You need to be able to explain this in 2 sentences or less. Some people call this an “elevator pitch”. You won’t be able to answer all the questions in those two sentences, but they should be designed to peak a person’s interest. To get them asking “oh yes, tell me more…” Without it, you won’t hold the attention of viewers long enough to convince them to pledge.

Put in the research, get quotes. Know how much you need. Forget about the PledgeMe fees and rewards costs just for now, and make sure you know the number you need to make the thing you want to do happen. Many crowdfunders have come to me with an “approximate”. When I really push them, that approximate number can vary hugely from the actual number they need. Your chances of success are influenced by how high your target is, so make sure you’re going for your minimum – and be sure of how much that is.

If you want a crowd to support you, then you need to make them care. What problem will you be solving for your pledgers? Why should they help you make this thing a reality? What’s in it for them? It helps to think about who is likely to pledge to your project. Knowing what kind of person might pledge on your campaign makes crafting your video, description, rewards, and promotion so much easier. Many people who fail, fail to stop thinking about that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and consider why someone is supporting them in the first place.

Here’s a hint: it won’t be out of thin air. Your crowd is already made up of so many people. Your family, friends, old workmates, and internet friends are often the first members of your crowd. Then if you are a business or creative, you might have a secondary layer of fans or customers. Perhaps they live on a social media account or email list. In an ideal world, these two layers will get you funded. But sometimes you need to find the third layer: everyone else. That’s when being clear about the type of person you think will pledge to your campaign will come in helpful.

Look at the kind of traditional and social media they pay attention to and pitch your story to them.

The thing is, a crowd can be a pain in the bum. They have high expectations and they’re not afraid to have a moan when things don’t live up to the hype they bought into. When things go wrong, sometimes they turn into an angry mob. But gosh, when they move they can do some truly awe-inspiring things.

So you have got to want that crowd. If you just want the money, then there are other less-intensive ways to get it. The bank is an option. So is a family friend, or saving. Or selling everything to scrape it together. For crowdfunding to work at its best, you have to love your crowd. You need to appreciate every word of feedback, and to genuinely want the support of those people.

You need to want to communicate with them. In fact, I would go so far as to say that for you, the crowd should be more important than the money.