Our crowdfunding campaign
Every adventure begins with many projects to carry out at the same time. For our part, after drafting our business plan, establishing our visual identity, and designing our first bag models, we decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign on the platform Kisskissbankbank. Launching a brand on a personal level requires a lot of time and financial resources. So, love money is often welcome! Let's take a look together at the key stages of this campaign...
Partner and scenario
We first looked for a partner to produce the presentation video for the Rive Claire project. Thanks to our network of contacts, we found our great partner Brice from the PULSEMEDIA agency. Brice immediately understood our expectations and also supported us with excellent advice.
To ensure the video is well shot, you obviously need to write the script. It's a challenging but exciting task. It's important to speak from the heart and stay natural. You also shouldn't forget the various camera angles to identify beforehand and the accessories to bring on that day. Those participating in the shoot need to be well-prepared too. For the location, we decided to stay local in Switzerland near the beautiful Lake Zurich. Naturally, we prayed for the sun to shine that day!
Project writing
The video is a great tool, but it is not enough on its own. It's important to describe the project in detail so that contributors can understand the full value of your products and, of course, support you! It's a very long process because the writing must be both simple yet effective and understandable to all. We paid particular attention to the photos we used to ensure they were of high quality, and small icons helped us describe a concept quickly without using too many words. It's a task not to be underestimated, as it requires many hours of work on word choices, style, and visuals.
How to please your contributors
After the video and the detailed description of your project, it's about further motivating your contributors by offering interesting rewards that cater to all budgets. There are various strategies for contributions: pre-sales of your products with several packages, gifts made in collaboration with other complementary brands, goodies, etc. For Rive Claire, we were still at the prototype stage, so pre-sales couldn’t be the only offer for our contributors. We also offered accessories that reflected our brand, providing different packs ranging from 10 euros to 500 euros.
The importance of social media engagement
It’s often clear that your first contributors come from your family and friends. That’s why it’s called LOVE MONEY. You always need a first circle, and your close ones are usually there to help. It's then important to target the next two circles: your professional contacts and friends of friends, followed by people you don't know. For the second and third circles, commercial engagement is essential. Whether through social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram, or via Email, your community must always have you in mind. For our part, we organized giveaways with five different brands, offering bonus gifts throughout the campaign. This also helps you gain visibility, expand your community, and win over your first fans. Don’t hesitate to seek advice from experts on your chosen crowdfunding platform.
And afterwards?
What we noticed during the weeks of the campaign is that it starts strong at the beginning but also during the final week. That’s when you have to give it your all! For Rive Claire, we were fortunate to exceed our goal with great joy. But even if your campaign ends, it's important to maintain a good relationship with your contributors. Newsletters work very well for sharing updates: thanks, production stages, delays, etc. Right after our campaign, we faced the COVID-19 pandemic and had to deal with many challenges. We always kept in touch with our community. The most important thing is to communicate because, generally speaking, your contributors are very understanding and patient. Crowdfunding remains a significant milestone in your journey, and we, of course, wish all future entrepreneurs the best of luck on their adventures!
