Crowdfunding Germany: 10 Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign in Germany
Crowdfunding literally means financing by the masses. In this way, for example, projects with little capital are also able to launch their idea and successfully take the leap to market. Crowdfunding was first and primarily popular in the software industry. Websites like Kickstarter enable developers of indie games and smaller projects to receive money from fans and enthusiasts from the public.
But what exactly does a crowdfunding campaign look like? What do you have to pay attention to in order to be successful with crowdfunding? You can find out that and more here.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 1 Crowdfunding Germany: 10 Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign in Germany
- 2 The Essentials at a Glance
- 3 The Top Crowdfunding Platforms from Germany
- 4 What Is Crowdfunding?
- 5 How Does a Crowdfunding Campaign Work?
- 6 Advantages of a Crowdfunding Campaign
- 7 The Disadvantages of Crowdfunding Campaigns
- 8 What Products and Projects Are Suitable for Crowdfunding?
- 9 10 Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign in Germany
- 9.0.1 1. Spread Your Story
- 9.0.2 2. Set a Funding Goal
- 9.0.3 3. Promote Your Crowdfunding Campaign
- 9.0.4 4. Update Your Newsfeed Regularly
- 9.0.5 5. Fulfill Your Promise
- 9.0.6 6. Make People Believe in Your Product
- 9.0.7 7. Production
- 9.0.8 8. Shipping and Fulfillment
- 9.0.9 9. Selecting the Pledges
- 9.0.10 10. Make Changes Based on Feedback
- 9.1 Conclusion and Summary
- 9.2 Free Consultation
- 9.3 Further Articles
| Crowdfunding Plattformen – Übersicht | |
| ⭐ Vorgabe: | Crowdfunding Plattformen |
| 🏆 Dauer: | Ca. 3 Monate |
| 💰 Kosten: | Projektspezifisch |
| 📺 Zielsetzung: | Crowdfunding Finanzierung einsammeln |
| ⚡ Technologien und Kenntnisse: | Social Media, Webseite, Video, E-Mail-Newsletter |
The Essentials at a Glance
• Crowdfunding literally means mass financing. The name says it all.
• Crowdfunding was first introduced in the software industry by Kickstarter.
• In crowdfunding, projects try to inspire people outside the project.
• Fans and interested parties support a crowdfunding campaign with pledges.
The Top Crowdfunding Platforms from Germany
Anbieter |
Zielgruppe |
Kosten |
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1. StartNext
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Größte und bekannteste deutsche Crowdfunding Plattform | 5% der Einnahmen 3-5% Bearbeitungsgebühr | ZUM ANBIETER |
2. VisionBakery
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Zweitgröẞte Plattform für Crowdfunding in Deutschland | 5% der Einnahmen | ZUM ANBIETER |
3. ecocrowd
 |
Technische Produkte | 5% per Transaktion | ZUM ANBIETER |
What Is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is an English term that stands for mass financing. The name is accurate, because instead of the project or company leaders, banks, or investors, the masses—i.e. you and me—take over the financing of projects. The project or initiative is published on a website and then presented to the masses in this way. Interested parties and fans then have the opportunity to support this project with a so-called pledge. In return for their support, the backers receive a reward, such as a free product upon completion, a mention in the credits, or another benefit. Exactly what the benefit looks like also depends, among other things, on how high the respective pledge was. The advantage is that there is no large investment, but that many—perhaps even millions of people like you and me—support the project with small amounts. The masses often make up a very high and considerable sum in the end.
The concept of crowdfunding is not new in itself. In the last ten years, however, websites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo have succeeded, with the help of the Internet, in making crowdfunding available to the general public in an easy and uncomplicated way. It is no longer necessary to search for potential backers through newspapers and ads. Instead, a simple link is sufficient, and there are now many millions of users who check Kickstarter and other portals weekly for interesting opportunities.
How Does a Crowdfunding Campaign Work?
Thanks to the Internet and the crowdfunding platform, a corresponding campaign can be created very easily and in a short time today. First of all, you have to choose a provider. The different platforms each target different audiences. Then you need to register for an account and can then create your project. A project description, photos and videos, etc., are part of this. Depending on the platform, your project must then be reviewed and activated by the site operators to prevent fraud. Certain requirements and conditions must be met for this.
Once your profile and project have been approved by the website, it becomes visible to everyone, and anyone who is interested can make a pledge. The money is collected over the duration of the campaign. Whether a payout occurs or not also depends on the platform. Some providers, like Kickstarter, require that you reach your pre-set goal. Other platforms, on the other hand, pay out the revenue generated at the end of the campaign, regardless of whether the goal was met or not. Only the platform’s costs and fees are deducted.
Once your campaign is online, you can reinforce it with targeted marketing. Publish the link with information on social networks, in your blog and newsletter, on your company’s website, and on other portals or in relevant media you use for marketing. After that, it’s a matter of managing the campaign and waiting for the results.
Advantages of a Crowdfunding Campaign
A crowdfunding campaign offers you various valuable advantages compared to other forms of financing and is moreover a good and simple way to obtain the necessary start-up capital with a great idea. The most important advantages are:
• Validation of your ideas
• Building a following
• Creation of an accessible source of financing
The Disadvantages of Crowdfunding Campaigns
Of course, even with all the advantages, there are also some risks and dangers in crowdfunding that you should be aware of. The biggest risks and dangers are:
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• There is now a lot of competition and many competitors
• Your idea really needs to be innovative and creative
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• Requires a lot of time and effort to be successful
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Vorteile des Fundraising |
Nachteile des Fundraising |
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A successful crowdfunding campaign has now become a really big undertaking due to the effort and strong competition. Nevertheless, a successful campaign is often less complex and, above all, significantly more rewarding and cheaper than conventional methods.
