Market your fundraising: 7 tips for success
Whether you are a start-up or a company in development, the financing of growth regularly goes through the search for investors. Whether you are talking to bankers, business angels or love money (the first round of the table with friends, family and friends), you have to "sell" the project, seduce, reassure and of course convince. It is therefore essential for this to market its fundraising.
Faced with the multi-million-dollar fundraising that makes the headlines of newspapers and magazines, the reality for most companies is that finding funding is a "galley". Even with an excellent product, even with a brilliant innovation. And even sometimes having already customers!
If you have experienced it yourself, you have seen how much public or private investors are over-solicited. Getting an appointment is already a feat in itself. So do not miss it!
How to use marketing for successful fundraising?
You have an excellent product, your financial plan is concrete, you have even been accompanied by an expert accountant or a specialist in fundraising. It is now essential to prepare the marketing and communication of your campaign.
Here is a list of 7 tips for carrying out this operation
Tip # 1 Identify your investors
Before you can try to convince an investor, take the time to define the profile of who will be most likely to accompany you and of course, to be interested in your project.
This phase corresponds to the definition of the target - or the audience - and it is valid when one wishes to adhere to his idea (customers, investors, partners, etc.).
"Just like your customers, your (future) investors are a target, an audience to convince."
The first step is to clearly identify the profile of your investor (s). For this, several criteria to consider:
Your sector of activity
The stage of product / project development
The amount of money you want to raise
The commitment period
The relational fabric needed
And sometimes even more traditional features like your geographic area.
To go a step further, you can draw a robot portrait of your target investors from the answers to your questions and the targeting method using the personas (see our article "How to define your marketing target to find your customers and to retain them: the ultimate guide. "
Tip # 2 Work on your storytelling
The financial plan, the desired amount, the sales projections, all this is of course important. But that does not make you dream. Investors - public and private - read all day long and few people are excited by lines of excel tables (as perfect as they are!).
To stand out and make you want to follow - and invest money in your project - work your pitch, tell a story.
Investors are people with a story, dreams, fears, humor and a whole gamut of human emotions.
Bet on emotions, differentiate yourself by your own story.
In this way, even having a project that resembles others, you will stand out and gain the support of future investors. In many cases, investors can also be potential buyers.
Tip # 3 Set up your communication tools
Having neat and professional marketing and communication supports will give a favorable image of your company and your product. Too many fundraising campaigns are weak at the level of communication tools.
What do you need? At this point, we recommend the following communication kit:
A logo and visual identity
A digital presentation (PowerPoint or other) to project with the key arguments
An executive summary: 2 pages that summarize your business plan (not 10 pages!)
A demo, a prototype, a model ... What you can show at this point if you develop a product
A press kit
And if you can ...
A web page eventually, to establish your existence.
A video that takes your storytelling and positions your solution. Video captures much better attention and holds it back.
We emphasize the importance of having communication supports of a professional level. Too amateur, you may not convince.
Tip # 4 Use networking to make you see and hear
Your entourage, your employees, your partners ... and even your family and friends can be used to relay your search for investors. Once potential investors have been identified, do not hesitate to identify the people in your network who might be presenting you. A recommendation often opens doors faster.
You can also directly solicit your contacts on professional networks like LinkedIN. The idea is not to spam all your contacts but to identify those who can effectively relay your message.
Tip # 5 Communicate widely and appropriately
Use social networks and your website to talk about your project and your search for funding. This step is particularly essential if you engage in a crowdfunding campaign.
More than a need for investment, you have a message, a vision to pass! Share it to convert non-investors into a communication relay who will support your project.
Remember to contact the press specialized in start-ups and of course to participate in events gathering start ups: there are often investors in the assistance.
Tip # 6 Always get ready!
Setting up a real marketing plan to market your fundraising is essential. However, not all opportunities to communicate are planable and some will come without you having planned. It will however ensure!
To do this, heal, work and re-work your "elevator pitch". This term literally means "elevator pitch" should allow you to capture the attention and convince in less than a minute, the time of an elevator ride.
By following these 6 tips, you put the odds on your side to succeed in your fundraising - in addition to of course to take care of the financial aspects and your business plan. And once you find your investors and sign your fundraising, do not forget to apply Tip Number 7!
Tip # 7 Communicate the success of your fundraiser!
It may make sense, but we prefer to remind him anyway! Media, press, customers, partners, let know that your company has got the trust of investors. This is a mark of recognition: people are betting on the potential of your idea, your product, your business. It would be a shame to deprive you of such advertising!
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