HelpACop Guide: Steps to a successful campaign

You’ve gone ahead and decided to start a HelpACop campaign – now what? How do you make it more likely for others to donate to YOUR campaign?

Here are a few steps you can take to create a successful HelpACop campaign.

1. Make your campaign look great.

We recommend doing the following things to create a compelling campaign:

• Use a great photo or make a video. This is first impression and it should create a strong reaction, like “Wow!” or “Aww!” or “What else is there to know about this…” Try to use photos of the people involved whenever possible. They get stronger reactions than a graphic or text. Avoid blurry or low quality images.
• Write a catchy and descriptive title. Which title sounds better? “I Need Money!” or“James’ Fight Against Cancer”…. the second one, correct?
• Your story is your opportunity to fill in the details and answer any questions donors and visitors may have. The best campaign story includes an introduction of yourself, a brief explanation of what you’re raising money for, and why the cause is so important to you. You can also use this area to add more photos or videos.

2. Share with family and friends on Facebook.

If you’re raising money for something that you strongly believe in, chances are that the people in your life will be eager to support you. The most important thing to remember is that most of your donations will come from your own network of friends and family. This means that sharing your campaign with this network should be your #1 step.

Even if all your friends and family are not able to donate, you can ask them to help you spread the word by sharing your campaign with all of their own friends.

We’ve found that sharing on Facebook is the best way to reach out to those closest to you, and let them know what or who you are raising money for. Your friends and family will be the ones most willing to contribute and more likely to reach out to others on your behalf to share your campaign.

Key points:

• Sharing your campaign on Facebook increases donations by 350%. It really is that important. If you do not have a Facebook account, consider asking a close friend or relative who does, to share your campaign to their Facebook for you.
• Be sure to add a personalized message when you share, explaining why your campaign means so much to you – a simple, direct, and heartfelt appeal will get you the most views.
• Ask your friends and family to “Like” and share your HelpACop post on Facebook.

If you don’t use social media, you’ll still want to be sure to reach out to everyone you know using emails, text messages, or phone calls. You’d be surprised how big a difference a personal outreach can make.

3. Share your campaign through text messages, email, and other social networks.

After sharing your campaign on Facebook, you’ll want to spread the word to any other social networks and communities that you are a part of. Building a strong sense of community and awareness around your campaign will go a long way with maintaining consistent donation volume.

4. Post lots of updates!

Donors and followers love to know how their donations are working for you. Keep your story fresh and interesting by posting frequent ‘Update Messages’ to your campaign. Make sure that you check the options to also post your updates to Facebook, Twitter, & Email.

5. Show them you’re thankful.

They’re spending their hard earned money to help you do something that is special and important to you. So make sure you tell them thanks via a comment, update, or personalized email.

6. Don’t forget to withdraw your funds!

Once you’ve started raising donations, you’ll want to set up withdrawals so you can use the donations for your cause. Withdrawals can take a few days to arrive  so it’s important to get these started as soon as possible!

Key Points:

• Double check your banking information with your bank before submitting it!
• Making a withdrawal will not affect your campaign in any way! You can still accept donations just as you did before, and your campaign will not end until you choose to close it.
• Keeping the funds in your payment account for an extended period of time may cause donations to your campaign to be paused, or even refunded.
• You may request a withdrawal every 30 days or at the end of your campaign (whichever comes first).

We hope you found these tips helpful! We wish you the best of luck with your campaign.