When’s the Best Time to Launch a Crowdfunding Project?

With hundreds of new products under our belts, we’ve found that there is no “one size fits all” answer to this question. However, we have developed a proven process for crowdfunding to help our clients develop their campaigns and reach their Kickstarter and Indiegogo goals.

There are many factors to consider when deciding your launch date. Ultimately, the success of your campaign will be influenced by things like:

• The quality of your idea and product. At the end of the day, a bad product or idea will result in a failing campaign.
• The work you put in before you launch your campaign. It’s important to generate leads and drum up excitement about your campaign so that you can have a successful launch day.
• Your post-launch campaign strategy. The work doesn’t end when you hit “launch.” You also need to have a strategy in place that keeps your momentum going after launch day.

Some things to keep in mind when you are brainstorming your strategy include your product development timeline for both prototypes and finished products, whether your product has seasonal qualities, when your team will be available, what you want your marketing strategy to look like, and how much time you’ll need to prepare for your actual campaign. Once you have all of this figured out, you can consider which launch date could be best for you.

Here are our best tips for choosing your crowdfunding project launch date.

 

Keep Seasonality in Mind

 

Despite the delay in time from when someone backs your project to when they receive your product, it is important to keep seasonality in mind when launching your campaign.

For example, suppose you are launching a line of swimsuits. While it may seem best to launch this project in the fall or winter so that it will be delivered when the summer swim season comes around, we have found that historically this logic doesn’t always hold true. Instead, it is better to launch your product when it is seasonally appropriate. Your audience won’t be thinking about their summer plans in the winter, so it is better to plan a launch date for warmer months in this example. The same logic holds true for products designed for colder weather or other seasonal events.

 

The Holiday Shopping Season

 

The holiday season is the time of year when the most amount of money is spent shopping online, and it is also something to keep in mind when launching a crowdfunding project. Although shoppers could be looking for tangible gifts that they can have in time for the holidays, this does not mean you should absolutely not launch during this season. The other important aspects to focus on when determining when to launch are your product’s seasonality, as discussed above, and the quality of your pre-launch initiatives. If you are able to attract the right audience during your pre-launch phase, which we will discuss below, you’ll have a better chance to set your campaign up for success.

 

The Best Time to Launch a Crowdfunding Project Based on Our Experience

 

There is no magic date or time of year to launch your campaign. However, we have found that it is better to launch your campaign on a weekday. Many of our campaigns have found success by launching on Mondays and Tuesdays, with Tuesdays being the most successful.

The time of your launch plays another key role in the success of your campaign. We have found that launching at 10 or 11 a.m. EST yields the best results for crowdfunding campaigns.

You will also need to consider how many days you would like to run your campaign. If your campaign is too short, you may miss opportunities to reach a large number of backers. If your campaign is too long, backers may lose interest, and you run the risk of your campaign becoming static by the end.

We recommend a campaign duration of 30-40 days. With a campaign of this length, you can instill a slight sense of urgency to encourage backers to support your campaign, without losing their interest by the end.

 

It’s Also About Proper Campaign Management

 

As we mentioned earlier, proper pre-campaign work increases your chances for your success, regardless of when you launch.

Your pre-campaign efforts will help you establish your product or idea because they allow you to gain interest in your project, generate leads, receive early feedback on your idea and build momentum before your campaign even launches.

The more work you put in during pre-launch, the greater the payoff will be once you press the launch button. Consider what you want your pre-launch phase to look like and how it will affect your campaign. Plan your launch for a time that you feel will work best for your campaign, your marketing team and your strategy.

Are you getting ready to launch your crowdfunding campaign? Are you looking for more tips on how to launch a successful project? We’re the experts! Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you reach your crowdfunding goals.