The 48 hours after your page launches are the most important stage of the campaign, so planning to make the most of this window is really important!
Most successful campaigns hit 30% of their target after two days, so early momentum is really crucial.
Here are some top tips for launching with a bang:
1. Line up your first ten pledges
Make sure you have ten people (friends, family, colleagues) who will pledge to and share your campaign within 20 minutes of launching. You can be one of these pledges!
Most people don’t like to give to an empty pot, so it’s best to get your closest and most passionate supporters to give first, which will encourage others to join in too.
Also ask if they will share the campaign as soon as they have pledged by email, Facebook and Twitter.
2. Make a list of people and groups who may support your campaign (include everyone you can think of!)
Make a list of everyone who might support your campaign and their email address so that you can email them as soon as you have your first ten pledges in.
Make it as long as possible - include people you know and people that you know support your cause and any groups that might support your cause and who might send it out to their members on your behalf. Remember to include:
Friends
Family members
Neighbours
Other people who are passionate about the issue
Groups or charities that campaign on relevant issues
Facebook groups about similar issues
Celebrities (that you may or may not know)
Here is a spreadsheet that you can use to use to keep track of a) the 10 people you’re asking to give immediately and b) the wider list of people you want to email on launch. If you think you would find this useful, click here for the spreadsheet.
If you’re working as part of a campaign group then make sure everyone adds their ideas and contacts to the general list. Then divide up responsibility for who will email each contact after launch.
3. Write your launch email in advance
Most case owners write their launch email in advance so that you can send it out as soon as you’ve got your first 10 pledges.
Check out our blog post on how to write a great launch email. We have a template that you can edit and use if you like.
The most important thing is to make sure you’re sending everyone a link to your page and asking them directly to pledge to your campaign and share it with their friends, family and colleagues.
4. Prepare posts on social media
You might also want to prepare a few tweets and Facebook posts about the launch of your case. The more personal the messages, the more compelling.
If you’re not on social media, ask some supporters of your campaign if they will post for you. If you’re working as part of a campaign group then everybody who is on social media should post to their personal accounts.
If you’re on Twitter, search for any relevant hashtags and use these in your tweets so people following them will see your campaign.
5. Consider press
Most successful CrowdJustice campaigns don’t get press coverage, so don’t worry if you’re not planning any press activity.
However if you think you can generate press around your campaign then make a list of journalists who might write about it to contact after your campaign has launched. It’s best to start with any journalists who have written about the case or issue before.
Be ready to email or tweet journalists after launch letting them know about your campaign and ask them to include a link to your CrowdJustice page so any readers know how to give!
6. Look for support in your wider community
Search for community groups, charities and national campaigns that might support your CrowdJustice campaign. Email, tweet or call them asking for their support.
Get in touch with them in advance to ask if they will support you as it might take them a while to respond!
7. Make sure you’re in front of a computer when your campaign launches!
You’ll need to be in front of a computer to send out emails once you’ve got your first ten pledges.
It’s also great to spend a couple of hours responding to any social media mentions that your campaign gets (e.g. like or comment on Facebook posts, RT or reply to tweets). Responding to supporters posts will encourage other people to talk about your campaign!