According to different estimates, the average success rate of a crowdfunding campaign is 20-40%. Fortunately, there is a way to significantly increase your chances of attracting the attention of investors and getting funded. The only thing you have to do is be a little more creative, and create a video about your startup - crowdfunding campaigns with videos attract 105% more investments than those without them.Still, you have to be pretty smart with your crowdfunding video production, so in this article, I will share the best practices that will help you create an attention-grabbing and investment-attracting video in a professional way. Why Are Videos Good for Attracting Investments? Creating a Kickstarter video is a good idea by default, and here is why. Videos are visual. This is just the feature that makes professionally-created videos appealing regardless of the use case - our brain processes visual information faster and better than any other type of content. Visuals are also better memorable and trendy. There is a great likelihood that the investors won’t mind watching your video as well. Videos tell a long story short. A Kickstarter video (or the one you will promote on any other crowdfunding platform) allows you to tell the investors more than you can tell them with a sales pitch but less than you have written in your business plan. From this standpoint, videos are an ideal middle ground for your communication with future investors. Videos help you stand out. Crowdfunding video production doesn’t have creative limits - only reasonable ones. So, you are welcome to showcase your product or service in such a way as to differentiate your startup instantly. And here is where the challenge begins. Creating a Crowdfunding Video - The ChallengeCreating an effective crowdfunding video is challenging - let’s be honest. The thing is that this video type is pretty unique as it combines some of the features of other video types you have to mix creatively and intelligently. So, a crowdfunding video has a lot in common with: Product or demo video. Product and demo videos already have a lot in common with each other, and when creating a crowdfunding video, you should grab some of their features as well. Your video should also show the product in action or at least come with a validated prototype of the future solution. Corporate/branded video. A Kickstarter video should also tell a little about your company and have branded elements for better brand differentiation. Explainer video. One of the tasks you have to solve with a crowdfunding video is to explain to potential investors how your solution works to solve a specific problem. This is where a Kickstarter video overlaps with an explainer one. Promo video. And of course, a crowdfunding video should promote your startup. You need to sell it to investors, so in this case, you have to follow the best marketing practices, taking the use case into account. For example, your video should be visually compelling, have a bold marketing message, and end with an encouraging call to action. The Best 10 Practices for Crowdfunding Video ProductionBelow are ten crowdfunding video tips that will boost the chances of getting funded. 1. Research the ideasThere are a lot of successful examples of projects that grew investments using videos as a part of their crowdfunding strategy. Get started by researching them and pay attention to the style choice, narration flow, the ways to showcase the solution itself, length, and Kickstarter video music. Highlight the ideas that are the most applicable for your startup and move on to the next step. 2. Be clear with the problem you solveStating the clear problem your project solves is one of the keys to making investors consider it. In addition to the problem itself, show its relevance for the target group. As an option, you can reinforce the problem with statistics, using the kinetic typography animation approach. 3. Write a compelling scriptA Kickstarter video script is one of the most challenging tasks when it comes to producing a video for investment attraction. You are welcome to outline the most important points you want to discuss in your video, and then, consider outsourcing script polishing to a professional Kickstarter video production company. In this case, the investments made in developing a top-notch script are more likely to be paid off by the ones you will attract with crowdfunding. 4. Tell the investors about yourselfThe evergreen marketing approach, according to which people believe in people (and invest in people) works in crowdfunding as well. That’s why your video script should also dwell a little on your company’s identity, mission, values, and the personalities of the startup creators. 5. Show the product in action/dwell on the development processA crowdfunding video allows for showing instead of describing - make sure to do it. Following this tip, reuse the best practices for product and demo video production. Show what your product looks like and how it works in a real-life environment. This is an important point for product novelties but if you have a digital solution, you have something to show as well. In this case, you can demonstrate the solution’s prototype, dwell on the features of your MVP (if it is ready) and highlight the development process milestones so that the investors get a clear idea of the solution’s lifecycle stage and the development projections. 6. Show the advantagesAnd here is one more marketing practice to follow- your crowdfunding video should highlight the startup’s advantages, along with its technical specifications.What’s more, you have to show the advantages for the users (which are the proof of your project’s demand and relevance), along with the advantages for the investors to fund it. Some of the crowdfunding platforms support rewarding programs for investors, so mentioning them can be one more benefit for you. 7. Pick the right lengthAn average Kickstarter video length is 1-3 minutes. Indeed, this is also the middle ground for most of the marketing videos businesses create for diverse purposes. Still, in the case of crowdfunding video production, make sure you have followed all the Kickstarter video guidelines and best practices to share all the important points about your project’s core idea, the problem and the solution, the growth potential, and the creator’s personality. Take more time if you need it, but make sure not to overburden the investors with too many details. 8. Choose the right styleAs well as any other video type, crowdfunding videos aren’t limiting your creativity, and the choice of animation style is still diverse. But make sure to tailor it to the use case and your project specifics. For example, physical products, such as innovative devices are better to show with the help of 3D. Using this style, you will be able to demonstrate the product as it is, from each of the angles and highlight its real use cases. Digital solutions, in turn, often proceed with 2D, which is also a good choice for visual storytelling. 9. End a video with an encouraging call to actionEnding your video with a compelling call to action is essential for making a complete impression. Still, don’t write something like “Fund us now”. Instead, try something less salesy but more touching and compelling. For example, “Let’s do it together” can be a better option that is encouraging but isn’t too binding at once. 10. Reinforce a video with a business planEven in case all the best Kickstarter video tips are carefully and professionally followed, keep in mind that a crowdfunding video is neither a magic pill nor an ultimate guarantee. Your project still has to stand out with the idea behind it, and your business plan should be professionally written to showcase the startup’s potential with real numbers, realistic development projections, and revenue expectations. Conclusion - How to Get a Stellar Crowdfunding Video?Following the above-shared tips and practices for crowdfunding, video creation is a path to making a killer Kickstarter video, attracting the attention of investors, making them believe in your project, and supporting its development. In order not to make a leap of faith, it’s better to rely on a professional animation team. Wow-How Studio would be glad to help you with this task, aligning your vision with the best creative and technical practices for crowdfunding video production. Let’s get in touch and create a winning opportunity for your project to stand out on Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms!
