In the past, we’ve talked about some key guidelines for creating a video for your upcoming Kickstarter campaign and also some of the major mistakes to avoid. In this post, I’m going to break down the basic format for a compelling Kickstarter video.
Keep in mind that there is no cookie cutter or standard video length or format. Although we will be highlighting some of the best practices, there are campaigns that fall out of these norms. You should always first study campaigns that have been successful in your category, like these, and work backwards from there.
Video Length
I know that we’ve pointed out that “videos over 6 minutes have the lowest success rate,” but ultimately timing and duration is an arbitrary number. The real question that you need to answer is whether or not potential backers ever tune out during the length of your video.
Naturally, most people who are interested in a category like comic books, games, or music, have about a 3 minute attention span before they begin to lose interest or their mind begins to wander. However, as you must know from browsing around the Kickstarter platform, some videos are more engaging than others.
There are a few ways that you can maintain interest and engagement over the course of a video pitch, which I’ve listed out below.
- Ever notice how television shows and movies are constantly changing the scene, camera angle, or flashing to another take? Changing the angle or direction of the camera view every 10-20 seconds at minimum will make the viewing experience more interesting and keep the potential backer attentive.
- Using humor throughout the video to make the viewer chuckle will not only improve the chance that they’ll share the video with a friend and say something like “This is hilarious you must check it out,” but it will also increase the amount of time that they watch the video, because there is a promised future emotional reward. This is why humorous YouTube compilation videos can be long and also popular.
- Music, good lighting, and a passionate speaker are also great ways to set the emotional tone for the video and make the backer want to learn more about the product.
I would recommend checking out some of these sites to obtain stock photos, video, and music to make your Kickstarter video more compelling.
Ultimately, I would keep the length to 2:30 to 5 minutes (max), unless your video is super compelling, you have enough of revolutionary product to maintain interest, or you have some kind of clout in your target market.
What Points Should You Cover?
The video is meant as a teaser, a pitch, or a trailer that will introduce you, the product, and why it matters. Backers can always look through your campaign text for more information, but there are some key points that every Kickstarter video should cover.
- Tell a story. Stories are an integral part of the human experience and a good story will even captivate strangers, as we saw with the Esinton Glass Kickstarter campaign, which raised nearly $200,000.
- Why did the team or you create the product? This will help backers get to know you, your values, and get them excited about your solution. The SolarPuff Kickstarter campaign, which raised nearly $500,000 had an amazing inspiring reason as to why they decided to create a eco-friendly lantern.
- How are your backers a part of this journey? Why are you bringing this project to Kickstarter and what will your backers enable you to do? The Makesmith CNC Router video, which raised $80,000+, clearly explained why they were raising money through crowdfunding.
- Bring credibility to your project by shining a spotlight. I hate to say it, but your video is one of many. How do you stand out? One way you can stand out is to use your video to show your viewers the impact that your product/initiative is having. This could mean featuring multiple people in your video or highlighting testimonial reviews like the Greenbelly Kickstarter campaign, which raised 190% of their goal.
Finally, each video should have a clear call to action. This means, give your backers a reason to pledge to your project. Don’t just ask for money! Ask them to join you on a quest. Invite them to become a part of your community. Challenge them to change the world with you.
How should backers feel after watching your video?
Before answering this question, I’d like to bring attention to the emotions that a human being must feel to share a product or piece of content with their social network.
In addition, there are specific types of emotions that are commonly associated with viral content.
- Curiosity
- Amazement
- Interest
- Astonishment
- Uncertainty
Keep in mind that you might not be able to appeal to all of these emotions in your Kickstarter video. However, I would pinpoint what you want potential backers to feel after they watch your Kickstarter video.
For example, they might feel angry about a cause you highlighted and want to help, inspired about how your product can change their life, entertained and have the desire to be entertained more by supporting your gaming project, or feel a sense of awe or amazement and say to their friends “this is so cool!”
So what’s the format?
Aside from the information that I’ve highlighted above, I would split your video in the following way.
- 10% humorous or entertaining.
- 40% on the pitch and problem/solution.
- 30% showing your personality (passion, story, approachability, etc).
- 10% bringing credibility to the project.
- 10% the direct sales pitch.
If you’d like some of my insider tips on launching and marketing your campaign once you have your video together, check out our popular comprehensive course which will guide you through the process step-by-step.
