Is crowd funding a viable fundraising solution for artists and authors?

Before I took the plunge to spend time on Twitter, I was generally opposed to crowd funding, but the days when people we know send personalized  donation requests to raise money for a personal goal or activity have pretty much faded. I recall times of a parent sending snail mail letters to support a little girl who wanted to enter a pageant, pleas of help to fund a school trip abroad, or a ringing phone that signaled someone that a Girl Scout cookie order had arrived. Now, many inquirers send group requests via Facebook, and the most savvy and adventurous use websites like Kickstarter.com. 

Small, innocuous requests made on the behalf of children often worked because the call or personal request was made by someone who already had a connection with the parent or child. Today, there are people who are pro crowd funding, and those who feel that it's the asker's responsibility to raise money other ways to fund their dream. Most people do dream of something coming to fruition, so what makes person A any more worthy than person B? Having a complete project in hand is step one. Considering mass appeal or perceived value may be factor two. Popularity creeps into the shadows of it all, too. Enter the third realm of a perfect storm.

Whether the goal is to raise thousands or millions, crowd funding efforts come with a set time limit. An inability to promote an online request could end in thirty days. The clock ticks while the requester spreads the word. But as a marketer, I am well aware that branding is a consistent process that isn't achieved in one quick shot. People tend to respond to recognizable brands that they know well faster, including personal ones. Browsing is a part of human nature. Not everyone is an impulse buyer. Seeing that thing or person over and over again, and knowing something about the reputation of the product or person helps close a sale. This puts the average person at a disadvantage. Unless the requester is wildly popular, has a far reaching online presence that would illicit a favorable response to a call to action, what would the success rate of an attempt to fund a project likely be--marginal, minimal, or overwhelming? The odds are stacked against individuals who do not have benefit of a large audience who are not already emotionally connected to them. Nothing is impossible, but this post is about what may be likely. 

Charity work is a wonderful way to give back to the public. However, a growing trend is celebrities asking for support of their fans to fund their web drama, movie or independent project. And the irony in this is the "starving artist" probably won't receive the amount of public support that they will. Remember my suppositions about popularity and a built in audience. Celebrities have already built their brand. They already have a fan base of some degree, and it may even be international, too. When they speak or post on social media websites, people tend to listen more not less. In a sea of gift seekers who want "investors," they will stand out. They should stand out considering the amount of energy and time has been invested in telling the world who they are and what they will do next. Past publicity fuels interest.  Other influencers they know may endorse them to help nudge the public along. Now that person has a team of hype men and women who will happily spread the word that they contributed, and their friends or contacts should consider doing the same. "My project" becomes "our project." Beating that ticking clock to find a project together becomes a  fun for supportive fans. Having contact with an admired celebrity probably feels exciting to true fans. The most savvy celebrities may offer perks in exchange for various amounts of support. All of these eclectic factors can influence the impact of crowd funding. Crowd funding engines want to report success stories. Who wouldn't want free advertising that something works? Hope sells. That's why the lottery will probably never go out of business. Those who play the lottery invest in chance and hope. All it takes is one ticket to win! Independent projects have value. I hope that if the public contributes to a high profile campaign, and as understanding of how crowd funding works grows, other hopefuls can also get a chance. I consider well known artists as thought leaders who can influence public opinion. 

I can't and would never say that artist with marginal recognition could never succeed at raising money, nor would I conclude that celebrities don't have a right to garner public support of their projects. What I will say is that I know plenty of dedicated artists with talent struggling to get a chance. They are clothing designers, authors with completed manuscripts sitting on computers, or local musicians who want to produce albums to raise money for causes they believe in. People in these categories probably won't get free publicity to fuel the reach of their voice. Social sharing usually doesn't inspire an overwhelming response in these cases. People will advise them to get to work and "find" money themselves without complaining. That's a part of the hustle. But some cave, feeling overwhelmed. They do nothing but dream or produce an inferior product. Aspiring authors are quick to remind others why they may not have hired a professional book editor. "It's expensive" is the mantra that infuriates many book buyers who become frustrated by unpolished stories. 

The world is a diverse place. People have diverse ideas. But what I've learned personally is that brand building is a steady process that won't happen overnight. Crowd funding would seem like it's for the little guy, but it's not just for starving artists who can pull at heart strings. Nothing comes easy, even if it looks easy. Leveraging local support off line may be a more productive start for most. If that doesn't work, one must consider traditional options to self fund a project like loans, or maybe applying for grants. Whichever the case, struggling artists should sharpen his or her skills. When opportunity comes, be ready to make a perfect pitch. If waiting takes too long, remember that the famous were once unknown. In most cases, challenges accompanied the climb. Observe and learn from them. Think like they most likely once thought. Even if bringing a project to life takes far longer than what you'd like, craft a plan within your reach. If crowd funding is something you want to try, study success stories of those with similar projects, goals and notoriety. How and why were these case studies successful? Be prepared by doing research, and having a plan to give it your all.

If results are less robust than desired, make it happen yourself. Don't let your dream die. Remember to keep investing in hope. Turn "I can't" into "I can."

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