4 Mistakes To Avoid When Crowdfunding For Medical Treatment In India

Imagine finding out that one of your loved ones is struggling with a medical crisis. It could be one of the most stressful events of your life. On the tip of it, the emotional strain of a bad diagnosis could make things worse. Sudden unplanned medical costs for treatment for a serious illness bring you closer to financial devastation. It is the time when you realize that medical crowdfunding is the only rescue option. However, most times in our urgency to start the campaign, we make a few critical mistakes that must be avoided at any cost.  The oversight by the raisers could be easily avoided if there is a purpose of clarity. Four key mistakes that must be avoided during such campaigns are:

1. Choosing a wrong platform

Every campaign on the medical crowdfunding platform needs a customized approach. Detailed research can go a long way in determining which platform best addresses the purpose of the fundraiser. Rather than driving the campaign themselves, it is prudent if the fundraisers choose a platform that understands the complexity and offers technological support.

Potential donors seek new factors to assess the credibility of crowdfunding campaigns. Therefore, the conventional ways of achieving credibility for medical fundraising campaigns might not necessarily work every time. Apart from banking on the reputation of a popular crowdfunding platform such as Ketto, individual fundraisers must establish credibility on their own through authentic information.

2. Unjustified funding goal

Instead of setting a funding goal without any thinking, a realistic one will have the greatest chance of success. Remember, the audience always appreciates the authenticity and honesty of fundraising efforts. Paying attention to the funding goal amount is equally important apart from setting a specific percentage of the donor amount. Choosing the right funding goal depends on many factors that are directly linked to the circumstances of the patient. If the severity of the illness requires quick treatment, the fundraiser might have to strike a balance between the funding and the timeline.

Many donors pledge only if they are convinced that the funding amount justifies the narrative. One of the key reasons behind many unsuccessful campaigns is the unjustified funding amount with an unrealistic timeline. In a few cases where the patient has enough time to undergo medical treatment, the funding amount could be kept lower. The urgent cases with higher funding goals and shorter timelines need to be articulated in a justified manner.

3. Ignoring the quality of communication

Medical crowdfunding is not an effortless task. On the contrary, it requires a lot of strategizing, right from setting a goal to managing the entire campaign. At times, the fundraisers don’t invest time and energy in communication methodologies due to the paucity of time and resources. However, one shouldn’t take potential donors for granted or assume that people will commit very easily, without much convincing. One can’t just expect people to stumble across the campaign and start pledging funding amounts immediately. Convincing people to donate to your cause is only the first step towards achieving the funding goal.

The hardest part is to create advocates for your campaign who can inspire others in their network. With an upfront approach, crowdfunding efforts must be transparent and genuine to create a long-lasting impact. Quality and clarity of messaging matter a lot for establishing a deeper connection with your audience.

4. Not including multimedia content

Good content surely helps but more so if it is backed by matching visuals. The compelling reasons behind each medical crowdfunding campaign are different and must be told most appealingly. Enough videos and images make a significant difference to crowdfunding campaigns. In this context, the use of visual aids and videos is a must to demonstrate your pitch and avoid the lengthy use of text. It must have clarity and should be concise. Donors are attracted to multiple images and compelling videos that tell a story. Generating an emotional connection will require the inclusion of impactful content designs and eye-catching graphics.

In the current fast-paced world, physical pitches might not work for both the fundraisers as well as those who are pledging funding amounts. In such a scenario, video could be especially useful to create a powerful story. Developing a compelling video must include the personal pitch of the patient and close relations. It has been often experienced that medical crowdfunding campaigns featuring videos of patients raise more donations than those without one.