Soft Launch for a Smart Start When Crowdfunding Your Indie Film
Soft launching an indie film campaign will always be the smartest tactic you can implement in a crowdfunding campaign, especially when trying to chase down those all-important “love bucks” — money from family, friends and supporters of your prior work — before your campaign officially launches.
Official Launch v. Soft Launch
What’s the difference between a soft launch and official launch? Starting in reverse, the official launch is the day you send out your first email to your contact list, your first tweet, Facebook, and Instagram post about your film campaign. A soft launch is a more intimate launch before the launch that’s targeted exclusively at family, friends, extended relatives, and past supporters and getting them on board as the first backers of your campaign.
How A Soft Launch Should Run (In Two Steps)
Step One
In a brief personal email to these closest of family members, friends, and supporters, explain to them that you’re about to launch a crowdfunding campaign, and that
- you are thankful for all the support they’ve shown you over the years
- you would love for them to be among your first backers, and
- you will be launching on [specific date].
Notice something strange? There was absolutely no mention of “money,” “funding,” or “contributions” in this initial outreach. The focus here is simply to let them know that you’re going to run a campaign and that you’d like their support at the get-go. Period.
Click “Send.”
You’re done here. Onto
Step Two
After at least three days to one week, and once you’ve launched your campaign, send out a follow-up to this group, or “host committee,” as they’re sometimes referred to. In this message, we rack focus on how they can support your film, which is to back its campaign. Now, be sure to
- set a hard deadline for them to contribute by (usually three days),
- reiterate how important it is to you that they be one of your first backers, and
- ask them to share your campaign after they’ve contributed.
Notice something equally as strange? Yes, this entire email revolves around support, but financial and social, and not financial or social. You wouldn’t want to leave these all-important core contributors with a choice to either back your project or share it — chances are they’ll opt for the one that costs them the least money, especially in 2017. No, you should invite them to do both.
Getting That First Third in Three Days
As a general rule, and as I mention in this piece over at Filmmaking Stuff, a solid indie film campaign typically raises the first 30% of its goal from this group alone, and usually within the first three days of starting the soft launch. Why? Because this way, when you officially launch and and start actively promoting your campaign, the strangers and randos who pay your page a visit will quickly notice you’ve already got a good chunk of funding and backers, which builds credibility for you and shows that your film campaign just might be worth putting their faith and their funds into. Nobody wants to eat at an empty restaurant on its Grand Opening, and the same goes with crowdfunding an indie film.
For more about building momentum for your indie film’s crowdfunding campaign, give a read to this piece on “The Physics of Crowdfunding an Indie Film.”
