10 Tips: How to Make a Kick-Ass Crowdfunding Pitch Video

Whether you are crowdfunding or raising finance independently, a well-crafted pitch video will benefit your campaign massively. Get it wrong and months of hard work trying to get your idea off the ground could be in ruins.

So with that in mind I’ve written down my top 10 tips on how to make a successful crowdfunding pitch video and raise money for the project you are passionate about.

These tips will provide you with an overview of how to approach your video and will hopefully help you avoid the mistakes many people make, whilst turning your great idea into reality!

1. Know Your Goals - Have a clear picture of what you want your video to achieve?

• Who is your target audience? What do they like and dislike? How do they think, what do they expect?
• What does the video need to explain? Think about the problem or opportunity your product solves. What are its features? How does it benefit your target audience?
• What results do you want to achieve? Be completely clear on this and include any necessary information in your video. Remember, it isn't all about the money! You may want to disrupt a market, change the way people think, build a community.

2. Research - Review other successful campaigns, especially those similar to your idea. Note how they have approached their subject matter and how they have sold their idea. What works, what doesn't? Build a list of do's and don'ts and use it when planning your video.

3. Be Yourself - Put your face to the brand - Investors & backers like to know who they are supporting. Appearing in your pitch video is a great way to showcase your passion and get your audience to know, like and trust you.

• Rewards campaign videos - Since 2017 more and more campaigns are moving away from featuring the founder in the main crowdfunding video and use a voice over instead to tell the story. This is a trend I expect to grow. The founder then appears in extra supporting videos e.g. campaign updates (or in a brief cameo appearance at the end of the main video.)
• Equity campaign videos - As the founding team plays such a fundamental role in valuing a company and attracting Investors I believe it’s really important to always feature the founders (and team) in the main campaign video. One of the main things Investors want to know when Investing (in a new business) is who will be managing the company and making sure their investment is in the best possible hands. The video gives you a key opportunity to impress and start building a relationship with them.

4. Location & Setting - The best crowdfunding videos set the scene and take the viewer to relevant environments that feature the product/service being used in a beneficial and appealing way.

• For example, you are launching a new craft beer. It would make sense to film in a pub/bar and at the brewery where the beer is made. Showing footage of someone in an office with the beer is probably not going to project the look or message to the viewer. Unless you have created a beer brand for specific office use!

5. Set the Right Tone and Look - Choosing the right tone and look for your video will help your audience connect with your product. Think about who your target audience is and what they expect. Be consistent and use the same look and style across all areas of your campaign and business.

• For example, you are launching a new electric bike and you know your target market is predominately men aged 40 - 55, who like city life and outdoor adventure. It would be a mistake to style the video inline with what an early twenties hipster likes. Even if this is what you prefer. Keep the look and style inline with what your target market expects.

6. Keep it Short, Snappy and End With a Bang! - Your video should be short, exciting and keep the viewer engaged to the end.

Explain the problem and how your product is the solution in the first 20 - 30 seconds of the video and get the viewer hooked early on. Your aim is to make the viewer excited and to think emotively about your product/service.

You should think about the pace and rhythm of your video. Is it inline with your message and tone? The way you edit your film and the music you select will help provide the right flow and pace and keep the viewer engaged throughout, right until the end.

Some points to Include for a memorable crowdfunding pitch video:

• Introduce who you are and tell the story behind your idea
• Explain the problem your product solves.
• Explain the features and benefits
• Explain your objectives.
• Include a call to action - Ask people to back you.

7. Length of Video - In recent years the length of a pitch video has tumbled as viewer’s attention spans shorten. With this in mind I always aim to keep the videos we create as short and punchy as possible.

I now aim for 90secs - 2minutes for Rewards campaigns and up to 3 minutes for Equity campaigns. However anywhere between 1 - 3minutes for Rewards and 2 - 4 minutes for Equity videos is fine.

Anything longer and the video can start to drag, with the viewer loosing interest. Remember, the trick is to get the viewer interested and excited about your product.

It's not necessary to have all information in the video. The viewer can access extra information from your campaign page and supporting documents.

Tip - When writing your script 150 words is about 1 minutes worth of voice over. So, a 300 word script will create a 2 minute long video.

8. Video and Audio Quality - You only have one chance to make a good impression, it’s crucial that the quality of your video is good. Make sure the video's visuals don’t pixelate or the audio crackles distracting the audience from your offer.

If you are shooting the video yourself take some time to learn the basics of video production - from filming to sound and lighting. Or seek help from a professional video company.

9. Budget - Experts recommend your crowdfunding marketing budget is around 10% of the value you are looking to raise. As the video will lead the marketing campaign and is the main focal point for your audience I would recommend a good amount of the budget be put towards the video.

The rest of the marketing budget can be allocated towards 'Paid' social media advertising and other PR expenses designed to drive traffic to your campaign page.

10. Investment vs. Return on Investment - The video’s ROI is one of the most important factors in a fundraising campaign and the more you invest in your video generally the better the ROI.

Tip - It's important to a have a strong marketing campaign to support your video.

Go Forth and Succeed!

When you run a crowdfunding campaign or raise investment independently I firmly believe the time and effort you put into making a great pitch video will pay you back immeasurably in increased engagement and exposure.

Your audience's first impressions are everything. Especially as they are likely to judge you, your product and company on the standard of your video and how you deliver your message.

That's will I believe it's really important to craft your message carefully and deliver it in the most eye-catching and appealing video possible. This can give you the best chance of raising the money you need and running a successful campaign.

I’d love to know how you get on with your campaign, so please feel free to get in touch when you’ve implemented these video tips and strategies, or indeed if you have any questions.

Here's to your success!

To download the accompanying guide to this article simply click this link: how-to-make-a-kick-ass-crowdfunding-pitch-video/

Adam Laurie wowyourcrowd.co.uk