{"id":9790,"date":"2017-03-03T12:34:27","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T16:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/takenote\/?p=9790"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T16:24:45","slug":"10-tips-running-successful-crowdfunding-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/10-tips-running-successful-crowdfunding-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Essential Strategies Every Artist Should Know Before Launching a Music Crowdfunding Campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So you\u2019ve got some killer tunes, you\u2019ve been practicing and perfecting the arrangements, and now you\u2019re ready to record. You start doing a little research\u2014looking into studio time, guest musicians for special parts, even producers\u2014and you quickly realize that making a record is expensive! You\u2019ll need help if you\u2019re going to pull this off, so you turn a crowdfunding campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crowdfunding is great for direct-to-fan artists and many have run extremely successful campaigns that have helped launched their careers. But be warned: Running a successful campaign is a lot of work and requires dedication, persistence, and a healthy dose of charm.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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Elisa Smith & the Tiny Little Lies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019ve run a few crowdfunded campaigns for my band Elisa Smith & The Tiny Little Lies<\/a>. Our first campaign was wildly unsuccessful. Even though we didn\u2019t meet our goal, I learned a lot about how NOT to run a campaign. The following ten tips won\u2019t guarantee a successful campaign, but they will certainly help you get closer to your goals:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Grow Your Email List and Social Media Followers<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most of the work that you will put into your campaign will occur before it even launches. When we launched our first campaign, we had a measly email list of roughly 20 people and only about 150 across all of our social media platforms. No wonder why we weren\u2019t successful! The broader your fan base, the more people who have an interest in seeing you succeed and the more people you can reach out to for support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More often than not, someone will be more likely to join your email list if there is an incentive like a free downloadable track, video, or poster. You can even do a contest\u2014we held a contest for a free house show for everyone who signed up to our email list in a certain time frame. One of the most surefire ways to obtain emails is to have a pen, paper, and clipboard at your merch table during gigs. Clearly label the clipboard as an email list because there might be fans who are too shy to talk to you (possibly because they don\u2019t have money to buy anything from you right then and there) but who still want to stay informed about what you\u2019re doing.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Set a Realistic Goal<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Setting a realistic goal for your project is definitely a determining factor as to whether or not your campaign will be successful. One way to set a realistic goal is to look at how many social media followers you have.  If you don\u2019t have a large number of followers, you may want to consider a smaller goal.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which brings me to my next point: To EP or not to EP? In addition to setting a realistic financial goal, you also want to think about setting a realistic project goal. An EP is a great option for burgeoning artists. Think about it this way:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say x<\/em> equals quality and y<\/em> equals the amount of songs you\u2019d like to record. That means that x\/y<\/em> is the level of quality you will be able to afford for each song. If you want a polished, professional sounding recording, it may be smarter for you to record fewer songs. If you are going for a more lo-fi, DIY style recording, then this may not matter as much. For Hitch A Ride<\/i>, we want a polished, high quality recording, so we\u2019re opting to record a five-to-six song EP instead of a full-length album. That way, we can focus on a fewer songs, ultimately resulting in a higher level of quality for each one.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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