Reaching your funding goal gives you every reason to celebrate. You have your idea locked in and you finally have the funding to make the execution happen. That is usually how your backers see it especially if you openly gave an estimated date for shipping or launching depending on the product or service you are seeking funds for. But depending on your project, you definitely have your work cut out and it is normal to feel the pressure building up. Your goal is now to meet your backer’s expectations. It is normal to experience hurdles and challenges but it won’t be normal for your backers if you keep them in the dark. Make sure you provide updates from time to time to maintain the good relationship between you and your backers. It sounds easier said than done but many creators still fail. Here are three important tips to prevent yourself from winding down that dark path.
Don’t be Afraid to Announce Delays and Changes
If your development hits a snag, do not be afraid to announce it immediately. It may seem as if such an announcement would cause panic but it isn’t any more helpful if you announce it very late. In fact, announcing it earlier can help you as people can provide you with valuable feedback regarding your situation.
Admit your Failures Before the Media Does
The blogosphere loves to chew up on ambitious creators and sometimes crowdfunding in general if a successfully crowdfunded project miserably fails. Then the media will proceed to putting the creator on the spotlight for lack of updates while the commenters will literally put the creator to shame. Admitting your failures or announcing the unfortunate cancellation may still draw a lot of flak from your backers but it will significantly soften the blow.
Face Criticism Head On and Stay Professional
Always remember that modern-day crowdfunding happens online and on the Internet, anybody can have an opinion on something. There are Internet trolls and there are critics who just don’t like your project from the get-go and may even hate it more if you raised so much money and failed. The best thing you can too is to not get too affected and focus on your close supporters. It is impossible to please everyone but always giving updates will keep your loyal supporters close.