Huffington Post | KC Harry | June 13, 2014

As you're planning you're crowdfunding campaign, it can help you tremendously if you treat every aspect of your planning and execution as an event.

Think about it. A crowdfunding campaign involves:

• Determining the viability of your crowdfunding offering;
• Preparing your campaign assets, pitch video and other content;
• Engaging with your supporters and niche before your launch to let them know what's coming down the pike (and hopefully also getting their feedback while you're at it);
• Informing a broader audience such as media outlets and popular related blogs about your upcoming campaign (again, before you launch and while your campaign is live);
• Not launching - yes, you read it right - until you have received the readiness signals from your niche and broader audience;
• Launching when the time is right and reaching out regularly to promote your campaign and help people take action in making a pledge;
• Sustaining momentum throughout the campaign through regular updates and promotions; and
• Closing out your campaign and transitioning smoothly to backer fulfillment.

Last chance for tickets:  NCFA Toronto Networking Session (Jun 17, 2014 from 6-9PM)

When you contemplate each of these components, it becomes easier to move through most, if not all of these steps by emulating the successful campaigns, platforms and crowdfunding organizations that consistently follow event planning principles. Consider these five ways to leverage events for your next crowdfunding campaign.

1) Get in Front of People in your Target Audience
Meeting people in person can create a closer connection between them and your campaign. And with a personal connection, people are more inclined to support you with a pledge. Consider organizing your own crowdfunding campaign launch party and continue engaging people in person during your campaign.

If it's too overwhelming to organize your own, get out to other related in-person events. One example of how you can tap into other events are to get yourself to places where your target audience will be. This is what Joe Martino did for his Mighty Titan #5 Comic Book campaign on Kickstarter. Even with his campaign goal already attained, Joe made a point of having a presence at the New York Comic Fest and the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con.

2) Tap into Broadly Related In-person Gatherings
If you aren't able to get to your target audience, you can still get out and network to a broader audience that supports your campaign category or crowdfunding in general, such as the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA). The NCFA hosts networking evenings and other crowdfunding information and advocacy events across Canada. There are comparable organizations in the United States and around the world where you can build relationships with a broader, supportive audience. Be sure to get out to these this event well before your campaign launches. It takes time, effort and energy to really connect.

3) Organize or Your own Social Media Event
If you have a solid presence on the common social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+, organize an online event. It can be as simple as hosting your own Tweet-a-thon, like the campaign owners of Hybrid Vigor Film did. They scheduled - and announced in advance - their #IndieFilmFriday Tweet-a-thon to raise awareness of their latest Indiegogo campaign.

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The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada crowdfunding hub providing education, advocacy and networking opportunities in the rapidly evolving crowdfunding industry. NCFA Canada is a community-based, membership-driven entity that was formed at the grass roots level to fill a national need in the market place. Join our growing network of industry stakeholders, fundraisers and investors. Increase your organization’s profile and gain access to a dynamic group of industry front runners. Learn more About Us or contact us at casano@ncfacanada.org.