The integration of technology into entrepreneurial initiatives has led to the use of online communities to raise funds for projects and ventures. Through the use of social media platforms and the social web, crowdfunding has provided an innovative, large-scale fundraising solution for both personal and professional initiatives. Strategic Approaches to Successful Crowdfunding brings together a collection of research-based chapters relating to the use of the social web to raise funds and provide financial support for start-up companies, individual pursuits, and philanthropic endeavors. Focusing on a diverse set of topics relating to e-commerce, capital investment, peer-to-peer lending, digital philanthropy, and virtual communities, this timely publication is an essential reference source for academicians, researchers, professionals, and graduate students interested in understanding the dynamics, best practices, and managerial solutions for drawing funds and financial support from online communities.

An emerging area of study in today’s society is the increasing number of crowdfunding platforms across the world. Crowdfunding plays an integral role in global economic development as they are continuing to multiply throughout various professional disciplines. Empirical research is needed that covers the recent growth of crowdfunding projects and assists researchers and experts in providing knowledge on the economic impact of this trend. Multidisciplinary Approaches to Crowdfunding Platforms is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the emerging programs of crowdfunding in the global digital economy and its numerous applications in professional industries. While highlighting topics such as digital entrepreneurship, business intelligence, and e-commerce, this publication explores the latest findings as well as the risks and limitations of crowdfunding. This book is ideally designed for researchers, managers, practitioners, economists, academicians, instructors, sociologists, developers, consultants, policymakers, and students seeking developing research on crowdfunding platforms and the latest trends in various disciplines.

More Than Money Jamey Stegmaier knows crowdfunding. He's a veteran of seven successful Kickstarter campaigns (and counting) that have raised over $3.2 million, and he's the proprietor of the widely read Kickstarter Lessons blog. In this book he offers a comprehensive guide to crowdfunding, demonstrating that it can be a powerful way for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by building community and putting their customers first. This book includes over forty stories of inspiring successes and sobering disasters. Stegmaier uses these examples to demonstrate how to (and how not to) prepare for a campaign, grow a fan base, structure a pitch, find new backers, and execute many other crucially important “nuts and bolts” elements of a successful crowdfunding project. But Stegmaier emphasizes that the benefits of crowdfunding are much more about the “crowd” than the “funding.” He shows that if you treat your backers as people, not pocketbooks—communicate regularly and transparently with them, ask their opinions, attend to their needs—they'll become advocates as well as funders, exponentially increasing your project's chances of succeeding.

Harness the power of the crowd to turn your dreams into reality! Crowdfunding is the newest way to fund projects and start businesses. You don't need to hit up family and friends, max out your credit cards, or get a second mortgage--there are perfect strangers out there who will help you fund your idea. You just have to know how to find them. The Everything Guide to Crowdfunding is a step-by-step handbook to harnessing the power of social media to raise funds. Inside, you'll find real-life case studies and techniques for creating a successful campaign, including: Gaining an online presence Tapping into the crowd Understanding the different crowdfunding platforms Designing a successful campaign plan Promoting your campaign with social media, search engine optimization, and affiliate marketing Dealing with donors after your campaign ends Almost 50 percent of crowdfunding ventures fail to get funded. With this guide, you will learn how to be in the 50 percent that succeed. Whatever your dream or business idea, there is no reason it can't become a reality with the power of crowdfunding.

Jamey Stegmaier knows crowdfunding. He's a veteran of seven successful Kickstarter campaigns (and counting) that have raised over $1.4 million, and he's the proprietor of the widely read Kickstarter Lessons blog. In this book he offers a comprehensive guide to crowdfunding, demonstrating that it can be a powerful way for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses by building community and putting their customers first. This book includes over forty stories of inspiring successes and sobering disasters. Stegmaier uses these examples to demonstrate how to (and how not to) prepare for a campaign, grow a fan base, structure a pitch, find new backers, and execute many other crucially important ''nuts and bolts'' elements of a successful crowdfunding project. But Stegmaier emphasizes that the benefits of crowdfunding are much more about the ''crowd'' than the ''funding.'' He shows that if you treat your backers as people, not pocketbooks - communicate regularly and transparently with them, ask their opinions, attend to their needs - they'll become advocates as well as funders, exponentially increasing your project's chances of succeeding.

Master the art of crowdfunding to launch your product on Indiegogo and Kickstarter. Whether you're just starting out or already have a booming business, this is the exact playbook the most innovative companies are using to launch successful products today. What if you could build a community that eagerly counted down the days until they could buy your product? What if you could develop such powerful positioning in your market that you rose above your competition? And what if you could actually feel confident your product was going to be successful before you pressed the launch button? CROWDFUNDED is not just another "how-to" book on launching products. There is no fluff here. No feel good stories without substance. No claims without data. This is a no BS blueprint for launching a successful crowdfunding campaign. Mark Pecota, CEO and co-founder of the most successful crowdfunding agency LaunchBoom, reveals the system his team has developed since 2015 - a system that has raised over $50 million on Indiegogo and Kickstarter. Stop waiting for the right opportunity to launch your crowdfunding campaign. This is it and this book will show you how. REVIEWS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS "Mark Pecota has been in the crowdfunding space since 2015 and it really shows. The sheer amount of million dollar campaigns that LaunchBoom has been a part of is staggering. Mark's data driven approach for pre-launch and launch are second to none. If you want to crowdfund an innovative product, you want to have him on your team." - Mark Regal, Director of Hardware and Technology @ Indiegogo "The Internet is riddled with one-off information on how select campaigns succeed, but this book goes over the exact framework LaunchBoom has used to successfully launch hundreds of campaigns." - Scott Adamson, Co-Founder @ Kickbooster "Listen to LaunchBoom. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned creator, this book will teach you something new about how crowdfunding works complimented by proven strategies to reach success." - Jason Furie, Content and Community @ BackerKit

Smaller companies are abundant in the business realm and outnumber large companies by a wide margin. To maintain a competitive edge against other businesses, companies must ensure the most effective strategies and procedures are in place. This is particularly critical in smaller business environments that have fewer resources. Start-Ups and SMEs: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a vital reference source that examines the strategies and concepts that will assist small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve competitiveness. It also explores the latest advances and developments for creating a system of shared values and beliefs in small business environments. Highlighting a range of topics such as entrepreneurship, innovative behavior, and organizational sustainability, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for entrepreneurs, business managers, executives, managing directors, academicians, business professionals, researchers, and graduate-level students.