Successful crowdfunding comes down to good planning and active promotion. Here are the key pitfalls to watch out for, and how to avoid them:
Not building momentum early
Your campaign needs to show progress from day one. Before you launch:
Line up a group of friends and family who are ready to donate as soon as you go live
Prepare your first social media posts and emails
Plan your first campaign update
Make a list of local groups and businesses to approach
Relying only on social media
While social media is important, the most successful campaigns use multiple channels to reach people:
Meet people face-to-face to talk about your project
Contact local press and community newsletters
Run events to bring potential backers together
Approach local businesses in person
Connect with community groups
Not knowing your audience
Take time to think about who will benefit from your project and how to reach them:
Map out different groups who might support you (parents, local businesses, sports clubs etc.)
Consider what matters to each group
Tailor your message to highlight relevant benefits
Research where these groups spend their time, both online and offline
Waiting for funds to appear 'from the internet'
Crowdfunding isn't about waiting for random people to find your project - it's about actively building local support:
Start with people closest to your project
Show that others are already backing you
Use early support to attract larger funders
Keep reaching out to new networks
Poor communication with backers
Once people donate, keep them engaged:
Post regular updates about your progress
Respond quickly to comments and questions
Share press coverage and campaign milestones
Thank backers publicly and privately
Ask them to help spread the word
Giving up too soon
Many projects see a surge of donations in their final weeks:
Keep promoting even if things slow down
Try new approaches if current ones aren't working
Host events to revive interest
Reach out to previous backers for help
Remember that 9 out of 10 projects succeed on Spacehive