Electric bikes of all kinds have been a huge hit on Kickstarter and Indiegogo recently, from folding electric bikes to build-your-own kits. Here’s how to crowdfund your electric bike.
Hosting a Successful Electric Bike Kickstarter or Indiegogo Campaign
Know What Makes Your Electric Bike Different
Nearly anyone can figure out how to strap a motor to a bike and make it electric. Think about what will set your electric bike apart from the rest. Does it fold? Is it for off-roading? Is it the most customizable or affordable one on the market? Is it a smart bike? A main component of a successful crowdfunding campaign is letting people know that they won’t be able to find anything else like what you have to offer on the market.
Build an Email List
You should collect email addresses like it’s your job because the success of your campaign will depend on it. It’s extremely important to set up a crowdfunding landing page for people to visit and sign up if they’re interested in learning more about your electric bike, or better yet, winning one. Offering a chance to win a free product in exchange for their email address is a great way to incentivize people. Once you have a significant amount of emails collected, the key driving factor behind it all is being able to let them know when the campaign is live so that they can be the first to back your project. The more signups you get, the better chance you have of increasing your funding.
Public Relations
Public relations is a time-consuming task that is tough if you haven’t taken the time to build up the right relationships with journalists. It’s important to try and gain press coverage throughout the course of your campaign to potentially provide a boost in campaign page visits and, of course, pre-order sales. If you Google “electric bikes”, you’ll see a majority of the coolest ones listed in some pretty popular outlets, and that’s because of public relations. If you have something worth covering, good PR will help your product and campaign gain coverage and get your brand name out there.
Product Video, Photos & Graphics
If you go to any crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo or Kickstarter, what’s the first thing you see? No matter what campaign you go to, there will be a video at the top of the page. Since this is the first thing that your potential backers will come across, it’s extremely important to have a compelling video. Show your backers what they want to see, which is the features of your electric bike in action, not just a static product. It’s also important to remember: the longer the video, the better chance you have of losing the attention of your backers, so get the important stuff in first and keep the video to 2-3 minutes.
Good graphics should also be high on your list of important things to focus on. Lots of eye-catching graphics and images of your electric bike’s features, colors, designs and other compelling info will keep your backers engaged, interested and informed. Try to keep your page unified and make sure that it flows when you read it. If it’s hard for backers to find the information that they want to see, chances are you’ll see your inbox piling up with questions and concerns.
Be Social and Advertise
From larger companies like Taco Bell, Nike and Time Warner Cable to mom-and-pop shops, pretty much all brands now have social media accounts. Having things like a Facebook and Twitter account for your electric bike will help you build your community and allow you to engage with your potential backers, give them special updates and keep them informed. Being social with your following is a great way to boost trust and the happiness of your community.
Just like most other products, you need to have strong advertising to make your product known. Facebook is one of the most effective platforms to advertise on for your crowdfunding campaign. The same way that you want your landing page, graphics and video to be visually appealing, you’ll also want your ads to be eye catching as well. The more appealing the ad, the more likely a potential backer is to click on it. Being able to target the right audiences for your electric bike is also extremely important. It’s important to be able to target the right demographic down to age, interests and geographic location. Once you’ve solidified your target audience, being able to read and comprehend the numbers and analytics behind ads is something that will help you decide if your ads are working efficiently or not. If you’re not sure who to target or need help to figure out an advertising budget, get in touch with us. We have advertising and social media down to a science.
Ready to Ride?
Now that you have a general idea of what it takes to make your electric bike campaign successful, are you ready to get things rolling? If you have any general questions or you’re not sure that you have the time and effort to develop a unique electric bike campaign that will really stand on its own, the Enventys Partners team is always here to help. Request a quote online to see how we can help you run a successful electric bike campaign.
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