The Basics

Every campaign has three critical elements: a good Pitch, proactive outreach and an audience that cares.

A Good Pitch

A good Pitch is direct, engaging and transparent. It’s important to be yourself, to clearly communicate what you are doing, and show what you are raising money for.  Be proud of your endeavor and let your enthusiasm show! Make a Pitch video to be more personable and dynamic.

Use your Perks to give people an opportunity to participate, rather than merely contribute. People love being involved and feeling like they’re a part of something. It's important to offer compelling Perks in return for contributions. As a general principle, Perks need to be exclusive, discounted or limited edition. 

Proactive Outreach

Begin by sending personal emails to friends, family and fans. Keep your contributors updated on your campaign by posting regular updates on your Campaign page. Updates are a great way to keep contributors involved in your campaign process. Promote your campaign on your personal website or within social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

An Audience that Cares

Your inner circle of friends, family and fans should fund 25-40% of your goal within the first few weeks of your campaign. This creates public validation for your cause, as well as an army of spokespeople to help spread your campaign on social networks.

Additional Resources

Campaigner Field Guide: Click here to download

This is a fantastic tool for anyone new to crowdfunding that compiles years of research across thousands of crowdfunding campaigns.  We've compiled this research into a short, easy-to-read guide on tips and best practices for running a successful crowdfunding campaign. 

Indiegogo Webinars: Click here to view

Each week our crowdfunding experts talk to campaign owners- and potential campaigns owners- about how they can build, manage, and publicize their campaigns. Every week covers a different topic, and they're a great way to understand the tricks behind running a great campaign.

Tips from Our Blog:

• Tool Time: E-Sources for Crowdfunding Campaigners                                                                                                   

• Include a personal video in your Pitch. Videos help projects raise 114% more money (on average)  

• Raise at least $1 from someone else and your chance of success will double.  

• Make sure you have enough Perks at lower levels.  73% of people donate between $11 and $100. 

• Don't go overboard on Perks.  The most successful campaigns have 5 - 8 Perks  

• Post regular updates to amplify fundraising.  Campaigns that update 2-3 times a week raise 2x as much money as those who only post 2-3 times overall 

• For more insights, check out our blog: http://www.indiegogo.com/blog/insights/

Examples of Great Campaigns:

Customer Happiness Help Center:

• For more tips on creating a compelling Pitch, please visit our article:  Tips for Your Pitch
• For more information on ways to increase your outreach, please visit our article:  How to Share Your Campaign
• To track the level of activity on your campaign, please visit our article:  Your Campaign Analytics