Crowdfunding for the arts: top tips from the experts

Caroline MacPhie, soprano opera singer

When should I launch my campaign? Kickstarter suggests a maximum of eight weeks for a campaign but I’d recommend four to six weeks’ running time. It’s crucial to be able to deliver the rewards within a reasonable time frame to make your project appealing; anything more than a year would be too long. It also makes sense to avoid timing a campaign around Christmas (although the rewards could be distributed in the run up to the festive period) and perhaps January. As for the exact day, avoid the very start of the week and the weekend. It might also be worth posting the start date on social media a week or so before the campaign is launched.

Think about how much your rewards will cost: Offering something individual to the project is a good idea. For mine I offered sung messages (eg for someone’s birthday) as well as singing lessons. Although these take time out of the diary I don’t incur costs as such, being an opera singer – they also added an effective personal touch to the campaign.

Jack Gaskin and Carling Connor, Phundee

Don’t just market your campaign online: Going out into your community and finding interested groups to do “traditional” face-to-face marketing is another important way to direct people to your online campaign. Potential funders beyond your immediate network want to feel connected to you and your project. Connecting with those groups will set your project apart from the rest.

Social media is your friend: While not every campaign is going to want or need a huge website or giant marketing budgets, your presence online is very important. This is vital if you are looking for funding from people who don’t already know you.

Here are some things you can set up that cost no money:

Twitter profile for your campaign and yourself
Facebook page for your campaign
LinkedIn profile for yourself with links to your campaign
Wordpress blog
Instagram account
YouTube account
Google profile for your ensemble

Crowdfunding isn’t a passing fad: £3bn was raised globally last year through crowdfunding – entertainment and the arts raised £600,000 of that. According to the World Trade Organisation, crowdfunding will be worth £216bn in 10 years, which would make entertainment and the arts worth £43bn.

James Hopkirk, editor, IdeasTap

Don’t sit back and relax: I think one of the most common misconceptions is the idea that if you put your idea out there and it’s good enough, people will flock to fund it. Once your project is live, that’s when the really hard work begins. Fundraising is very tough; you need a strategy and a hit list of people to reach out to. The majority of your funding will usually come from people you know: family, friends, existing customers or audience members. Projects like the potato salad that go viral are rare.

Videos are important: They help connect you with your potential backers and show that a real human being is behind the project. They’re a great way to get people as excited about your project as you are. Our advice to members crowdfunding on our platform is that unless they’re filmmakers funding a film project they should worry less about the technical quality of the video and more about the message.

Choose the right platform: One of the things to look out for is commission: how much of the money you raise will be taken by the platform? There will always be card processing fees but what are the fees on top of that? It can add up, especially for a project with a big budget (it’s usually a percentage). Because we’re a charity we’ve decided not to charge commission at all on our platform.

Graeme Roy, marketing manager, Crowdfunder

If you reach your target early: The key thing is to set a new stretch target and tell people for what the extra money would be used – here’s a great example from the Rogue Theatre.

Hold a launch party for your campaign: Use your networks and tap into their supporters. Contact your local press as you reach different milestones during your campaign as well. You can also take your campaign offline using posters and flyers to engage more supporters. Tallie Maughan of Turning Earth hosted a launch party and raised £8,000 in just two days.

Test your rewards early: Ask people how much they would like to pledge and what rewards they’d like to receive.

Lucy Sparrow, artist

Make it personal: The video is so important but you have to get in front of the camera and put yourself out there. You can’t be shy when doing this; I would be wary about donating money to someone who was secretive about themselves.

Don’t give away pats on the back: Make sure you offer rewards for lots of financial levels so people who don’t have a lot of money can get something for as little as £4 – a warm fuzzy feeling is not a reward!

Our panel’s top dos and don’ts

Don’t just stick up a few sentences on your campaign page and “wait for the money to roll in” – it won’t.

Do test your idea: ask people to read your description, watch your videos, show them rewards and ask for feedback.

Do devote time to creating a compelling and engaging campaign page with which your audience can connect.

Do be an easily-found presence online: before you launch, start engaging with people about who you are, what you do and your upcoming campaign.

Don’t give up: it’s normal for a campaign to have a little dip in the middle and pick up again towards the end.

Do pledge on a crowdfunding campaign yourself: discover what it feels like and see what you like and dislike about the process. Apply this learning to your own campaign.

Do devote serious time to planning out your campaign: most campaigns benefit from getting the ball rolling at least one or two months (or more) ahead of launch. You need to grow your reach so have a detailed calendar of sharable material and events to use during the campaign.

Do spend time identifying and building your network: 90% of the work should take place before you launch your project.

Do budget wisely for the delivery of rewards.

Do consult a tax adviser, especially if you are unsure of your tax obligations in regards to the money received.

Do have a team: crowdfunding is hard work so get a group together to help achieve your goal.

Do set a launch date: create excitement around your campaign and get your friends and family to pledge within the first few hours.

Do say thank you: keep your supporters updated with progress on your campaign.

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