Suann Song started Appointed in the US and is also its CEO. Suann saw a gap in the domestic paper product market in the United States as early as 2014. She wanted to make products that not only met people’s everyday needs but also worked better than the standard products on the market. Suann spent almost a year polishing the business plan, researching manufacturers, making samples, designing the look of the packaging, etc. On paper, the original idea has been turned into a closely linked promotion process, but money problems have kept it from moving forward. Suann decided to try crowdfunding after giving it some thought.

In March 2015, Suann started a campaign on Kickstarter to raise money. Her goal was to get $25,000 in 30 days. In fact, it only took seven days to reach the goal that had been set. By the end of the campaign, more than $50,000 had been raised. The money was later used to start up Appointed.

crowdfunding

Benefits of Crowdfunding

Suann said that crowdfunding is usually more effective and less risky than other ways to raise money, and if no one is interested in a product on Kickstarter, that means it isn’t good enough. There could still be a weak reaction.

Another benefit of crowdfunding is that the people who are willing to pay out of their own pockets to help other people’s dreams during the event often become the first users of the brand and become loyal users in the future. If the fundraising idea works, the media will come to the door to write about it. This will give them another way to connect with the outside world.

Kickstarter isn’t the only way to get money, though. Indiegogo is a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter. Patreon is mostly for artists and creators, while GoFundMe and CircleUp are mostly for personal and business fundraising. No matter which platform a seller chooses in the end, these 4 tips will still work.

crowdfunding sites

Set fundraising goals based on facts

Kickstarter says that most projects that get funded have a goal of raising less than $10,000. Fundraising is meant to help pay for some of the costs. Suann had a plan for how to spend the $25,000 at the time. She thought it could be used to build web pages, the first batch of notebook products, and accessories that would go online with the notebook. If the original goal is reached, there may be more use extensions, but don’t forget to think about the supporters’ well-being at this point.

Planning ahead

Only a small part of starting a business is making a business plan. Before the fundraising event starts, rewards for supporters and marketing plans should be made, especially for the part that has to do with the product. Kickstarter’s website has examples of different types of cases that sellers can use as guides. These cases include games, art, books, and other things.

Publicity skills

The first few days of an event are very important for getting things going. It’s very important that people know about the event early on. Before the event starts, sellers can call on family and friends to get people together. Once the first group of supporters joins the publicity army, the number of people who hear about it will grow even more. Sellers need to take advantage of social media while the iron is hot. The platform and some advertising tools help spread the word about the product and get people interested.

Get in touch with the press

First, a list of editors who might be interested in the products and activities on Kickstarter can be made. Even if you only have a few fans, that’s not a problem. What’s important is how enthusiastic those fans are, and sellers need to pay attention to how the blog is used. Also, you need to think about what makes the product unique and what makes the story of how it came to be interesting or newsworthy. These important pieces of information need to be shared with the self-media so that they can write articles that sound as much like the brand as possible.