Crowdfunding may have begun as a means for businesses and individuals to find an alternative funding option for businesses and other creative ventures, however, this hasn’t stopped people from using it as a means of funding their personal expenses as well. Crowdfunding is certainly branching out into a range of different areas, with personal causes being one of the most popular. Many individuals have successfully used crowdfunding to cover the cost of their medical bills, to take a loved one on a well-deserved trip or honeymoon, or even to raise money for a new house or car. Financing higher education through crowdfunding has also taken off, with many students using the process to raise money towards all or part of their tuition fees for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
Why Use Crowdfunding?
No matter what your next personal spending goal is, crowdfunding is a viable way of getting some money to help cover all or some of the cost. Crowdfunding is usually easy to set up on a range of different sites, and since it has become such a popular way of raising money, there’s a high chance that with the right marketing and exposure, people will donate to your cause – even if you’re only hoping to raise a couple of thousand pounds to purchase a car after studying hard at Toptests.
How to Crowdfund
The main goal of crowdfunding is to generate interest in your cause and encourage people to part with their cash in order to help you raise the funds that you need. However, when raising money for a personal, rather than a business cause via crowdfunding, there are many different parts of the process which you will need to take into consideration. For example, you will need to ensure that you tell your story in such a way that will compel people to empathise with you and make the decision to donate. Crowdfunding is often done via social media, which provides the perfect platform as you can reach thousands of people in mere minutes whilst having a good communication base to talk to and get to know your donors.
Standing Out
Whether you’re putting together a crowdfunding campaign to pay off your student debt, help a loved one with medical expenses or to enjoy an awesome honeymoon as a newlywed with your spouse, the key to hitting your fundraising target is standing out from the crowd. With so many individuals now using crowdfunding to raise money for personal use, it’s really important that you include unique features, stories, and even benefits for the donors to encourage them to choose your cause over the many others. One great way to do this is by allowing your donors to become a part of your experience, for example by setting up a social media page documenting your progress and how their money has helped you.
When it comes to raising money for your personal expenses, there’s no need to get a loan or credit card thanks to crowd funding!
