Popular crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, has shared what it calls a snapshot of what 2014 looked like for the site, and the information provided could be of some use to those of you who plan to launch fundraising campaigns in 2015 and on.
Specifically, Kickstarter says that Wednesday was the most popular day for contributions in 2014, with over 1.1 million on average, compared to the least popular day for donations, Sunday, at around 640,000 – almost 50% less.
Also worth noting, early afternoons are the most popular times for when contributions are made, with 1pm being the peak hour. Based on Kickstarter’s chart, 11am to 3pm tends to be when most pledges are made. Conversely, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the early morning hours are terrible periods for contributions, with the 5am hour being the absolute worst.
Keep in mind that these stats are across ALL categories, not just film. Although the total number of film projects backed in 2014 was second only to music projects – 3,849 for the former, compared to 4,009 for the latter. However, in terms of actual dollar amounts pledged, film came in 4th position, with $66.4 million. Technology was number 1, receiving contributions of $125 million, almost double. Between them, in the 2nd and 3rd slots, were design ($96.7 million) and games ($89.1 million).
To give some idea of Kickstarter’s reach, pledges came from almost every country in the entire world – including much of continental Africa. In total, 3.3 million people from nearly every country on the planet backed a project last year, says Kickstarter.
2,202,171 people backed a project for the first time.
773,824 people backed more than one project.
71,478 people backed more than 10 projects.
And 1,125 people backed more than 100 projects.
And there’s more, which you can read all about here.
What is there to learn from all of it? Well, for starters, we could say that, if you’re launching a Kickstarter campaign some time this year, the best period in which to really push for contributions, via social media, or elsewhere, is early afternoons on Wednesdays, between noon and 3pm, since it appears that, for whatever reason, folks tend to be the most generous then. Essentially, the data might help you work more efficiently. Why plan your social media push on Sunday mornings, when those hours are the least favorable period to solicit contributions – based on Kickstarter’s stats anyway?
Also, consider casting a much wider net; if you’re based in the USA, don’t settle for pledges from the USA alone, given that money is contributed from all over the world. In essence, don’t hesitate to publicize your campaign on websites, online groups or social media spaces beyond your locale. There could be donors eager to give, who live in countries you may not have even heard of.
Check out the year 2014 on Kickstarter here.
