24-point crowdfunding checklist to make sure you get your crowdfunding campaign started right! Of the 17 steps in my crowdfunding ebook, Step-by-Step Crowdfunding, the majority (11) are within pre-launch crowdfunding and getting the campaign ready before it goes live on a crowdfunding platform. You'll save money in crowdfunding promotion for your small business if you follow this checklist for crowdfunding marketing, outreach and social media. Get your fundraising started right!

1. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
24-Step Can’t Miss
Crowdfunding Checklist
Follow this crowdfunding checklist to make sure you get started right: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/05/crowdfunding-
checklist-guide-success/

2. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Pre-launch is the longest and most important
stage in crowdfunding
Of the 17 steps from start to finish, you need to
hit 11 steps before your campaign even goes live
on a crowdfunding platform. The points in the
crowdfunding checklist below is a reference for the
most critical parts in each step.

3. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
This post is the second of four crowdfunding checklists.
We looked at a checklist of items crowdfunding
consultants look for when analyzing your crowdfunding
campaign page. We touched on everything between how
to keep people on your campaign page to how many
reward levels you should offer. Next we’ll cover the
remaining two checklists on promoting your
crowdfunding campaign and what to do after the
campaign.

4. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Pre-Launch Crowdfunding Checklist
Follow the series of ideas to make
sure you hit the really important
points in your pre-
launch crowdfunding. It is meant to
be completed in order, some points
you can do as you can. Try not to
neglect the more difficult points,
each is an important step to raising
more money and getting the
exposure you need.
Make your Campaign a Success with Pre-Launch Crowdfunding Hacks: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/01/make-
campaign-success-pre-launch-crowdfunding-hacks/

5. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Checklist for Shaping your Crowdfunding Idea
•Understand your customer and the person most
likely to buy or pledge to your crowdfunding
campaign.
•Check over your plans with friends and family. If
you can’t build enthusiasm from your closest
network, you need to work on the pitch before you
put it in front of strangers.
•Having a team that is passionate about the
project is an absolute must and will give credibility
to the project.
Shaping a Successful Crowdfunding Idea: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/03/successful-crowdfunding-idea/

6. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Crowdfunding Campaign Research Checklist
•Find at least three prior campaigns that were similar to your planned
crowdfunding campaign in product or topic.
•Compare
 How much campaigns were trying to raise
 How much they raised
 From how many people
Compare their video, message and each part of the campaign page.
•Contact the owners of prior campaigns.
 What were the major challenges they faced?
 In what forums and online groups did they find potential backers?
 Did any particular marketing strategy work well?
Crowdfund Anything: Crowdfunding Research Science: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/02/crowdfunding-research-
science/

7. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Crowdfunding Campaign Goals Checklist
•I suggest you choose a crowdfunding
campaign goal that is no more than four or five
times your pre-launch pledges. This will make
it achievable and help get you over 20% funded
in the first few days.
•Detail your budget and timeline for your
crowdfunding campaign. Review and revise
them with the team.
Crowdfunding Rewards Strategy to Beat a Crowdfunding Goal: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/03/crowdfunding-
rewards-strategy-beat-a-crowdfunding-goal/

8. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Crowdfunding Checklist: Rewards
•Offer naming rights, special recognition or development roles that appeal to the ego
of backers.
•Engaging backers through rewards is a great way to make them feel a part of the
project and get them to go the extra mile.
•You should have at least one or two rewards that you may not get but really offer
the moon for a large chunk of your funding needs.
•You should have about 10 reward levels with the minimum at $5
•Have at least three stretch funding goals and three stretch rewards. This goes a
long way to motivating the community to keep contributing even after that first
pledge.
7 Steps to build a crowd around traditional fundraising: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/04/steps-build-crowd-
traditional-fundraising/

9. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Crowdfunding Outreach Checklist
•Email or phone contact at least 50 bloggers, journalist or social media influencers
that have talked or written about your campaign’s topic.
•You will need to work them into the community through email contacts, social
media sharing, questioning and other contact points.
•You will want a minimum of three to five people from your friends and family
network on the team before the campaign starts.
•Develop a relationship with at least two organizations that can be involved in the
project. Organizations already have their community established and will help
tremendously in building yours.
Equity Crowdfunding for Income Investors: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/03/equity-crowdfunding-for-income-investors/

10. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Crowdfunding Outreach Checklist
•Contact previous campaign owners again
to recruit them to the campaign or ask if
they have contacts that would like to be
involved.
•Actively engage the community on at
least two online forums or affinity
groups. Become a part of their
community then invite members to your
campaign’s community.
500% boost in fundraising outreach with this contest strategy: http://www.crowd101.com/2015/04/boost-
fundraising-outreach-contest-strategy/

11. Visit the Crowd101 Blog: http://www.crowd101.com/crowd-101-blog/
Crowdfunding Checklist: Marketing
•Throw a launch party with at least ten of the most active in your community. Carry
around pledge cards during the event and get a commitment for at least 10% to 15%
of your funding goal.
•Ask at least two team members to update their social profiles with information on
the upcoming campaign. Add email signatures that link to a webpage or blog that
talks about the campaign.
•Devise a social media sharing strategy between yourself and two team members that
will actively market the campaign through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and potentially
Pinterest.
•Produce at least three videos, one of which you will use as your campaign page
feature, to share on YouTube and across social media.
Crowdfunding Campaign Marketing on a Budget: http://www.crowd101.com/2014/12/crowdfunding-campaign-
marketing-budget/