Big fish: Leveraging the fear of missing out in equity crowdfunding in the post-COVID-19 era

In this article, we look at how to leverage the positive face of the fear of missing out (FOMO) to foster brand community-building in the context of equity crowdfunding in the post-COVID-19 era. Using thematic analysis from 15 interviews with crowd investors across Europe and North America, we investigated how FOMO influences the decision-making of crowd investors. Findings suggest that FOMO is a powerful belongingness facilitator that can support the crowd investor’s self-determination strategies and thus their willingness to take part in a crowdfunding community, sharing in its values and beliefs. FOMO can be used by entrepreneurs to activate identification mechanisms through which they can create a loyal fan base. We conclude by proposing an entrepreneurial action plan to guide the entrepreneur in making the most of FOMO in equity crowdfunding ventures.