In my Crowdfunding Formula program, I teach the 14 steps you must follow to successfully raise money from Crowdfunding.
It turns out that Jeremy Smith from Provo, Utah, not only followed these 14 steps to a “t”, but really perfected them.
The result: while he set out to only raise $12,000 for his new night light product (the SnapRays Guidelight), he ended up raising over $430,000 (he raised the $12,000 he needed in just 2 hours).
You can see the Crowdfunding raise for yourself at Kickstarter here.
Here are the key reasons Jeremy and the SnapRays Guidelight were successful in their Crowdfunding raise. Make sure you keep these points in mind if/when you use this great new funding source.
Great Video
The video explaining the product and the Crowdfunding raise was excellent. It starts by explaining the problem (i.e., existing nightlights have lots of issues such as bulkiness, etc.). It goes on to explain the benefits of his solution (e.g., ease of install, energy efficient, etc.). It even does a side-by-side comparison versus an existing solution showing how much better it is.
Then, about 2 minutes into the 2:45 minute video, co-founder Sean appears and says “thanks for watching” and explains how he and his team has “poured their lives” into the project or years. This personalizes the video, makes you like him, and thus makes you want to fund the project more.
Finally, the video has inspiring music in the background. While it’s just “stock” music footage, it gets the viewer excited.
Solid Description
Beneath the video, there are tons of pictures of the product, a great description, and answers to all the frequently asked questions people have about it. Where did they uncover what frequently asked questions to answer? Well, from previously presenting to potential investors and partners they developed a list of all the key questions people have.
Variety of Reward Options
When doing a Crowdfunding raise, you offer rewards to those who back you. This company wisely created 11 different types of rewards based on contributions of just $12 to $120. By having this variety, they were essentially able to price discriminate. People who were only able to offer $12, spent that amount, while those with deeper pockets provided more support.
Quality Social Media Marketing
Everything I’ve mentioned so far about this Crowdfunding raise would have been a waste had the founders been unable to drive people to their page. And that’s just what they did. Via a very effective and concerted effort, they took to Facebook and Twitter and generated a big buzz for their raise. As a result, they drove a lot of people to their Crowdfunding page, and those people often funded the company and/or told even more people about it.
Like everything else, it’s all about execution. Having a great idea is one thing. But the magic is when you perfectly execute on it, and raise over $480,000 in under 30 days!
How to Get Funded in 90 Days or Less
If you need funding fast, you have to use Crowdfunding.
1. It’s fast. You’ll get the money in just 90 days or less.
2. It’s easy. You don’t even need a business plan – you can get started right away.
3. You keep ALL the money. It’s not debt, and you don’t you don’t give up any ownership in your company either…
