There is no question that your Kickstarter video is the most important element of your campaign page.
It’s the first thing your potential backers will encounter when they visit your project — so you’ve got to do everything in your power to evoke an emotional response that leads to a conversion.
In this article, I’m going to take you through 5 key mistakes that I see lots of creators make, and how you can avoid them.
1. Going too long
This is one of the most common mistakes I see in unsuccessful Kickstarter campaigns. The videos are simply too long to hold attention. Research shows that the ideal video length is between 2:30-5:00 minutes.
At 5 minutes, most people are at the limits of their attention span. If possible, I’d recommend keeping it around 3 minutes.
Your video should function as a teaser that introduces you, the campaign, and gives the viewer a broad overview of the project. You can always include videos below the main video to display gameplay, tutorials, or more video footage of your product.
2. Failure to Provoke Emotion
I see many creators come in with a mindset like this:
My product is of superior quality and is a better alternative than the competition. All I have to do is show that, and people will buy.
While this may be true, it’s an extremely dangerous mindset to adopt.
Why?
Because believe it or not, people don’t actually buy based on quality. In fact, they don’t even buy with logical. They buy with emotion. So you have to cultivate that within a potential backer in your video.
There are many types of emotion you can go after: laugher, excitement, concern, anxiety, curiosity, anger, hope. You’ll have to identify which will be best for your product.
Once you’ve done so, make sure to get that emotional hammer within the first ten seconds of your video. When you do that, people will continue to watch. And if they’re interested, they’ll scroll through the rest of your page to justify a logical buying decision.
3. Making it like a Commercial
Kickstarter is not an ecommerce store. Commercials tend to put all of the emphasis on a product, with a phony hired voice actor and slick presentation. I really recommend avoiding this.
Yes, your video should explain why the product needs to exist in the world and the benefits of supporting it, but it should also feature the creator(s) and showcase their passion for the project. Why are they spending long nights trying to make this dream a reality?
Although the number of larger brands and slick presentations is growing, I still think at its core, Kickstarter is a community centered around independent creation, cool products, and people with the technical ability to create prototypes that open up a future of possibility.
It gives a voice to the little guys. Be transparent and show people who is behind the project, why you are doing it, and how far you’ve gotten thus far. Don’t make a commercial. It should be a closer to a startup pitch presentation.
4. Forgetting to Show Use Cases
When someone encounters your Kickstarter video, you want them to visualize themselves using your product.
That means using B-roll footage and use cases that demonstrate how your are giving a solution a problem — whether buyers knew they had that problem or not.
Don’t get caught up in the mistake that just showing the product is enough. Backers want to see actual people interacting with your creation.
5. Forgetting Your Brand
This shouldn’t be a static pitch video! Show your passion and enthusiasm. If you’re funny, be funny! If you’re raising money for an entertainment web-series, be entertaining!
You want people to come away from your video not just wanting the product, but also liking you. It’s very hard to develop rapport when you’re not face-to-face, so anything that you can do to make potential backers smile will make them more willing to share your pitch with their friends.
No matter your brand, stay true to it. When you do this, people are more likely to connect with you, engage with the campaign, and share it with their friends!
Key Takeaways
If you’re serious about your campaign, when it comes to your Kickstarter video, you can’t afford to take chances.
That’s why here at CrowdCrux we’re all about giving you the education you need to be successful. Check out some of these additional resources:
- The Crowd Crux blog, podcast, and Youtube channel where we’re always working to deliver the best insider tips, tricks, and secrets from experts who have a wide range of experience in the industry.
- The Crowd Crux weekly newsletter that delivers awesome, valuable insights to your inbox every Thursday.
- Books and courses designed our founder Salvador Briggman, such as The Kickstarter Launch Formula and it’s sister UDEMY course
- Coaching that ranges from advice all the way to A to Z crowdfunding services. Book a coaching call with me today!
Good luck with your Kickstarter video! We wish you the best of luck with your campaign. And remember, use us as your trusted resource as you go through launch.
