Crowdfunding Behind the Scenes – How to Create a Campaign That Attracts Investors?

Crowdfunding attracts with its simplicity: you post a project, people donate, and you bring the idea to life. But in practice, it doesn’t work quite like that. If you’re seriously considering a campaign that will draw investors, not just likes, you need to cover more than just posting a nice graphic and a link on stories. In this post, we’ll show you what crowdfunding looks like from behind the scenes, what truly works, where to launch a campaign to raise money rather than frustration, what it costs, and how to set a financial goal without falling into a pit.

Why is your crowdfunding not catching on? Here are the mistakes 90% of campaigns make (and how to avoid them)

Let’s start with the basics: what is crowdfunding in practice? It’s not just “posting a fundraiser and waiting for a miracle.” It’s a form of community financing where you genuinely offer something in return for support – a product, equity, pre-sale, bonuses, or access to unique materials. Here’s where it gets tricky, because 78% of campaigns do not reach their financial goal, and according to crowdfunding statistics in Poland, many fail before they even get properly started.

Why is that? Because most people assume the platform will do all the work for them. You expect that by posting your project on a crowdfunding site, someone will magically click and transfer money. The reality is, if you haven’t built a community before launch, you’re counting only on random passers-by. On top of that, there’s the lack of prepared materials, chaotic communication and unclear campaign goals. Instead of generic slogans like “I want to create a board game,” show what makes your project stand out, why it’s necessary, and what supporters will gain from it. Calculate the budget, outline costs, plan marketing ahead of time, instead of posting “we start tomorrow.” Crowdfunding is a process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing. If you understand this difference, you’re already a step ahead of 90% who jump in without a plan.

Instead of asking for donations, give a reason to invest – how to create an offer that sparks FOMO

Let’s not mince words – people don’t donate because they like you, but because they see value for themselves. And you have to show that value. If you want to attract investors, you need to create an offer that is specific, attractive, and time-limited. Most successful campaigns clearly show: “invest now, because later there won’t be such a price or bonuses”. This induces FOMO – the fear of missing out.

Prepare a pre-sale with a limited pool of rewards, add unique bonuses for the first supporters, show that the project is in an advanced stage, not just “in idea.” People want to see prototypes, real photos, videos showing the product in action. If you’re building a board game, show snippets of gameplay; if you’re publishing a book – record yourself discussing its content; if you’re planning a physical product – present it in everyday use. Your task is not to ask for money, but to show why people will want to be part of this project themselves. The best campaigns don’t sell a product, they sell participation in a story that you create together with investors.

Not just Kickstarter – where to launch a campaign to realistically raise money, not just likes

Common mistake? Assuming only Kickstarter exists. Meanwhile, every crowdfunding service has its own specificity, costs, and community, so if you’re planning a campaign, don’t limit yourself to one place. Kickstarter indeed has the largest global reach, but if you don’t have a community abroad, you might drown in a sea of projects without effect. On the other hand, PolakPotrafi or Zrzutka are smaller platforms but with strong communities in Poland – it’s easier here to build communication in your language and achieve better reach with a smaller promotional budget.

If your goal is to sell a product in pre-sale, consider using RefSpace, where you can launch a Space with a pre-sale offer without the formalities and costs, and the platform automatically handles payments and shipping when the product is ready. For creative projects, Patreon often works well as a subscription model that allows for steady income instead of a one-time collection. Analyze where your target group is, check platform fees, promotion methods, and payout processes. Choosing the right place can determine whether your campaign ends up being a success, or with frustration and lost energy.

Campaign video that sells – how to shoot footage that attracts investors and media

Let’s be straight: video does the job. It’s not about being Hollywood-level, but about being honest, dynamic, and concrete. The first 5 seconds must grab attention – there’s no place for long intros and “hi, I’m Kasia.” Show immediately what you do, why it’s important, and what the supporter gains. Statistics show that campaigns with video have up to 60% higher success rate than those without a film.

It’s worth investing in good lighting, a brief but substantial edit, and authentic shots showing the product in action. If possible, add testimonials from people testing your product, record reactions, show behind-the-scenes of the project work. Video also serves as promotional material on social media – post it in sliced forms on TikTok, Shorts, and Reels, which will allow you to reach people who might be your first investors. Remember: a sincere, dynamic phone recording is better than a perfect but boring studio.

Don’t have a community? Build it before you launch the campaign – step by step

Crowdfunding is 80% selling to your community, and 20% to those who don’t know you yet. If you launch a campaign without people around, you’re basically asking for failure. Start building a community well before the campaign launch. Utilize newsletters, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Stories – everything that allows you to show the process of project creation, share behind-the-scenes, and build relationships with future supporters.

You can create a Space on RefSpace as a pre-sale store, where you start gathering initial interests, allowing you to test the market and see which project elements draw attention. Organize lives, shoot short films, show your doubts and successes. People support people, not anonymous projects. When the time comes to start the campaign, your community will already know what you’re doing, why it’s important, and what they can gain by supporting you from day one.

How much does it cost to launch a crowdfunding campaign and how to set a financial threshold to avoid sinking?

This is one of the most common questions – how much does it all cost? A crowdfunding campaign is a real budget, which includes the preparation of videos, photos, graphics, social media handling, ads, and possible prototype production. For small campaigns, the starting budget might close at 2,000–5,000 zł, for medium projects you should probably count 10,000–20,000 zł. These aren’t small amounts, but treat it as an investment in market testing and brand building.

When setting a financial goal, remember not to set the amount “at a guess.” Do a detailed cost estimate: production, packaging, shipping, platform commission, tax. Add a buffer for unforeseen expenses – in crowdfunding, something always comes up. It’s better to raise less and actually deliver what you promise than to set a prohibitive amount and get stuck at 10% of the goal. The target amount affects the psychology of supporters – the sooner they see the goal growing, the more they want to join. Plan wisely so that the campaign is not a ball and chain but a real start to your project.

From campaign to business – what to do when you raise the money and… the real work begins

Fundraising successful? Congratulations, but this is just the beginning. Now you enter the stage of real work: production, communication with investors, logistics of shipments, accounting. Most people don’t realize that the biggest challenges begin when the money is already in the account. You need to ensure updates for supporters, answer their questions, prepare a shipping schedule, and ensure product quality.

Here, a tool is useful that allows a transition from campaign to sales – for example, RefSpace, where you can continue sales, handle customers, and manage orders without having to set up a shop from scratch. This allows you to smoothly transition from the crowdfunding phase to building regular income, using the momentum the campaign gave. Remember, the success of the campaign is a promise that must be delivered. If you take care of transparency, timeliness, and communication with customers, you gain more than just money – you gain the trust of a community that will stay with you for future projects.