you can even go for crowdfunding apps? Yes! Today there are a lot of websites which allow crowdfunding apps. If your dream is to build an amazing app, you can do it! Simply use crowdfunding for apps. Here are a few websites which would help you for the same.

#Kickstarter

Kickstarter is one of the most popular crowdfunding websites. You can also use this website for crowdfunding apps. Especially, if you want an extremely creative campaign, this can be a great choice. The website supports the campaigns with creative ideas. This one is an “all-or-nothing” platform for crowdfunding apps. They charge a 5% fee, while Amazon charges 3-5% fee for the credit card processing.

#AppsFunder

As the name suggests, this website completely focuses just on crowdfunding apps. This website allows you to clearly define the usage of money you wish to raise Thus, it gives the backers a sense of honesty. And therefore, they invest in your project with more affirmation. This website follows an “all-or-nothing” model. If you reach the target, you receive 80% of the raised money. And you get the remaining 20% after the app is launched. Both the times, the platform charges a service fee of 8%.

#CrowdFunder

This is a very flexible website when it comes to crowdfunding apps. Though it is not just limited to app crowdfunding. But it does focus fairly on the same. Whether you have a small project or a big one, you can use this platform. Also, you can choose the type of crowdfunding you want. And though it is a UK-based company, but you can start a campaign even from outside.

#Indiegogo

Indiegogo is another great platform for crowdfunding apps. Though it is quite similar to Kickstarter. But there is a small difference in here. You can choose the type of project you want to run. You can either go for an “all-or-nothing” project, or you can use flexible funding for crowdfunding apps. This website is quite affordable. Since it just charges 5% fees. However, you do have to pay a 3-5% credit card processing fee to a third-party.

#SellanApp

SellanApp is a dynamic platform that you can use when crowdfunding apps. It not just helps its customers in crowdfunding apps, but much more. You can get solutions for publishing, promotions, design, development, funding and what not! Thus, it becomes your one stop destination when you want to crowdfund your next app.

#PledgeMusic

If you want to crowdfund a music app, then Pledge Music is just the thing for you. It is not good just for crowdfunding apps related to music, but the music itself. If you are planning to create an album, backers can fund you by pre-booking your album. Thus, it becomes the perfect choice when you want to crowdfund music or crowdfund music apps.

Crowdfunding for Business

7 Tips for Successful Crowdfunding for Business

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The 21st century has an amazing specialty. Today, we have the resources to allow ideas to flow. These resources help us to circulate all that we have in our mind. From a cup of coffee to the biggest innovation! You can show it all to the world. Additionally, the world today appreciates, acknowledges, and supports. That is what lays the foundation for crowdfunding. Your ideas are valued and supported too! But, when you are crowdfunding for business, you need to take care of a few things. You need some tips to stand out and succeed. Here a few of them which would be helpful.

#Go for the platform which masters Crowdfunding for Business

There are a lot of crowdfunding platforms available today. Though all of them are great in their own way, it would be better if you be specific. Since you are planning crowdfunding for business, choose a platform that specializes in it. This would increase your chances of succeeding.

#Have a master plan – Marketing is the soul of crowdfunding for business

Entrepreneurs know their way with marketing. Therefore, use your marketing skills to the core. Create a campaign that is a blend of different types of marketing. Make the best of them all. And make your campaign a successful one!

#Use some Feedback

Since crowdfunding for business is all about your backers, it is important to know their feedback. While your campaign is going on, get regular feedback from your potential backers. Know what they want. Furthermore, make sure you take their feedback into consideration and edit your campaign accordingly.

#Creat a Buzz – Use Social Media

Social Media is literally a boon for people going for crowdfunding for business. You can create such a buzz with it. Use it to its best. Create a buzz for real. Make people aware of the fact that you exist. Afterward, persuade them to invest in your project.

#Make your project irresistible – Use some Rewards

In today’s globalized world, it’s just uniqueness that grows. Add some elements to your campaign for crowdfunding for business that makes it irresistible. The best of them being – Rewards. Give them such rewards, that they just cannot afford to miss your campaign. However, you don’t need to give them costly rewards. You just have to go for the attractive ones.

#Be honest – Open up to the crowd

Every business has a story. It has a past, a present, and a planned future. While crowdfunding for business, arrange your past, present and future into an appealing story. Make it connectable and give it to your potential backers. Now this would serve two purposes – Your openness and honesty would attract them; your story will appeal to them. Thus, you secure a lot of backers in just one go.

#Don’t ask for the money you don’t need.

Before you start crowdfunding on business, you would be knowing your requirements. You already know how much money you are going to need. You can ask for a bit more money to be safe. But don’t go way over the line. To do this, you would have to manipulate your costings. And if they ever know about it, your campaign would just fail.

