The best way to collaborate is with community. In the world of crowdfunding and online connectivity, community can be defined as any group of people who share your passion, hobby or vision enough that they are willing to open their wallet and chip in. In other words they are willing to “show you the money.”
An online community (such as the type you can create with SocialEngine enables participants to:
- rapidly share information
- make suggestions
- respond to your ideas and
- create an environment for viral growth of participation.
In reality there are two types of online communities.
Geographic Communities
These are online communities representing a specific geographic area. For example you are creating a project to raise money for a new shelter for animals in your town. In this case the primary (but not the only) community audience and members will be people who live in your town.
Global Communities
These communities are national or even global in scope and usually based on common interests. Maybe you are creating a new world-music CD or a film about climate change. Your audience can live anywhere in the world and participate in the outcome of your efforts.
It’s About Passion
In both of the above cases the creation of an online community with people who share your passion will provide significant value to your project and fundraising efforts. In the first type of community you might consider connecting the real world to the online world.
Offline to Online
How? First, create your online community with a solid platform. Second, promote your vision and your online community in the real world. Put up flyers in coffee houses, grocery stores, pet supply stores, veterinarian offices. What you want to do is move people from the real world to your online community. This may be the fastest way to grow a base of people who will be willing to participate in your crowdfunding campaign. Rather than start with your hand out; start with a community where people can really get excited about your ideas. Then they will naturally share and grow your community to the point where you have a large audience that can make it easier to reach your crowdfunding goals.
If your online community represents a much larger geographic area then your starting ground is going to be online also. Go to web sites; blogs; Facebook pages and even other communities to connect with and aggregate people who will join YOUR online community. If you already have a decent network or email list, start with that. The goal is the same as with a specific geographic area. You want to connect with people who are going to be passionate about sharing ideas and contributing funds because they like what you are doing.
Free Kickstarting Community E-Book
Get the free crowdfunding E-book Kickstarting Community: Custom Social Networks for Crowdfunding.
Visit http://get.socialengine.com/crowdfunding
