7 ways to use Twitter during your #crowdfunding campaign

Crowdfunding campaigns depend on a substantial audience and compelling content that inspires donations. Twitter excels at promoting campaign content, driving donations, and identifying potential influencers willing to amplify your message.

This post covers:

• Creating a sense of urgency to encourage action
• Why you should use ‘pinned’ tweets
• Making the most of images
• Optimizing the use of #hashtags
• How to thank donors and influence others
• How to discover other influencers on Twitter
• How to engage with influencers

1. Creating a sense of urgency to encourage action

Twitter’s short lifespan for posts makes it ideal for rapid, frequent updates without overwhelming followers. This works particularly well when projects need urgent donations to hit critical milestones or matched funding deadlines.

Step 1: Post updates showing how much time remains and funding needed to reach the goal.

Step 2: Keep donors updated on progress, reiterate the deadline, and encourage previous donors to share with their networks.

Step 3: Once the target is reached, celebrate success and thank supporters.

“When people sense you’re close to the finish line on a goal, they are more inclined to help you cross it.” Caryn Stein, Network for Good

2. ‘Pin’ a tweet on the top of your Twitter account

Pin a tweet featuring your crowdfunding campaign (with images and project URL) to your Twitter page for the campaign duration.

Why pin a tweet?

• Creates a permanent call-to-action at the top of your profile for all visitors
• Allows continuous campaign updates while keeping promotion visible
• Accumulates likes and retweets that build campaign momentum and encourage exploration

Resources on pinned tweet effectiveness:

• The power of pinned tweets
• The science of a pinned tweet

3. Make the most of images (and other media sources)

Twitter users rapidly scroll through content until something captures their attention. Include images or videos with every crowdfunding project tweet to stop scrolling and prompt action.

When using images, you can tag up to 10 people without consuming your character limit. Target relevant individuals and organizations with substantial followings. Retweets expand your reach significantly.

Research shows that content with relevant images receives 94% more views than content without.

4. Optimize the use of #hashtags to increase reach

Hashtags consolidate related content and allow users following specific topics to discover your tweets. Using hashtags that potential donors follow increases visibility and encourages sharing.

“Think of a catchy name for your campaign and create a hashtag. Be relentless in spreading the word on ALL forms of social media.” Rachel Owhin, #OXFORD10000

Hashtag optimization resources:

• Buffer research indicates that 2 hashtags are scientifically most effective
• Twitter recommends 2 hashtags per tweet

5. Thank donors on Twitter

Thanking donors publicly accomplishes two goals:

1. Makes donors feel valued and proud; they may share the tweet with their followers, generating additional donations.

2. Shows potential donors that others are donating and receiving recognition, potentially converting observers into contributors.

6. Automate how to discover influential Twitter users

Hubbub offers a free tool to identify potential influencers on Twitter for crowdfunding projects.

How it works:

The tool analyzes public Twitter accounts and exports a spreadsheet of followers ranked by influence (follower count). It can extract specific job roles from user bios, making it easy to identify relevant influencers for targeted campaigns.

7. Increase the chances of influential people tweeting about your project

Influencers’ value lies not necessarily in donations, but in sharing your project with their large networks. To increase influencer participation:

1) Make a Twitter List

Create a Twitter list of people you’d like to retweet or support your project. Include those with genuine interest in your cause and established reputations in relevant areas. They needn’t be celebrities, but should be respected voices in your field.

2) Engage with your list

Once your project launches, consistently engage with list members’ tweets through favorites, retweets, and comments. Build trust over weeks to encourage them to visit your profile (where your pinned campaign tweet should be visible). Consistent engagement increases the likelihood of reciprocal engagement.

3) Make a personal Twitter ask

After several weeks of engagement, make a direct request, ideally when your project reaches at least 20% of its goal. Include the project link and relevant statistics.

See Mashable’s guide for examples of strong fundraising tweets.

Conclusion

Implementing multiple strategies simultaneously creates a synergistic effect that can help achieve your crowdfunding goals. Contact the Hubbub team at hello@hubbub.net for additional support.