 

successful crowdfunding campaigns

Learn from the Most Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns

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Humans are really fond of Success Stories. We say we get inspired from them. We say we gain knowledge from them. But what do we actually learn from them? Are they just meant to be a source of motivation? Are they just gonna entertain us? Or is there something better we can do. Well, the answer is that we can surely do better. Be it crowdfunding or any other thing. We gotta pick up the success traits! You might know about a lot of successful crowdfunding campaigns. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is, how much did you learn from those successful crowdfunding campaigns? Here are the traits they had, the traits you should have.

#You need a team!

Almost all the successful crowdfunding campaigns have been backed by a team. Though we usually believe that we can do it all. But trust the experts! It is not easy. In fact, a recent study shows that a project being handled by a team earns 3 times more than the others.

#Keep the campaign page updated!

If you observe some successful crowdfunding campaigns, you would observe this. Their page is always being updated. News, content, updates and what not. They don’t let the potential backers forget them. Thus, they ensure some good investments by them.

#Keep it different!

The most successful crowdfunding campaigns have never followed the crowd. They saw big success because they were different. A band named A House For Lions ran a crowdfunding campaign for their debut album. The list of rewards included a few surfing lessons from the band itself. Plus, input on the track listing.

#Save some perks for post-launch!

Rewards form an essential part of crowdfunding. You might be excited to give some amazing perks to your backers. Do it, but not so quick. Add new perks to your campaign after its actual launch. Add the perks which your audience is more interested in. And you cannot know their interest until you actually launch the campaign.

#Don’t miss out on your existing supporters!

Often in the hype of gaining new supporters, most campaigns forget the old ones. But successful crowdfunding campaigns don’t! Your existing supporters should be your first priority. Don’t stop getting new people. But make sure all your actions are in favor of your current supporters.

#The beginning – The end!

A recent survey showed that most of the crowdfunding campaigns collect the most in the beginning and towards the end. So you can call it your golden time. Now the successful crowdfunding campaigns grabbed this golden time and made the most out of it. So now you know what to do! Make this golden period the most attractive for your backers. And you will have a strong game.

#Get Global!

Have you wondered why there have been more successful crowdfunding campaigns after the advent of the internet? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Larger audience = more backers. Thus, make sure you have a global reach. Today we have the world in this small place called “the internet”. Make the most out of it. Reach a larger audience. And have successful crowdfunding campaigns.

Crowdfunding Techniques

5 Sharp Crowdfunding Techniques to Save your Back

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Remember that guy from school who never studied but had the best grades? Well, he wasn’t doing any magic. He just knew how to do it the right way. In today’s world, hard work is so not appreciated. All that is ever appreciated is smart work. Same goes with Crowdfunding. You have to be smarter. You gotta compete with other and make yourself look better.

But how? Well, the answer lies in crowdfunding techniques. All successful humans have some techniques. Techniques which they swear by! Techniques which have made them who they are. Thus, here are some crowdfunding techniques. Use them and succeed!

#The Perfect Video

A successful campaign always begins with some good content. Not just written, but visual too! A video can catch their attention quicker. And can be more compelling than written content. Thus, it can be said that a video is the best tool to attract some backers. But mind well! An ordinary video is not going to help. “The perfect video” is one of the mandatory crowdfunding techniques. You just have to use it. You have to make a video which is visually appealing, entertaining or engrossing, plus, one which conveys your idea.

#Make it all Vibrant!

This is surely the simplest yet the most important of all the crowdfunding techniques. Vibrancy attracts humans. And that is a universal truth. Make your campaign vibrant and larger than life. This one is one of the psychological crowdfunding techniques. And it is surely gonna help your campaign.

#Have a clear future plan!

Have you ever made an investment? If yes, you must have wondered what the future of your investment looks like. You want to be sure that you are investing it at the right place. Well, the same thought occurs to your investors as well. They want to know what the future of your project would look like. They want to have a surety. Though, future is a bit unpredictable. But there has to be a plan at least! This is one of the most feasible crowdfunding techniques. Have a clear future plan. And share it with your backers.

#Content marketing – The best of the crowdfunding techniques!

Well, crowdfunding techniques are many. But this one is the best of them all. Content marketing has been the ultimate success weapon in the 21st-century social world. But though it is quite an amazing tool, you cannot just use it. You have to have a good plan and some engrossing content! But if you do it right, content marketing is the best of the crowdfunding techniques.

#Have some Post-campaign Communication

Your backers have given you some money. You promised them that you would use it for a good task. But how are they supposed to know if you are actually doing the right thing or not? Or how much progress has been made in the task? Well here comes another great one from the crowdfunding techniques. Even after your campaign is over, keep communicating. Tell them about the highs and the lows your work is facing. This will ensure that they are ready to help you the nest time you need.