If you've been following the crowdfunding phenomenon, you've seen the swift rise of small businesses and entrepreneurs that have been getting funded by everyday people-through specific sites on the Internet that put it all together, like Kickstarter.com.
Instead of trying to find the one donor to contribute 100% of your funding, you can post your project online, spread the word about it, and may end up getting smaller donation amounts from tens, hundreds or even thousands of people.
The overall trend is that the people who fund or invest in crowdfunding ventures want transparency in their investments. They don't want to be far removed from their money as with stock market investing, where they have very little control, and insider information is not allowed in the decision-making process.
With a crowdfunding campaign, people of all incomes will be checking out your project and assessing whatever opportunity you offer to them in exchange. Importantly, just as you want to know the demographics of your customers, you also want to know exactly who your "typical" or "ideal" crowdfunding prospect is, so you can attract and influence them to invest in your company.
It's all marketing - identify your target market, position your offering properly, seal the deal!
So here are some interesting facts about what types of individuals are more likely to invest in your company via crowdfunding, according to an ADCI survey asking thousands of Americans asking them just that (FYI, ADCI stand for The American Dream Composite Index(tm), which is a survey conducted by Xavier University's Williams College of Business).
Keep these survey answers in mind when planning your funding campaign:
- People over 34 are less likely to provide crowdfunding dollars.
While those in their 40s and 50s are now getting on Facebook and social networks like never before, and making plenty of purchases online, they're not using it for social connecting like younger generations are - which crowdfunding is very similar. - Females typically evaluate businesses themselves before investing, while men take greater risks and often invest based on the suggestion of a third party.
To me, this means that it's better to put all the information up for potential crowdfunders to see, for those who want to know the complete facts to analyze themselves. - On a percentage basis, Caucasians are less likely to provide crowdfunding than other ethnic groups in the US. Also, Caucasians and Asians are more likely to invest in businesses they don't have an existing relationship with than African-Americans and Hispanics.
- People with incomes of $100,000 or more are most likely to engage in crowdfunding. [This does seem to contradict a little with the first statistic that crowdfunders are younger, but does point to the fact that young (aged 25-34), affluent people are the ideal crowdfunding candidates.]
But plenty of people with incomes closer to median ($40,000 or more) will still contribute, and there are many more of these individuals to reach through the Internet.
Now compare this demographic information with what you know about your existing or target customers. If they're people in their 20s and 30s, they may be perfect for crowdfunding your venture.
If not, it doesn't hurt to announce it to them anyway when the time comes. You also know people within your own personal and business network that you can announce your project to, as well.
And you might use it to determine the types of ads that you run and for whom they appear, should you promote your funding project with any kind of paid advertising. Or, you may find that the opposite is true - this is why we always test and track our marketing.
Suggested Resource: I hope you found the results of this survey on crowdfunding prospects' preferences to be helpful. I've identified even more strategies and tips to ensure you succeed with your Crowdfunding raise. I put them all together in a simple-to-follow program called "Crowdfunding Formula [1]."