Kat Jenkins - Crowdfunding Strategist
In 2014, I quit my office job, ran my first crowdfunding project, and decided to help people run crowdfunding projects.
And looking back, I was pretty good at it. Projects that worked with me had an 87% success rate – more than double the Kickstarter average.
But by 2018, I had a lot going on in my life. I knew I wasn’t giving my best to campaigners.
Ask any person who has run a crowdfunding campaign and they’ll tell you it’s emotionally exhausting. I’d helped on over 50 of them by that point. Every single one felt like a rollercoaster, and I didn’t have that bandwidth anymore. I closed shop.
Time went on, I purchased a lifestyle block and became a gardener. I created a cat-treat product called ‘Kat’s Nip‘. It’s a life that I like.
But in 2023, I was asked if I might be willing to “come out of retirement” to help with something special. That turned out to be Nisa Manufactory’s record-breaking PledgeMe campaign.
It made me look back at the things I used to do. And I came to the realisation that I was offering something of value back then. And I’d like it to remain valuable, to help people build the things they care about.
It turns out I still care about helping people be better at crowdfunding.
Now. If I’m honest with you, I love my farming and gardening life. It’s nice here in nature. I’m not totally sure how much I want to dive back into this. But for now, I’ve partnered with PledgeMe to bring back 15 of my old crowdfunding advice posts.
What to Expect When You Crowdfund
An introduction to how a crowdfunding campaign typically runs; the emotions that come with it; and the importance of the pre-campaign preparation period.
Are You Ready to Crowdfund?
The questions you should ask yourself before moving into crowdfunding mode.
Projects often fail because they’re just not ready for crowdfunding.
Be a Supporter First
The easiest way to learn about crowdfunding is to make some pledges on other people’s projects.
Learn what to look for when studying a crowdfunding project.
Finding Your First Supporters
How do you find a crowd?
Where do they come from?
How do you stay in touch with them?
Why Your Campaign Needs A Communication Strategy
How you can create the kind of success Yeastie Boys and Nisa experienced in your own PledgeMe campaign.
Figuring Out Your Project’s Funding Goal
The higher your fundraising goal, the harder it is to succeed at crowdfunding.
How do you set a funding goal that isn’t too high or too low – but just right?
5 Simple Tips For Making Your PledgeMe Video
A crowdfunding campaign with a video is up to 117% more likely to fund.
If you truly want to succeed, you need to put a little time, effort, and thought into your crowdfunding video.
They’re still being published, so make sure you’re following PledgeMe on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, or LinkedIn to know when a new one is out.
More recently, I wrote a post-campaign analysis of Nisa’s PledgeMe campaign. It pulls back the curtain and shows you exactly how Nisa pulled their successful project campaign off.
How Nisa Raised $100,000 in 2 Days – A PledgeMe Post-Campaign Analysis
It had been over 5 years since my last crowdfunding campaign, and I was (am) definitely a bit rusty. But when I heard what the campaign was – and who I’d be working with – I was all in.
The result of this collaboration – with the Nisa Manufactory – was a crowdfunding campaign that doubled their funding goal of $80,000 to raise a total of $165,093 in 27 days.
I also had a chat with Anna, co-founder of PledgeMe (from our caravan on our farm) about the things that made Nisa’s campaign a success. You can watch it below.
If you’d like to know about what I’m doing with crowdfunding, you can follow my Facebook page Kat Jenkins – Crowdfunding Strategist, or on LinkedIn where I’ll be posting that stuff as I figure this out.