How to Use Press Release for a Crowdfunding Campaign
There are a number of crowdfunding sites and services. And more and more people, organizations, and businesses are using crowdfunding to raise money for their needs and goals. Some funding efforts are successful. Others not so much.
The ones that are successful achieve their goals in part because of the awareness that they generate for their campaigns. Press releases can be a part of the solution. If you’re striving to raise money for your business or organization, or for your own personal goals, then leverage the power of the press release.
Crowdfunding projects generate press coverage. Press coverage generates traffic to your crowdfunding page. It builds awareness through social media, which means shares and engagement. Ultimately, it helps you reach your crowdfunding financial goals. So how do you do it? How do you use a press release to fund your campaign? Let’s take a look at some steps, tips, and ideas.
What’s The News?
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the fact that you need money is news. The news is the “why.” Why do you need money? What’s the story? Focus on that. That’s what the media wants to know, and the story is what will motivate people to give you money and fund your campaign.
Make sure that your press release is written with this in mind. Take your time writing your press release. There are a few other elements in your release that you want to double check. Make sure your facts are sourced and accurate.
Double check your links and make sure that you include a working link to your crowdfunding page. Also include contact information so that any media reps or interested funders can contact you quickly and easily.
Getting Your News in the Right Hands
Your press release only accomplishes your goals if it gets into the right hands. That means taking strategic steps to get it there. First, identify a press release distribution service. This should be one that sends to the major newswires as well as one that supports social media.
The second step is to identify media representatives that will be interested in your news. This can take a little bit of time. Look for journalists, bloggers, and others that cover your type of news. You might look at human interest journalists, technology or healthcare journalists. The bottom line is that you’re going to send your press release to a few journalists and pitch them your story.
You don’t want to waste your time, or theirs, so it’s important to make sure you’re contacting the right people. In addition to spending time crafting your pitch, you’ll want to make sure that you have collateral material ready for them.
This means images, additional content, a mission and vision statement (if relevant) and so on. Think about what the journalist might need to write a story about your campaign, and make sure you have it ready when they come calling. Journalists do cover crowdfunding campaigns. With a great release and a solid strategy you can achieve the press you need and the funding you’re hoping for.
