Crowdfunding PR is one of the most essential strategies for any crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. It gives a level of social proof and validation to the campaign that other factors can't.
Think about it this way - if you're browsing campaigns on Kickstarter and you see similar projector projects, one with a shoutout from TechCrunch and another with no press shoutouts from any publication at all, you'll be thinking to yourself - why yes, the one with the TechCrunch shoutout is much better! - merely because of that social validation from such an esteemed publication.
---The one secret to absolutely nailing it with crowdfunding PR?---Your story matters.
The world of journalism is all about getting people to read a story. Every journalist out there hammering on their keyboards and banging out articles is looking for an exciting story. One that will:
Excite readers
Keep readers coming back to their publication to read again and again
Earn the journalist a following as a person who covers an exciting topic
That’s a lot of pressure in just a few hundred, maybe a thousand, words per article.
So what does that have to do with your story?
Everything! A well-written piece, even just getting covered, all depends on having a good story to tell.
As a creator and entrepreneur, you have a lot of stories to tell.
What got you to this point in your life?
Why are you looking for funds to bring this project to life?
What experience do you have that will convince people to donate money to your campaign?
And so much more.
By embarking on this crowdfunding journey, you’ll be testing and refining your story in the actual marketplace.
No other business method allows you to engage your audience first with your story and then build your product after.
These stories and crowdfunding is one way to describe who you are and where you’re headed with this project.
Here’s the key about the story: people aren’t looking to buy the features of your product, they’re buying the story your product brings into their life.
Think about this again.
It’s not that your doodad has 3 colors that matter, it’s that each color complements a different part of that backer’s life.
And oftentimes backers aren’t just pledging money to a product, they’re pledging to experience being behind the scenes with an entrepreneur.
They’re pledging to understand the ups and downs, the logistics and hard work, the planning and wins.
It’s an absolute thrill for people to follow along. The product that comes in the mail a few months or a year from now is, to them, more like icing on the cake.
---There are 2 types of PR to focus on---1. Credibility-building PR
Imagine that you get into a major media publication, one that features you or just cites you. By achieving this goal, you’ll be able to include their well-known logo on your product page, crowdfunding page, social media pages – basically anywhere and everywhere. Woohoo!
That credible enhancer says to people on that page that this project is the real deal.
This entrepreneur knows what they’re talking about.
This entrepreneur knows how to make it work and the world has taken notice.
When people come to your page and sees this logo, their defensive barrier is immediately lowered.
Think about it this way. People usually have their guard up when they see online products and advertising. Oh no, they’re trying to sell to me again!
However, when they see the logo of a trusted source that they recognize, it makes them more likely to watch the pitch video, to learn more about the product and maybe even buy it.
The biggest misconception about this type of PR is that it does not always convert into sales. This one is a biggie.
Just because you’ve gotten into the New York Times doesn’t mean you’ll see a surge in sales or revenue of your product.
Don’t get me wrong, this does happen at times, but it’s not the main reason for this type of PR.
The person who comes across this article about you doesn’t always have what we’ll call a buyers intent. Maybe they’re just curious about this story or this new trend or this new product. They’re not necessarily thinking about buying this product or about buying something new. No intent to buy, no buyers intent.
Again, you can leverage these hits for social proof and credibility, but it doesn’t mean that these hits will always convert into sales and revenue.
2. Bottom-line boosting PR
The second type of PR we’ll discuss here is more correlated to boosting revenue and pledges for your campaign.
The intent of the reader when they come to read an article is the difference here. People coming to these articles will have a buyers intent.
For example, let’s talk about Valentine’s Day.
A week or so before Valentine’s Day a person will probably be looking for the best gift to get their significant other. Online they type in “best gifts for boyfriend/girlfriend” and the top hit is an article title that reads “10 killer gadget gifts for Valentines Day this year” or “13 romantic gift ideas for your significant other”.
The person who clicks on any of those articles has a buyers intent.
When they read that article, they’re in a buyer’s frame of mind.
They’re interested to see if they should spend their hard-earned money on that product and if they should buy that product.
Coming to your product from the perspective of “I’m looking to buy something” versus the “I’m curious about this article” makes a world of difference!
Including your project into these types of articles will more likely correlate to sales for your business or your crowdfunding campaign.