8 Ways to Make Your Crowdfunding Campaign Pop It seems like everyone and their mother has a Kickstarter campaign. Here's how to get yours noticed.
By Jodi Helmer •
This story appears in the June 2014 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
For Joanna Griffiths, launching a crowdfunding campaign was about more than raising capital for her startup. Griffiths turned to Indiegogo in 2013 to test the market for Knix Wear, a line of women's underwear made from moisture-wicking, odor-absorbent fabrics. "It was the last test in a series of tests I conducted before launching the business," explains the Toronto-based entrepreneur.
Even though Knix Wear garnered support from 518 backers who pledged more than $50,000 for the 2013 campaign--on a goal of less than $40,000--crowdfunding was a challenge. "I thought if I had a great idea and a strong platform, I would sell thousands of units," Griffiths recalls. "But getting every single new backer was a struggle."
As crowdfunding gains popularity as a financing model--Kickstarter, for example, has seen more than $1 billion pledged since its 2009 launch, and more than 19,000 successful campaigns last year alone--a growing number of startups are clamoring for support from backers, making it that much harder for 'treps to stand out.
