The Essential Crowdfunding Calendar and Checklist A day-by-day guide with everything you need to run a successful campaign
Indiegogo Prep Calendar 1 Indiegogo Prep Calendar: 2 months before launch
SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Start collecting emails of Read the Email Write 10 to 15 different 3 Build your campaign Make a list of your Fill out the Campaign Start campaign draft by interested individuals. Outreach Success sentence descriptions of team. Teams of 2 or biggest supporters (your Marketing Workbook. adding a title, goal, and document and start your project. This will be more raise 3 times more “host committee”), who determine the campaign Create social media building your outreach helpful as you begin to than individuals. will contribute first and length. pages and follow list and outreach draft your pitch. enthusiastically spread relevant influencers. schedule. Invite the teammates via the word. 1 2 3 your campaign page.4 5 6 7 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Storyboard your pitch Set up and verify your Design the campaign Fill in perks and all other Add content to the Research events/groups video. Check out some PayPal account (if perk structure (make campaign draft details. Facebook page and related to your project funny pitch videos for applicable). sure fulfillment is start tweeting. Use & reach out to tell them inspiration. feasible). social media scheduling about your campaign. tools. Rotate news/blog For hardware posts, images, videos, or campaigns, learn what quotes. you need to show in the 8 first 30 seconds. 9 10 11 12 13 14 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Choose a videographer Start drafting your pitch Choose a designer to Share your email landing Write press releases Decide on special perks Draft at least 10 Tweets, & photographer for your text. create infographics, or page & social media for local media. to introduce later in the FB posts, and short pitch video and images create your own using pages with your host campaign. emails that your host for your campaign (if Examples of great various tools available committee & early committee can share. you don’t want to DIY). pitch text: Canary and online. supporter network. 15 Misfit Shine 16 17 18 19 20 21 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Email & lock in your Draft pre-campaign Add content to FB page - You’ve still been Write press releases for Design stretch goals. Are you ready to launch? host committee. Share emails and ‘thank-you’ rotate news/blog posts, Tweeting & Retweeting larger daily and weekly Use this email calculator draft emails, Tweets and emails; Add content to images, videos and all this time, right? :) media (press, blogs, etc). You’re still scheduling to check. FB posts & ask them FB page quotes. Facebook posts with to create an email list interesting content, of people to share the right? :) campaign with.22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Indiegogo Prep Calendar 2 2 months before launch checklist
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 Draft social media posts for your host committee to share Collect emails of interested individuals via: Storyboard your pitch video 10 Tweets Landing pages Set up and verify your PayPal account 5 FB posts Events Short emails Social media giveaways Design your campaign’s perk structure In person Schedule posts on Facebook Fill out your campaign draft Create social media accounts Continue Tweeting! Facebook Tumblr Schedule social media posts Twitter Pinterest Choose a social YouTube WEEK 4 Instagram LinkedIn media scheduling tool Tumblr Email and lock in your host committee YouTube Other Facebook Pinterest Twitter LinkedIn Share draft emails, Tweets, FB posts Identify and follow relevant Instagram Other Remind them to create their own email influencers on social media list to share the campaign with Facebook Tumblr Research events/groups related to your project Draft pre-campaign emails Twitter Pinterest Outreach to share your campaign Instagram LinkedIn Draft thank you emails YouTube Other WEEK 3 Write press releases for larger media outlets Pitch video Read the Email Outreach Success document Choose a videographer Design stretch goals Build an email outreach list Choose a photographer Or, create your own! Schedule posts on Facebook Create an email outreach schedule Choose images for your campaign Continue Tweeting! Write 10-15 different 3 sentence descriptions of your project Draft pitch text Use the email calculator to determine if you’re ready to launch Build your campaign team Infographics Choose a designer Make a list of your biggest supporters Or, create your own!
Fill out the Campaign Marketing Workbook Write press releases for local media
Start your campaign draft Create special perks to share later Title in the campaign Goal Campaign length
Indiegogo Prep Calendar 3 Indiegogo Prep Calendar: 1 month before launch
SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Start filmingyour pitch Finalize high-quality Create infographics & Finish 1st draft of pitch video & take photos for photos for pitch text, add them to pitch text video & solicit feedback your campaign gallery, social media, (and video, if applicable), from team and/or and press releases social media, and press friends releases 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Send press release to Ask team for feedback Finalize perk Finish pitch video How are the social media local media contacts on pitch text descriptions and updates going? :) (identified in your price points marketing workbook) 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Let PayPal know you’re Start planning a soft Finalize pitch text based Send out the invite for Design visuals for Soft launch running a campaign (if launch event for your on team’s feedback your soft launch event stretch goals event planning applicable) host committee and their friends 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Send pre-launch email Hope you’re still Review entire campaign Send “3 days until Get supplies (food, to host committee and Tweeting! draft, and opt into launch” email to host drinks, tablets for early contributor list InDemand committee and early contributions) for the Confirm your soft launch contributor list soft launch event event party details 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Indiegogo Prep Calendar 4 1 month before launch checklist
WEEK 1 WEEK 3 Pitch video Contact PayPal to let them know you are Begin filming running a campaign (if applicable) Complete first draft Plan a soft launch event for Collect feedback from team and/or friends host committee and friends Take high-quality photos and add to: Choose a date Pitch text Book venue Gallery Send invite Social media Press releases Design visuals for stretch goals
Create infographics and add to: Continue Tweeting Pitch text Pitch video (if applicable) Schedule posts on Facebook Social media Press releases WEEK 4 Continue Tweeting Send pre-launch email to: Schedule posts on Facebook Host committee Early contributor list
Soft launch event WEEK 2 Confirm all details Get supplies (food, drinks, tablets for Send press releases to local media contacts contributions) Ask team for feedback on your pitch text Complete campaign draft Finalize perks Review all pitch text and images Descriptions Opt into InDemand Price points Continue Tweeting Finish your pitch video Schedule posts on Facebook Continue Tweeting Send “3 days to launch” email to host Schedule posts on Facebook committee and early contributor list
Indiegogo Prep Calendar 5 Indiegogo Prep Calendar: Running and Managing Your Campaign
SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Divide your email list SOFT LAUNCH PUBLIC LAUNCH Reply to comments on Post shareable update. Reply to comments & Post new gallery images. into bucketed groups campaign & send thank send thank you emails (ex: friends and family, • Outreach to host • Email blast Group 1 you emails Reply to comments & Reply to comments & networking contacts, committee and early • Post on social media send thank you emails send thank you emails influencers) contributors 1 • Host soft launch event2 3 4 5 6 7 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday If you reached 40-50% Send email blast to Post shareable update. Reply to comments & Post shareable update. Post new gallery images. Reply to comments & of your goal, send press Group 2. send thank you emails send thank you emails release to larger media Reply to comments & Reply to comments & Reply to comments & outlets. Reply to comments & send thank you emails send thank you emails send thank you emails 8 send thank you emails9 10 11 12 13 14 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Send press releases Post shareable update. Launch new perk. Post new gallery images. Post shareable update. Launch new perk. Reply to comments & to larger media outlets send thank you emails (if you have another Reply to comments & Reply to comments & Reply to comments & Reply to comments & Reply to comments & milestone to announce).15 send thank you emails16 send thank you emails17 send thank you emails18 send thank you emails19 send thank you20 emails 21 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Post shareable update. Launch referral contest. Reply to comments & Reply to comments & Post shareable update. Reply to comments & Reply to comments & send thank you emails send thank you emails send thank you emails send thank you emails Reply to comments & Reply to comments & Reply to comments & send thank you22 emails send thank you23 emails 24 25 send thank you26 emails 27 28 SundaySunday MondayMonday TuesdayTuesday WednesdayWednesday ThursdayThursday Friday Friday SaturdaySaturday Reply to comments & Launch final promotion Enter bank account Send “48 hour Send “24 hour CAMPAIGN ENDS. Post Thank You Update. send thank you emails push based on previous information in campaign. countdown” update via countdown” update. WOOHOO! successful tactics. Call bank to confirm campaign page, social Reply to comments details, and learn about media, and email. Reply to comments & Reply to comments & & send last thank you Reply to comments & when to expect funds. send thank you emails send thank you emails emails send thank you emails Reply to comments & 29 30 31 send thank you32 emails 33 34 35 Indiegogo Prep Calendar 6 Running and Managing Your Campaign Checklist
WEEK 1 WEEK 3 WEEK 5 Divide your email list into bucketed groups Send press release to larger media outlets Launch final promotion push based on previous Host committee announcing milestone successful tactics Friends and family not in host committee Email blast Post shareable updates (Group 1) Social media posts Networking contacts (Group 2) Launch new perks Host event Influencers (Group 3) Other Other Post new gallery images Prepare to receive funds Soft launch Reply to comments Enter bank account information in campaign Outreach to host committee Call bank to confirm details Send thank you emails and early contributors Learn when to expect your funds Host soft launch event WEEK 4 Send “48 hour countdown” update on: Public launch Post shareable updates Campaign page Email blast Group 1 Social media Post on social media Launch referral contest Email
Post shareable update Post new gallery images Send “24 hour countdown” update on: Campaign page Post new gallery images Reply to comments Social media Reply to comments Send thank you emails Email
Send thank you emails Reply to comments Send thank you emails WEEK 2 Send press release to larger media outlets After campaign ends, post thank you update announcing milestone
Send email blast to Group 2
Post shareable updates
Post new gallery images
Reply to comments
Send thank you emails
Indiegogo Prep Calendar 7 Indiegogo Checklist: After Your Crowdfunding Campaign
INDEMAND COMMUNICATION PERKS Opt into InDemand if you met your goal Send Thank You messages Begin organizing perk fulfillment process Tips for Hardware campaigns Campaign page update Consider fulfillment service like Amplifier Tips for Film campaigns Social media Verify contributor addresses Email Expect funds every 4 weeks before sending perks Reply to comments regularly Resend contributor address verification email to anyone who has not responded FUNDS Send updates on campaign page Notify your bank that funds are Status of production/perk fulfillment Manage perk fulfillment with Order“ States” coming 10 to 15 business days Milestones and announcements on campaign dashboard after your campaign ends Delays in production Send perks Team photos Update your refund policy on campaign FAQs Prototypes Learn how to provide refunds Post updates on social media to your contributors
Receive funds 10 to 15 business days after your campaign ends
Indiegogo Prep Calendar 8