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What Products and Projects Are Suitable for Crowdfunding?
10 Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign in Germany
1. Spread Your Story
For the project presentation, introduce both yourself and your project idea with an image. Ideally, you should also create a short video about the project. For this reason, it makes sense to at least have a prototype. This way, you can substantiate the seriousness of the endeavor and offer something to your prospects at the same time. Show that you are credible by speaking clearly, outlining the concept and benefits, and demonstrating exactly how it works. Connect emotionally with a personal story so that a potential funder can rely on it and be swept up by your project. Finally, explain why the product is unique. People need to know which problem you are solving that is attractive to consumers.[/vc_column_text]
2. Set a Funding Goal
When you launch your crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, note that the platform uses an all-or-nothing funding model. This means that if you do not reach your funding goal, all pledges will be refunded. If you reach your goal or exceed it, you can keep the money minus a fee. Many platforms operate on the same principle. However, there are exceptions. Platforms like Indiegogo allow you to keep the money even if the goal is not reached, or let you choose between both options. Therefore, you must carefully consider your realistic revenues in advance, and also the duration of the campaign plays an important role to think about.
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3. Promote Your Crowdfunding Campaign
Without 100% engagement on your part, it is unlikely your crowdfunding campaign will succeed. Use all the relationship and marketing channels available to you. Through clever use of various promotion channels, Black Hops Brewing reached its goal within 24 hours. You can achieve similar results, but you must take action yourself.[/vc_column_text]
4. Update Your Newsfeed Regularly
It’s also important to be honest in your videos and updates about your project and progress. If things don’t go as planned, that’s okay—every project faces challenges. But be transparent and honest. Your backers want to know that you can actually deliver on your promises.[/vc_column_text]
5. Fulfill Your Promise
Your crowdfunding campaign isn’t over just because you hit your funding goal. It only ends once you’ve kept your promise to your backers and investors and fulfilled your part of the deal. This means completing your project, delivering your perks or rewards, and ensuring that communication, production, and delivery of the products or services work smoothly. Once you’ve reached your funding goals, this should be a minimum courtesy to your supporters. You also build your reputation this way and can count on your backers’ help in the future.
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6. Make People Believe in Your Product
The fundamental purpose of creating a new product is to solve a specific problem. For a crowdfunded product to succeed—and for any product to succeed—people must believe that your project helps them solve an important problem in their work or daily lives. You must convey the product’s value clearly. Only then can you win the necessary backers for your project.
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7. Production
Your backers are generally understanding customers. They know that financing a product through crowdfunding isn’t the same as buying off the shelf. However, this doesn’t mean they have no expectations of you and your project. Before you start your campaign, you should have a solid, well-founded estimate of your production schedule. To create this estimate, you should consider the following questions and have answers ready:
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- How many products do you plan to produce? How long does production take at your ideal order size?
- How long does it take until you receive your products from your manufacturer?
- How long does it take to fulfill the campaign’s rewards?
It’s helpful if your manufacturing or production process is completed before you launch your campaign. Also, don’t forget to include extra time buffers. Unforeseen delays can always occur, and you’ll need to compensate for them. Even if your timeline changes over time, a well-thought-out estimate is helpful. It also gives backers an idea of what to expect. If delays do occur, inform your backers immediately and present an updated estimate.
8. Shipping and Fulfillment
Before you launch your crowdfunding campaign and make promises to supporters, make sure your manufacturer is ready and able to deliver to your location within the given timeframe. This is especially important if it’s your first project or first collaboration with the supplier, or if they haven’t shipped to your country before. It also means you or your partner may need to handle large quantities of product deliveries and have the necessary capacity. Plus, consider potential storage needs. If you have 1,000 backers, that’s already 1,000 deliveries to fulfill—just for your supporters. Additional customer orders and referrals from your backers aren’t included here.
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9. Selecting the Pledges
Be creative and think about what is sensible and interesting. What would you like to see as a pledge? How much would you spend? Offer priority ordering and delivery, discounts, free products, etc. After all, your backer may end up purchasing one or more of your products with their pledge.
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10. Make Changes Based on Feedback
One of the most important things you can do before trying to finance your product is to make sure you’ve taken the time to implement your idea. Because once the campaign starts, things get serious. Make sure experts test and review your product or prototype and confirm that you’re truly ready to proceed. Receiving this feedback is essential to make necessary improvements before launching a crowdfunding campaign. You must take feedback from consumers and funders seriously. You may have a great product, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect or can’t be improved.
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Conclusion and Summary
A crowdfunding campaign can help you obtain the capital you need to manufacture a product. But don’t be fooled! A successful campaign requires a lot of time and careful planning. Think of a crowdfunding campaign like a wedding: you want everything to be perfect and spectacular. But the most important thing is that things develop well in the long run. After all, you don’t get married just to get divorced a few months or years later. Once you’ve carried out a successful crowdfunding campaign, you ideally have the necessary funds to develop your product and bring it to market.
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Free Consultation
We are pleased to offer you a free consultation in which we will develop an individual strategy for your project -> Schedule a Free Consultation[/vc_message]
