Well, hello there!

Remember our famous Kickstarter campaign? Of course you do and, chances are, you probably backed us on that amazing journey. It’s been 2 years and 3 days (!!) and we still can’t help but feel thankful. One thing that hasn’t change in that interim is the importance of social media in promoting your cause, be it a crowdfunding campaign or the film itself. Since March, Mana has been on the festival trail and we’ve been doing our best to get the film shown in as many places as possible. Here’s a few tips we picked up along the way (and on the web – thanks Indiewire!) that will help you campaign find its audience:

1. Engage your audience before you even start your campaign. Frequent interaction with your audience is the key to a successful campaign. Create a constant dialogue between you and your audience and never neglect it. Try to built a friendly relationship with them and reply to their questions.
2. Make them believe that you’re worth following. Social media’s sole purpose is not to advertise your project on and on and on, but to show your audience your human side and your other interests.
3. Too many social media are bad for your health! Try to keep a maximum of five active accounts and no more. You need to have everything under control and be constantly aware of posting your updates simultaneously on all social media.
4. Always include your campaign link under your posts. A direct link to your campaign video will easily engage the new followers in the project.
5. Relevant hashtags are the key. Be sure to use the proper hashtags in your posts, so random people can track your project easily.
6. On twitter, go minimal. Do not use all 140 words. People like short lines, otherwise they get quickly bored. Write short, use hashtags and links to keep a witty profile.
7. Images speak louder than words. Let’s face it. Nowadays people prefer watching, than reading. Be sure to frequently post pictures, videos and links to keep the eye of your audience happy.
8. A stitch in time saves nine. Spontaneous posts are great, but it’s better to schedule your posts ahead of time. As in every job, crowdfunding is difficult to handle without proper organization.
9. Keep the communication pumping! Just because your campaign is on the run, you should not neglect the interaction between you and your followers. Keep them updated, without bothering them too much about the details of your campaign. You must accomplish a proper balance.
10. And after the end of the campaign, what? Keep the interaction going! Even if you don’t need their contribution anymore, you will need an audience when your film is finished. They will demand the results of your work and you’ll need to compensate them for their devoted attention.

Let us know if you have any other questions regarding out Kickstarter techniques, we’d be happy to share what we’ve learned!