Crowfunding is among the most successful internet-native industries, but that does not preclude it from classic marketing tools.
A recent study from researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology found that the language used in Kickstarter campaigns affected the likelihood of a project meeting its funding goal. The study analyzed more than 45,000 Kickstarter efforts and found that certain phrases were often linked with successful campaigns.
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But it wasn't just the funded projects that had words in common; failed campaigns also yielded keywords and phrases that were harbingers for failure.
The phrase "also receive two" stands out as the phrase most associated with successful campaigns, which corresponds with the study's other finding: Offering something in return for a pledge heightened chances of funding.
"Not been able" was the phrase most associated with failure.
The study was run by Eric Gilbert, assistant professor at Georgia Tech, and doctoral candidate Tanushree Mitra.
"Our research revealed that the phrases used in successful Kickstarter campaigns exhibited general persuasion principles," Gilbert said in a press release. "For example, those campaigns that follow the concept of reciprocity — that is, offer a gift in return for a pledge — and the perceptions of social participation and authority, generated the greatest amount of funding."
Mitra told Mashable that the relationship between language and success indicated the power people have to make their own success on Kickstarter.
"I think the very fact that the language of the project pitch is important, the main takeaway is that the project creators now have greater control over how they pitch their projects," she said.
In addition to gifts, the study found that other classic marketing concepts were associated with Kickstarter success, including scarcity, social proof, social identity and authority. Popular marketing techniques may be adaptable to Kickstarter projects and online fundraising in general, but one Internet-centric keyword stood out to Mitra: cats.
Use of the word "cats" correlated with higher success, as did the word "Christina." While Christina mostly referred to famous celebrities, such as Christina Aguilera, the study offered no clear explanation for the occurrence of cats — except for the "commonly accepted wisdom that the Internet loves them," of course.
Below, the five most and least successful phrases on Kickstarter:
Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images; Graphic: Georgia Tech