Crowdfunding success: How campaign language can predict funding

In this paper, we confirm and extend the empirical evidence that discusses the role of individual traits in determining resource acquisition by entrepreneurs. Using a sample of 59,538 crowdfunding campaigns launched on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter,we explore how the use of language can impact a campaign's success. This paper adopts a combined methodology that relies on the Crovitz 42 Relational Words, emotional text mining (ETM), and Machine Learning to model key variables and identify the elements of a campaign that could primarily affect successful funding. This research concludes with practical suggestions for how entrepreneurs can use language and other controllable variables to increase their chances for success with their crowdfunding campaigns from the very start, as well as understand which uncontrollable variables may boost their chances of success during a campaign.