Gratitude and Humor Go a Long Way in Crowdfunding
Being thankful comes naturally when you’re sincere and proactive. Weaving in good humor will help yield great crowdfunding results... but it can be difficult to pull off if you’re not a comedian.
Being thankful comes naturally when you’re sincere and proactive. Weaving in good humor will help yield great crowdfunding results... but it can be difficult to pull off if you’re not a comedian.
Some tasks are easier to do than others when running a crowdfunding campaign. Being thankful comes naturally to most people when they’re sincere and proactive. Weaving in good humor will help but can be difficult to pull off if you’re not a comedian.
At the core, crowdfunding results are achieved when many people are emotionally connected to a product, cause or creative project; connections that set in motion financial contributions and sharing with others. Throw in some entertainment value that appeals to a large audience and you’ll likely have a crowdfunding winner if realistic goals are set.
Steve Gadlin is a web developer, writer, and comedian living in Chicago, Illinois. He is the proud founder of Blewt!, creators of comedy to delight and confuse. Steve also wants to draw a cat for you – and nearly 10,000 people have taken him up on his offer so far after a successful appearance on ABC Shark Tank last year. Mark Cuban funded Steve and the duo teamed up on the Shark Tank set for their now infamous cat dance.
Oh, yeah… got carried away with the cat humor. Steve and his team understand well the powerful combination of gratitude and humor with a number of successful projects under management. In particular, Steve’s first Kickstarter initiative, “Don’t Spit the Water“, was a crowdfunding success and the results appeared on local TV months before Steve appeared on Shark Tank.
For the Blewt team, creating laughter is what their projects are all about so it’s not difficult for them to package it for a crowdfunding campaign. But not all of us are born comedians and crowdfunding can be a stressful experience for those working behind the scenes. It’s not always easy to be funny or thankful.
Humor in the context of crowdfunding is not easy and some efforts will fall short. Start with authenticity as a foundation and if you can manage humor, great. If not, there are other ways to strike an emotional cord with your audience. Don’t try to be too slick with humor if it’s a stretch for the team – but always be grateful with every touch.