You have a great product/service/cause for which you would like to go for a crowdfunding campaign. But unless it gets attention, publicity, the campaign will not get the funds. A crowdfunding press release is an excellent way to announce your campaign online. If the press release gets powered by good writing and distribution, it is sure to make an impact. To ensure that your campaign becomes successful, we have provided a comprehensive article where you will find template, sample, writing tips and distribution mechanism. Let us start with the process now:
Aim: To write a crowdfunding campaign-related press release and to get good visibility for it.
Tools: The tools given here for accomplishing the aim are sample template, example, top benefits and expert writing and distribution tips. To ensure that you get full advantage of the article, go through all the given modules.
Crowdfunding Template: The template for a crowdfunding campaign press release (PR) is given below
[Headline] /* Name of the crowdfunding company/entity/individual + main focus of press release (new launch/product/cause/raising funds) + platform/site + attractive news angle */
[Sub-heading] /*A summary of 2-3 sentences.*/
[Location City], [Date]. [Crowdfunding company name/Individual] is excited to announce the launch of crowdfunding campaign for [product/campaign/cause] at [portal name/site]. The [product/campaign/cause] is expected to [how it will solve a problem or issue]. [specialities of the product/service]. The target amount set for the campaign is [amount] and it will expedite the process of [how will this amount affect the campaign].
[key people behind this campaign + how it got started + what industry it will serve] (3-4 sentences)
[Quote from the key person behind the campaign]
[Discuss the current constraints of the related industry + expected growth/changes in industry + how this campaign serves/adds value to the industry] (3-4 sentences)
[Quote from an investor/participant/another staff]
[Offer for early investors]. [how people can participate]. . To get more information on [crowdfunding campaign name], visit [website/social media] or reach at [email/phone number].
About [crowdfunding Campaign/entity]
[Crowdfunding campaign background (when started, by whom) + vision + mission (2-3 sentences max)].
Media Contact:
[Name]
[Job Title]
[Email address] /*official email, not free ones like gmail, yahoo*/
[Phone number]
[Website URL]
[Location city and state]
Top Benefits of a Crowdfunding PR
Speedy Coverage on Multiple Platforms
When a press release goes in distribution mode, hundreds of sites pick up and publish the press release within 24 hours. This results in a spike in traffic and viewership. If the distribution system is of high-tier, then it gets published on high-end platforms that gain good ranking in Google due to which they can generate traffic passively.
Creates Attraction
If a person lands on your crowdfunding campaign and finds that no one or very few people have contributed, then it creates a hesitation or even a negative impression. By using a press release you get the ball rolling by attracting huge views that can kickstart the campaign with big momentum. However, the nature of the campaign/cause also plays a determining factor.
As Seen on Factor
This is something in the grey area. Once you get published on quality sites, you can use their name to showcase that your crowdfunding campaign got coverage on these portals which in turn acts as a trust factor thereby generating a positive influence on your campaign. Many sites that get coverage on popular portals through press release use the name/logo of these portals on their website to showcase the “As seen on…” logo for boosting conversions. However, it is possible only if your distribution system can land you on quality platforms (discussed later in this article).
Opens a New Dimension
If the campaign is interesting and the press release is written creatively, then the chances of getting spontaneous coverage on bigger news portals increase which can open up an entirely new opportunity in itself. This happens because most of the top-tier distribution networks send out feeds to journalists and blogs and if the combination of PR and campaign is right, the magic will happen.
Expert Writing and Distribution Tips
1. Explain in Simple Terms
Your product/campaign may have technicalities but the people who come across your press release won’t necessarily be tech-savvy people. For them to get interested, they need to understand it first. People won’t spend time understanding technical terms, so it is your responsibility to explain all aspects of your campaign in simple language.
2. Multimedia Gives an Upper Hand
Videos and Images are much better at conveying ideas than text alone. Since you cannot add any number of images and videos in a press release, you can upload them on your website or a third-party site and can then provide the link in press release to access them. By going through videos and images, people can experience your product/campaign much better which will increase the chances of them contributing to your campaign.
3. Restrict the Promotion
Though the press release for a crowdfunding campaign is aimed at promoting your product/cause, it must not be transformed into marketing material. Most PR companies don’t accept PR’s written like a sales pitch. So make it professional with very subtle aspects of promotion.
4. Third Person Only
This rule applies to all types of press releases. PR’s must be written in the third person only. This means that usage of words like I, You are not allowed except in the quote section.
5. Key Factors Must be Explained
Spend some time to list all key factors that make the campaign/cause special. Think of interlinked dimensions and related industries/dimensions that can get affected by them. You must then gather all these factors and include them in your PR without sounding promotional.
6. Keep Word Limit in Check
Since a crowdfunding campaign is aimed at convincing people for your cause/product, one may be tempted to write as many reasons and factors as they can possibly think. If the press release becomes lengthy during the process, its reading ratio will be adversely affected. So try to keep the PR within 600-700 word range.
7. Go Creative
There are many ways to say and express things. If your PR looks like one that journalists and people come across daily, then it would most probably go unnoticed as people have become used to ignoring such content. To make your PR stand a better chance of getting noticed, think of adding a new creative angle to make it appealing.
8. Late Editing Odds Are Nil
Once PR is published, you cannot ask for edits as it will be live on many platforms. It will simply be impractical to go to each website and ask for making corrections. So before sending it for publishing, make sure that you are satisfied with each and every statement written in the PR.
9. Distribution Can be a Gamechanger
If you don’t pay attention to this aspect, your campaign won’t get the expected results. There are many people who think that getting published on a maximum number of sites is the key to successful distribution. This perception is entirely wrong as the quality of site matters the most. Getting published on 100’s of low-traffic sites won’t give you an advantage. Aim for the big sites that get millions of visitors a month and that rank well in Google. Sites like Yahoo, Associated Press are the ones that not only have huge traffic but also rank high in Google due to which they have far better visibility than many sites combined.
