How to enhance Crowdfunding
7 Tips Based on real case university study and creative proposals for Animasyros Festival in Greece
ACT4GREECE is a crowdfunding online platform, in which the Animasyros Festival-an anual festival about animated movies- takes part and invites its fans and the greek community to donate. The purpose of the donation is to actualize the second tour(tour2016–17) it helds away from Syros Island, its basic location for 10 years.
1.Make them believe..
When you approach people to fund you, you firstly should share with them your dream and make them believe in it. This is the most crucial point that will motivate them to search it further and find out about your attempt.
2. Explain, explain, explain!
Money is a tough matter for anyone; it is something they have worked hard for and you have to earn it as well. Particularly in a country like Greece, where people are not familiar with crowdfunding, you have to explain as much as possible with every detail what the festival is about, how the platform works, what their money are going to be transformed into. People are so suspicious that the best you can do it is to upload the whole budget of your corporate earnings and expanses!
3. Better from individuals, why not groups?
Today, due to economic crisis it is proven to be much more difficult to attract people willing to fund you. We came up with the idea of funding by groups of people, not individuals. Groups are easier to be attracted. A team reward would have appeal to companies of friends or even classes in schools and universities. You just define a certain amount of money for a minimum number of people composing one group. The one will convince the other and if they reach a special amount they will get a reward. That could be entrance to a special workshop, discount in trαnsportation or accommodation at the location of the festival. You had better give it all in finding creative rewards to those who support you. Not only the big supporters, but everyone. Big fish are allready in the game, simple person are not and if they get the message that you are interested specifically in rich they will not even try!
4. Make it more interactive and creative!
The whole process of crowdfunding sounds a bit boring, doesn’t it? Why not expanding it as a marketing campaign itself! The concept will be more interactive adding a creative sense. Each funder will be part of a collective outcome. In our case, we suggest that each one has the opportunity to create his own part to the script of a bigger story that will be practically built from all those who helped in the realization of the tour 2016–17. Aiming in producing an animated film based on that script, the outcome of this effort will be to generate the first crowdsourced film! The most creative addition could even be awarded, but the basic fact is that all participants will be united under the values of the festival.
5. Find your audience and engage them in social media
Whichever campaign will be promoted, the social media accounts should better be more active than ever. To start with, you can improve the level of followers’ engagement by attracting their interest. To do so what you need is to find and understand your audience;which are the the most importance age groups? Which are their habits, their goals and problems. The first contact will be through general illustrated comments on daily situations that anybody faces, as for instance graphic designs-or the most popular nowadays giphs- which indicates the today’s bad weather, the birthday of a last century famous star, a sarcastic comment on political affairs, all given in a way that highlights the festival.
6. Create educating content, not only advertising
Such kinds of organisations that have an event once a year, must preserve their audience’s interest by “adding knowledge” all year long. According to, target groups’ characteristics and combining them with festival’s corpus organisers can promote through blogposts and channels in Youtube topics that will educate and attract as well followers. For instance, possible subject areas for Animasyros are features on animators, best greek animation movies, animation studies in Europe, computers programms for animation creation accessible to everyone etc. This engagement will help in the faster reporting of the new activations, like crowdfunding.
7. Make a personal contact
The last but not the least basic point is to get people to know YOU, not as a company or organisation, but as the team behind the lights(!). Someone who calls for shouldn’t be stuck behind his desk and behaving formal just representing a big name. The people who are the basic parts of an idea are those who the funder will empathize with. You are obliged to come forward, say who you are, what you do. Only then, people will trust you to administer their funds.
Our team members: Elena Chalari, Hlianna Theodwrakopoulou, Filitsa Makris/Moutousis, Eftychia Rantou
Project manager: Lida Tsene
You can find other stories on the same project here:
