How to Get Press Coverage for Your Crowdfunding Campaign

Getting coverage from a reputable media outlet can make the biggest difference for a crowdfunding campaign, so it’s no secret that almost every successful project’s PR/Marketing strategy has a heavy focus on media outreach. In fact, statistics suggest campaigns that get media coverage perform 2-3x better than ones that don’t (source).

Getting media coverage for your campaign is no easy feat. It often takes a good story, a strong ask, and an enticing offer to get your project into the spotlight. 

This post will break down the steps you can take to increase your chances of getting media coverage— setting your campaign up for success! 

The story

The simple fact that you are launching a crowdfunding campaign is not enough to pique the media’s interest. They need to understand why your project is unique and why they should care.

Media outlets see hundreds of requests for coverage every week, so you need to make it crystal clear why they should consider your request— and you need to do it quickly. 

Media outlets and their writers do not have time to go digging for information about your project, so it’s important to make it easy for them to understand what it’s all about and lay out the facts in an objective and reader-friendly way. One of the best ways to communicate this information is through a press release.

A press release is an official document that is created by you for members of the media. It is used to deliver information, provide a statement, or make an announcement. A press release should be brief and to the point so the recipient can easily digest it, but detailed enough that it does not require further research to understand the information that is being presented. 

The ask

Your press release (or any information about your campaign) needs to be accompanied by an ask. In other words, you need to provide context for your intended recipient about why you are contacting them. 

Ideally, this wouldn’t be the first time your media contact is hearing from you. Your ask is much more likely to be accepted if you’ve made the effort to build rapport and establish a relationship before you request coverage.

You can kick off your introduction to them by:

• Following them on social media
• Commenting on their published work
• Emailing/calling to ask if they are open to receiving pitches 
• If they are local, asking to meet for coffee or attending events where there is an opportunity to connect 
• Leveraging your network for an introduction or referral

In reality, you don’t always have the runway to build solid relationships before your campaign is set to go live. If this is the case and you have to cold email your contacts, we recommend approaching them with a message like this:

Hi [contact name],

My name is [your name] and I am the [your role] at [your organization]. I read your work on [details about written work] and was really impressed with [something nice about their writing].

I am reaching out to you because I am launching a crowdfunding campaign for my latest project, [project name], and thought your readers might be interested to learn about [project details]. I decided to create [project name], because [problem your project solves] and figured you could probably relate given [contact’s and/or reader’s specific pain point]. 

I am wondering if you would be open to collaborating on a story for your readers? As a successful [contact’s job title], I can appreciate how busy you must be. I have attached a press release to this email outlining the details of my project for you to review at your convenience. 

I also wanted to let you know about the referral program I am running to help promote my campaign. If you’re interested in writing about [project name] I can get you set up with a custom referral link. If one of your readers pledges to the campaign after clicking on your custom link, I’ll give you [commission rate] of the pledge to say thanks for helping me spread the word! 

Let me know if this is something you’re interested in, and if I can provide any additional information.

Thanks for your time, I hope to hear from you soon!

Best,
[your name]

To break it down, the key points you’ll want to include are:

• Who you are and why you’re contacting them (the ask)
• A brief overview of your project (the story)
• How your project relates to your contact and their readers
• What’s in it for them (the offer)

The offer

Content creators are often looking for ways to monetize their content, so they will sometimes charge a fee in exchange for coverage. Many produce content on a full-time basis, so it is only fair that they are compensated for their efforts.

However, sponsoring stories can be expensive and offer no guarantee of a return on your investment. 

Creating a referral program and inviting members of the media to participate in it is a scalable and low-risk way to pump up your campaign’s marketing. 

Referral marketing is structured with a pay-for-performance model, meaning you only pay a commission on referrals that lead to successful pledges. This also means that your media partners won’t get paid unless their content helps send traffic to your campaign page that actually converts. 

Referral marketing is mutually beneficial for 2 reasons:

1. Your media partners have unlimited earning potential. The more pledges they help you secure, the more they get paid. Your partners are highly incentivized to produce converting content and promote your project to their audience.
2. Your marketing cost is only applied after you have received a successful pledge, so your cost-to-conversion ratio is 1:1. In addition, your cost is a percentage of the pledge you receive, so you don’t have to pay upfront or out of pocket. This makes your referral program a marketing strategy with virtually zero risk. 

Kickbooster created the first and only referral marketing tool made specifically for project creators in the crowdfunding space. Kickbooster’s referral marketing tool makes it easy to set up a referral program in minutes, and provides a custom signup page for your media partners to visit to get their unique referral link. Kickbooster also takes care of pledge validation and commission payouts, so you don’t have to worry about paying a commission on false or failed pledges. To begin setting up your referral program, click here.

Key takeaways

Working with the media to promote your crowdfunding campaign can be a very effective way to tap into highly engaged and niche audiences. It can be challenging to get the attention of the media, but it is definitely worth the effort. 

Presenting an intriguing story, a clear ask, and an attractive offer can significantly increase your chances of capturing the media’s attention.

Writing a press release and offering a referral program are key components of a compelling media outreach strategy that work to improve the likelihood of getting your project centre stage.