In partnership with

It’s go-time for holiday campaigns

Roku Ads Manager makes it easy to extend your Q4 campaign to performance CTV.

You can:

• Easily launch self-serve CTV ads

• Repurpose your social content for TV

• Drive purchases directly on-screen with shoppable ads

• A/B test to discover your most effective offers

The holidays only come once a year. Get started now with a $500 ad credit when you spend your first $500 today with code: ROKUADS500. Terms apply.

Get started today.

10 Ways to Use Social Media to Create Thought Leadership Content While Raising Money

Raising money through equity crowdfunding is more than just running ads or sharing your campaign link. The startups that stand out build trust and authority before asking anyone to invest. Social media is the best place to do this because it lets you show up consistently in front of your audience, share insights, and establish credibility as a founder.

Below are ten practical ways to turn social media into a thought leadership engine that supports your fundraising campaign. Each tactic is designed to educate, engage, and comply with securities regulations.

1. Share Your Founder Story in Chapters

Your story is your most valuable asset. Break it into short, digestible posts instead of one long narrative.

• Week 1: Why you started the company

• Week 2: The problem you saw in the world

• Week 3: How you built the first version

• Week 4: Key milestones you’ve achieved

This serial format builds anticipation and shows resilience, grit, and vision. Use short clips, carousels, or even text posts. Always end by directing people to the official campaign page for investment details, not your post.

2. Post Industry Insights as Bite-Sized Lessons

Thought leadership comes from demonstrating a deeper understanding of the industry than most. Share:

• Market trends you’re watching

• Surprising data points or user behaviors

• Lessons you’ve learned from customers

• Predictions about where the industry is heading

Keep it focused on education, not promotion. Position yourself as a guide for your audience. Investors want to back people who understand markets deeply, and these posts demonstrate that.

3. Host Weekly Live Sessions (Webinars or AMAs)

Live sessions create authenticity. Instead of pushing “invest now,” treat them as thought leadership mini-events.

Follow a safe structure:

• Start with your founder story

• Share one big industry trend

• Show a quick product demo or testimonial

• Take questions (redirecting investment ones to your campaign page)

Record the session and cut it into clips for social. You’ll build a library of authentic video content that works across LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

4. Repurpose Longform Content Into Micro-Posts

If you’ve written blogs, whitepapers, or newsletters, don’t let them sit unread. Break them into:

• LinkedIn carousels with 3–5 slides of key takeaways

• Twitter threads with one idea per tweet

• Short videos summarizing each main point

This lets you scale your thought leadership content without creating everything from scratch. Each snippet builds your reputation while keeping attention on the bigger story you’re telling.

5. Use Customer and Partner Testimonials

Investors trust founders who can show social proof. Use testimonials as authority content:

• Turn quotes into branded graphics

• Record short video clips of partners, advisors, or early customers

• Share stories about how your solution helped someone

Frame these as validation of your idea and execution, not financial promises. Social proof builds credibility and attracts both investors and future customers.

6. Create Short Video Clips With Compliance-Friendly Messaging

Video gets more reach than static posts. Use 15–60 second clips with captions and a disclaimer overlay like:
“Investing involves risk. See [portal link] for details.”

Content ideas:

• Quick founder lessons

• Behind-the-scenes moments

• Customer stories

• Industry insights

Keep the tone conversational and authentic. Use tools like HeyGen or AI script editors to make delivery smoother—pauses, pronunciation, and precise pacing help the audience trust what you say.

7. Run a “Behind-the-Scenes” Series

People want to know what it’s like to build a company. Show them:

• Your team is working on new product features

• How do you prepare for a customer pitch

• A day in the life of your startup

• Challenges you’ve overcome

These posts humanize you and make potential investors feel like insiders. Transparency builds emotional connection, which often drives funding decisions.

8. Engage With Other Thought Leaders

Don’t just broadcast. Thought leadership comes from participating in conversations.

• Comment on industry leader posts with your perspective

• Share relevant articles and add your take

• Join Twitter Spaces or LinkedIn Lives as a guest

When you consistently add value in other people’s feeds, you expand your reach and get associated with credible voices in your space.

9. Build a Weekly Content Rhythm

Consistency matters more than perfection. Create a repeatable weekly cadence:

• Monday: Founder insight post

• Wednesday: Industry data point

• Friday: Short video clip

• Sunday: Behind-the-scenes story

This predictable rhythm keeps your audience engaged. Investors need repeated touchpoints before they act. A steady flow of thought leadership content ensures you stay top of mind.

10. Use Social Media to Fuel a Follow-Up Funnel

Treat every post like the top of a funnel. Drive engagement into email or webinar follow-ups.

• Collect emails from people who engage with your posts

• Send replay links, FAQs, and testimonials via email

• Always include a compliance disclaimer and campaign page link

This way, social isn’t a dead-end—it’s the start of a system that nurtures investors over time.

Putting It All Together

Thought leadership on social media is not about looking smart; it’s about building trust and authority at scale. When you consistently share your story, insights, and customer validation, you position yourself as someone worth backing.

The most successful fundraising campaigns combine social media thought leadership with structured follow-up systems, webinars, and compliance-friendly calls to action. If you keep showing up, educating, and redirecting to your campaign page, you’ll give investors the confidence to act.