There are different factors which may dictate how long your campaign should be, but our main advice is to have it proportionate to the amount you are trying to raise. Remember that a shorter campaign is much more likely to maintain momentum.
Project creators can choose how long to run their campaign for once the project has been verified, and they are ready to launch. While the maximum duration for a campaign is 365 days, generally we do not recommend this. Rather you should try and settle on a duration that gives you enough time to raise your funding target, while also being short enough to maintain a high energy campaign. Remember, most people will pledge to your project at the beginning when you are actively promoting it, and then at the end when our all-or-nothing model creates a sense of urgency. Having a long period in the middle can lead to inaction and a loss of crucial momentum.
The following provides a general guide as to how long you might want to run your campaign for:
- Up to £5,000 = four weeks
- Up to £15,000 = eight weeks
- Up to £50,000 = twelve weeks
- Up to £1,000,000 = six months
Running a shorter campaign sets a tone of confidence, excitement and urgency, which motivates people to get behind you. It can be hard to maintain interest and momentum over long drawn-out campaigns. Short campaigns do require pre-planning, including things like warming up your backers and drawing up a campaign timeline. The more work you put in beforehand, the easier time you’ll have throughout the campaign!
If you have a preferred date to launch, please take into consideration that verification typically takes 1-7 days depending on the complexity of the project. To speed up the verification process, make sure to have proof of quotations and permissions ready to present if need be.
Similarly, if you need the funds by a certain date, please bear in mind that it can take up to two weeks for the funds to come through after hitting your target. Unverified Stripe accounts are the main cause for delays, so please make sure your payment accounts are verified by the time you hit your target.