"…the perfect way to include our fans in what we are up to, make enough money to finish our record, and do it in a really positive way." –Conor Gaffney on utilizing IndieGoGo
From Germany to Argentina, the loyal fans of "roots-based rock" band The Makepeace Brothers made sure that the band's newest album got the mixing and mastering it needed. With the charming looks and undeniably great talents of bandmates Finian, Ciaran, and Conor, it's no wonder why their fans easily turned into funders! Give their FUNdraising story a read.
Left to right: Conor Gaffney, Finian Makepeace, Ciaran Makepeace
Q1. Tell us about your project… your inspiration and goals!
Our project is funding the mixing, mastering, and pressing of our second studio album. Our goal is to raise $5,000, and create a feeling of contribution, connection, and a feeling of making the difference for our fans that contribute.
The Makepeace Brothers – What A Day (Live Acoustic Music Video)
Q2. What's your funding campaign all about? Who should care and why?
Our funding campaign is all about fun! We made a really fun, quick, inspiring video for our page, and had a quick to the point description of what we need. Who should care? Mainly our fans. We had run out of funding to finish the record, we found out about IndieGoGo through a friend, and saw it as the perfect way to include our fans in what we are up to, make enough money to finish our record, and do it in a really positive way. Why? Our music makes a difference for people. We are positive people and write music that makes people feel good, happy, thoughtful, emotional, and joyful. We want to continue doing that, and continue reaching more and more people.
Q3. How are you reaching, engaging and involving others? Your DIWO tactics, please!
We mostly used our Facebook page, and Twitter to reach people. Sharing alot on our fans pages, posting it on our personal pages, and asking people that contributed to share with their friends that they had done so.
Q4. You're rocking the fundraising on IndieGoGo. Congrats! What's working?
Thank you! What is really working is being excited about the project and sharing that excitement with people via Facebook, & Twitter. What is not working is when we forget to post about the project, and let it fall out of peoples memory.
Q5. Any surprises or especially fun moments during your campaign that you'd like to share?
Yes! We were getting really close to making our goal, we had about 12 days to go and $685 to raise. Most of our contributions had been in the amount of $50 so we were a little concerned if we were going to reach our goal at all. So we decided to make a major push once again to try to bring attention to some people we thought hadn't contributed yet. But, before we could even make the push, I woke up the following morning, opened our indiegogo site, and saw "OH MY GODDDDD!!! WE DID IT!!!" Overnight someone had contributed $685, the exact amount we needed to make our goal, on top of it she gave it as a gift, and didn't even select one of our rewards. It was very cool!
The Makepeace Brothers and friends singing "Thank You" at The Stronghold
Q6. Any tips/advice/DATA for other aspiring entrepreneurs, creators and project leaders like yourself?
My biggest tip would be to make a really fun, cool, inspiring video. I think it was the thing that really had people excited about the project and wanting to contribute. Also, share share share share your project in as many places and with as many people as possible!
Left to right: Liam Makepeace, Ciaran Makepeace, Finian Makepeace, Aidan Makepeace, Conor Gaffney
(I know, they're all SUPER cute!)
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