Go Beyond the Pre-Sale

Underperforming campaigns tend to focus strictly on content or merch pre-sales, but your best fans don't want another T-shirt. And these days, paying for content is basically an act of charity.  Don't be a charity, instead...

Love Your Tribe

Most of what artists currently sell online is a traditional business model slapped onto the internet: Tower Records > iTunes; merch booth > online store; box office > Ticketmaster.com, etc.  Crowd-funding, on the other hand, is a social commerce format native to the internet.  In fact, it ONLY works online.  So go beyond the cold transactions, and you'll find that direct communication and surprising intimacy should be reciprocated in your bottom line.  

Give Your (Best) Fans What They Want

Successful music campaigns generate a majority of their revenues from the minority of backers who pledge $85 and more.  That means going beyond CDs and merch and into categories like memorabilia, experiences, kudos, and more. Optimized rewards that give real value to your fans at the right price is an absolute requirement for a successful campaign.

Growth Hack

Monitor and analyze your traffic and conversions.  Constantly draw steady, targeted traffic.  Use the language of persuasion in your copy-writing. Adopt the aggressive and quantitative strategy of a good web startup, because that's what you're going to be for 2 months.  

Find Your Tribe

Unlike other campaign verticals, almost all backers of musician projects come from long-time fans.  So don't waste your time and money marketing to new fans via traditional PR.  Save that for the album launch,  Instead, go capture your hardcore fans on email and social media.  Always aim for two clicks from one super fan instead of 1 click each from two casual fans.

... or just give Think Steady a shout...

At Think Steady, we design a customized set of reward tiers for our artists, optimized and priced for success, then help you properly launch and market your campaign with clever tactics that combine psychology and internet interfaces.  The growth in your social media alone should leave you better off than before.... nevermind the campaign $$$!  We draw upon a proprietary study of the top 150 most funded music campaigns, including detailed stats on every reward ever offered.  Ask us about it!

Identify Your Whales

While the pre-Napster music industry was lucky to get away with one-size-fits-all model, the future of artists' livelihood depends on knowing your whales.  A crowd-funding campaign is the first step towards plucking those special patrons from the crowd.  

Rally the Troops

Your best fans want to be involved.  Allow them to be emotionally invested, and they're more likely to spread the good word.  Most touring musicians who complete a successful campaign find a pleasant surprise the next time they're on the road.

Pre-Album Cycle

Start your next album cycle seeded with evangelists, investors and overall excitement.  You worked hard on your album -- it deserves 2 cascading cycles instead of just 1.  

Social Confirmation

There are tiny artists who have raised a shocking amount of funds, and big artists whose campaigns' flopped.  Crowd-funding is uncharted territory, so the range of success is vast.  Be the early adopter who performs shockingly well and people will pay attention.