Shout your creative project out to the world with this in-depth guide on creating a crowdfunding campaign press kit!
In this press kit guide:
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- Overview – what is a press kit?
- Crowdfunding campaign press kit contents:
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- One-pager/press release
- Boilerplate
- Images
- Video
- Quotes/Reviews/affirmations
- Contact details
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- Random things to keep in mind
Overview – what is a press kit and how can I use it to promote my crowdfunding campaign?
A press kit is a collection of resources to provide media outlets so they can promote your project. Contents can vary, but typically they include:
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- press release/one-pager
- boilerplate (company/creator background information)
- project photos and video
- logos in various formats, colour codes, and other info important for brand consistency
- contact information
With this kit ready, you provide journalists, podcast hosts, bloggers, or anyone else telling your story with key points and concepts about your project. You ensure consistent messaging and brand identity and set media up for success in helping your campaign goals.
Where does it live?
You have options! If you have a website, you should set up a designated press kit page for easy access. But you can also set up a simple landing page (Mailchimp has a free option) or even use an extra tab in your Crowdfundr campaign.
For smaller projects with no outside webpage, we recommend using an extra tab in your Crowdfundr campaign. This way, your assets sit in one place and updating is easy.
Larger projects likely want to consider a landing page (whether with a paid service like Mailchimp or through your own webpage). You will have more information to include, and a landing page allows for sectioning so the information is organized and easy to read.
Examples
Here are examples of ConnectionPoint’s press kits for two of our products. However, you can do an internet search for press kits from creators in your field to find examples more specific to your project.
Crowdfundr Press Kit
(scroll to download link)
You’ll notice FundRazr’s press kit is a landing page with information and downloads built in. Crowdfundr’s press kit is download-only, consisting of pictures of the logo and key features highlighted. Both work as well as the other, so choose what’s best for you and your project!
Contents of a crowdfunding campaign press kit
Press release
Press releases (or one-pagers) are summary statements with a company or project’s important information, such as the purpose, goals, and key features. For crowdfunding creative projects, you should include:
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- Clear, concise headline identifying the creator/company, the project title, and some sort of descriptor.
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- Example: Random Company Inc. announces launch of Crowdfundr campaign for their new graphic novel, “Space Kangaroos.”
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- Optional tagline with more information
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- Example: It’s a dangerous job protecting Earth from alien wombats – hop too high, and there’s no coming down.
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- Begin with the place and date:
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- Vancouver, April 18 – From the people who brought you “Jurassic Squirrels” comes a new adventure hopping into space.
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- Key message or story. Depending on your project, this could include a short synopsis, target audience, problems solved, unique features, etc.
- A direct quote from the creator about why you created it and anything else important for people to know.
- Timeline for the campaign (when are you launching, and when is the deadline to contribute/pledge).
- Campaign link
- Clear, concise headline identifying the creator/company, the project title, and some sort of descriptor.
Write the press release in the third person and keep it short – between 300 and 600 words.
At the end, include a clear call to action. If your campaign is live, your call to action is to click the link and claim a reward (or make a general pledge/contribution). If your campaign is not yet live, the call to action is to still click the link and subscribe to the campaign. All subscribers are notified by email once the campaign is live.
Read Crowdfundr’s press release on Comicbook.com.
Boilerplate
A boilerplate is a company’s background information. If you are a sole creator, you can choose to include a short bio of yourself. Include a brief description of your/your company’s products and/or services, creative field, other projects, achievements and accolades.
If you go to the Crowdfundr homepage and scroll down, you’ll see our boilerplate:
Project images
Include multiple images of your project. Try different angles, and include all reward options and variants. You may wish to highlight samples if applicable, too.
Ensure all photos are of high quality. The standard resolution for high-quality print images is 300 DPI (dots per inch), but if you do not intend anything to be printed, aim for 72 DPI (the standard resolution for web use).
Finally, put your images in a web-friendly format, such as JPEG, PNG, or GIF.
If you have a logo with specific colour and size parameters, include them in PNG format to preserve transparency. It’s also useful to provide a logo for white and dark-themed sites if there are elements that must be changed to fit different backgrounds.
Project video
If your campaign is ready to go, you should have a video ready too. Videos tend to make a significant difference to campaign success, and it will more attention to any media article on your campaign too.
Here are our suggestions for a quality crowdfunding project video:
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- 1-3 minutes maximum
- Be creative! Don’t just sit and talk to the camera.
- Strong beginning – an opening ‘hook’ will keep the viewer interested beyond the first few seconds
- Ensure the most important details of your core story elements are included, especially the values of your creation and what makes it unique.
- Define your tone (energetic, sentimental, etc.) and stick to it
- Simplify your link and make it the prominent call-to-action at the end
Quotes, reviews, and achievements
If you have awards or other accolades, list them! These, plus reviews from past work (or this current work if you have them), boost your credibility and are ‘social proof’ – meaning they encourage others to try out your project because they see others have tried and loved them.
Contact details
Include your:
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- Name, gender preferences, and title (if applicable)
- Phone number
- Links to social media accounts and webpage
Random things to keep in mind for your press kit
Here are some need-to-know details about crowdfunding campaign press kits that don’t really fit anywhere else in this guide…
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- Keep it concise; journalists are time-pressed! Printed, a press kit should be no more than 5-6 pages in total.
- Keep it up to date; if you updated your logo, launch date, etc… update your press kit!
- Be well organized; Headers, proper spacing, obvious file downloads… anything to make an interested media outlet’s job easier.
As always, we’re here to help if you have any questions!
Yours in success,
Shan
We’re here to help!
Our Discord channel is a place to connect with other creators and the Crowdfundr team to ask questions, seek advice, and share strategies. But if you don’t do Discord, or want to schedule a demo, feel free to email us at
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