The Secret to Successful Impact Crowdfunding Campaigns, According to Expert Jason Fishman
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Devin: What’s your superpower?
Jason: I think it’s around getting people excited.
In today’s episode of Superpowers for Good, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Fishman, Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), as well as the host of the “Test. Optimize. Scale.” podcast. Jason shared invaluable insights into what it takes to market a regulated investment Crowdfunding campaign successfully.
One key takeaway from our discussion is how critical it is to drive enough traffic to your campaign page. Jason pointed out that many founders believe that simply launching their offering will magically bring investors to their door. The truth, as he explained, is far from that. “You probably need 50,000 visitors per million dollars raised on a Reg CF,” Jason said, emphasizing that traffic goals are essential. He highlighted that only about 7% of Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) campaigns reached $1 million or more last year, largely due to insufficient traffic.
Jason also delved into the importance of creating social proof for your campaign. He likened it to avoiding the “empty restaurant” effect: when prospective investors see that only a small amount has been raised, they may hesitate to invest. He noted, “You’re in a much better spot if you’re able to get over $100K showcased on your page for how much has been raised.” This kind of traction helps reassure cold investors and encourages more participation.
For anyone looking to raise funds through a regulated crowdfunding campaign, Jason’s advice is clear: focus on building momentum early and ensure that your campaign is reaching enough potential investors. Social proof can make or break your efforts to raise capital from the crowd.
tl;dr:
Drive Traffic to Campaigns: Jason emphasized that driving significant traffic to crowdfunding pages is essential for success. He noted that most campaigns fail due to insufficient visitors.
Importance of Social Proof: Successful campaigns often showcase early traction, which builds credibility. Raising over $100K early on can help attract cold investors who have no prior connection to the campaign.
Targeted Marketing: Jason shared how targeted digital marketing, such as advertising to specific audiences like equity crowdfunding investors, is a powerful tool to reach the right prospects.
Proactive Founders: Jason highlighted that the most successful crowdfunding campaigns are led by founders who are highly proactive and engage deeply with their networks, rather than relying solely on third-party agencies.
Test and Optimize: Jason’s marketing philosophy revolves around constantly testing different approaches, learning from the results, and optimizing campaigns to achieve better performance.
How to Develop Generating Enthusiasm As a Superpower
Jason’s superpower is his ability to get people excited. He uses his natural enthusiasm to energize those around him, whether it’s rallying friends for a trip or engaging stakeholders in a business opportunity. By thinking about what would get him excited about a product or campaign, Jason translates that feeling into marketing messages that resonate with audiences, making him highly effective in crowdfunding campaigns.
Jason shared an example where he used his enthusiasm to convince celebrities and influencers to share their audience data for advertising purposes—something many people are hesitant to do. By sharing his excitement about the potential results and opportunities, Jason managed to secure their participation, resulting in stronger campaign performance and satisfied stakeholders.
Tips for Developing the Superpower:
Put Yourself in Their Shoes: Think about what would get you excited if you were the other person. Tailor your approach to reflect what would spark enthusiasm in that specific individual.
Transfer Energy: View communication as a transfer of energy. If you feel excitement, convey that feeling clearly to the other person. Make them feel the opportunity as vividly as you do.
Understand Your Audience: Study your audience in detail to find out what appeals to them. Create tailored messaging that resonates personally with them.
Test and Adapt: Use a trial-and-error approach to refine your methods. Test different messages, observe what works, and adjust accordingly to connect more effectively with each audience segment.
By following Jason Fishman’s example and advice, you can make generating enthusiasm a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Jason Fishman (he/him):
Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency DNA and Host of the “Test. Optimize. Scale.” Podcast, Digital Niche Agency (DNA)
About Digital Niche Agency (DNA): DNA is a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in surpassing client goals. Our team has over 25 years of experience in Marketing, Start-Ups, and Business Development. While working with clients and launching brands, we have learned what works and how to implement a revenue-driving marketing strategy. Watching the digital marketing landscape evolve every day, our primary objective is to offer the latest technologies and techniques to small to mid level businesses. With a focus on two areas, Content Development and Content Distribution, the DNA model is built for both brand value and performance. Our success is truly measured by the Growth rate of our clients’ companies. Whether you are looking for Social Media, SEO, Content Marketing, Digital PR, Web/ Mobile Media Buying, Marketing Plans, Influencer Marketing, Instagram Ads, Traffic to CrowdFounding Platforms, Investor Materials, CPI / Burst and AOS Campaigns, Development, Video, or Digital Advertising, we know how many options there are out there and have structured ourselves so that you can get everything you need from DNA. We have Relationships with the top vendors in the digital world and provide the ability to work with one partner to manage all areas of your digital brand at below industry standard rates. With this approach, we want to make the process easy so we can begin getting you more market share with our formula.
Website: digitalnicheagency.com
X/Twitter Handle: @DNAgency_CA
Company Facebook Page: fb.com/digitalnicheagency
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/digital-niche-agency
Instagram Handle: @digitalnicheagency
Biographical Information: Jason Fishman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), with over 15 years of experience in scalable marketing strategies. He has led campaigns for 750+ brands and 350+ crowdfunding projects, producing nine figures in funding. Jason hosts the “Test. Optimize. Scale.” podcast and contributes to the Forbes Agency Council.
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