According to Kickstarter, projects with impactful videos are far more successful than Kickstarter campaigns without them; in fact, 50 percent more successful than other campaigns.
This is because video is one of the best ways to convey emotion, motivation, and the essence of a project quickly and clearly. Which, as a entrepreneur or artist at the cusp of your big business adventure, is exactly what you need to grab the attention of viewers to turn them into investors.
Be Authentic
The key to a great Kickstarter video is authenticity. People need to see the real you. They need to know you’re a genuine, passionate person with a product or service that you believe in 100 percent. Investors want to get to know who they are investing in, not just a few close-up shots and a voice-over of your product or service. The human element is vital to capturing viewers, so seeing/hearing from the owner/founder/inventor on camera is important.
Let’s hear it in your voice. Be different. Be yourself.
Even if you’re working with a tight budget, which many Kickstarter campaigners will be, you can still create a unique, engaging video. Unique shots, close-ups, or other creative filming techniques can keep your video visually interesting without increasing costs.
Stay Focused
When making any marketing video, you have to remember that your audience has an average attention span of 8.25 seconds. That’s less than that of a goldfish. This means that your Kickstarter video has only a few short seconds to hook your viewer, so make your video compelling right from the start.
Don’t worry about trying to fit too many things into the video. Keep it focused on the most important aspects of your Kickstarter campaign. Addressing too many things or giving too much detail can easily derail your viewer and make them lose interest. When crafting your script, try to keep your message clear and concise; especially if you’re working with a budget. In general, longer videos will usually require a larger budget.
Cover Your Basics
If you’re going to grab your investors’ attention and retain their interest, you will need to give some basic information:
Who You Are and Why You Are Passionate
Clearly communicate who you are and why you are so passionate about your product or service. Be honest and transparent. Illustrate why your product or service means something to you, specifically. This authentic enthusiasm will be what inspires your audience to keep watching and help fund your vision.
Identify The Benefit Your Product or Service Provides
Now that your audience understands the why, elaborate on the what. What are the pain points you are trying to solve and how do you plan on solving them? Why is your product or service the best option? What is new and inventive about your solution? What niche is it filling that hasn’t been filled already?
Why should people help fund you? What benefits will they get out of this?
Give Them an Action Point
If your video successfully engages and excites viewers but doesn’t give them a way to take action, then your Kickstarter campaign will get absolutely nowhere. You must communicate how your viewers can become your backers. Is this through fund raising? Pre-ordering your product? Sharing your information on social media?
Give your viewer one or two clear actions to help launch your dream.
Kickstarter isn’t the only way to raise funds using video, and sometimes the video is the way to get in the door to meet an investor. When that is your goal, the same rules still apply to your why and when but you should be less specific on the how. Give investors enough information to get them interested in your solution, but save the details for the face-to-face meeting. Use the video to get them excited about you and your idea, with enough proof to make them believe in you.
Say Thank You
Lastly, don’t forget to say thank you. This is an important step that acknowledges that you are grateful for your funders, your viewers, and anyone who took time to watch your video. Express your gratitude to let them know how much you really appreciate them.
Heed Copyright Laws
No matter how small or insignificant you may think your Kickstarter video is, it is always 100 percent necessary to adhere to copyright laws. This includes (but is not limited to) copyrighted music or audio clips, photographs, images, videos, and even logos. Yes, even that Apple logo on your MacBook falls under trademark law.
Aside from the potential legal issues, you’ll also find that some systems, such as YouTube, will reject your video (and eventually ban you) if their automated scanning program finds copyrighted elements in your videos.
You can find royalty-free content at iStockPhoto, SoundCloud, Vimeo Music Store, and many other sites. There are plenty of resources available for you. Respecting other people’s intellectual property shows that you understand the business of ideas.
Shoot Your Video in the Right Setting
As you’re shooting your video, you need to make sure that your message aligns with your filming style. For example, a Kickstarter video that’s attempting to raise funds for a musician to go on tour should be shot in an area that echoes their music. A garage, their recording studio, in a field, a coffee shop, etc., may be great locations.
A Kickstarter video that is designing a car mount for iPads may utilize 3D animation of their product with a white background, mimicking the sterile streamlined style of Apple products.
A businessman that wants to start his own investment company may want to consider shooting his video in the bustling heart of downtown Seattle.
As you’re planning your Kickstarter video, however, keep in mind budget. Animation or motion graphics may be a cheaper option than live shooting. Off-site locations may require longer time, renting space, or greater flexibility (e.g., you schedule a live action shoot on a patio and it suddenly starts hailing).
The Cost of Kickstarter Video:
A kickstarter video, or any pitch video, can cost anything from $0 to $10,000 or more. The cost depends on how polished you want your video to be, and how much of the creative and technical process you take on. If you choose to hire a local professional video production company, such as Sparkworks Media, your minimum price for one video, produced end-to-end, will be an average of $5,500.
Ready to begin your kickstarter campaign with our Seattle video production team? Give us a call at 206.504.2831, or check out some more of our available resources by downloading our eBook below.
