Creating videos is something Noah Borer, the co-founder of Toronto-based Unbuttoned Media, was born to do. After graduating college he headed to La-La Land (the destination, not the movie) to work in Los Angeles where he cut his video teeth on movie sets and the Dr. Phil Show. He moved back to Toronto a few years ago ready to start a new venture with his business partner, Sam Berns. And so, Unbuttoned Media was born, a media company that tells brand stories through video. Small businesses and start-ups have been their primary clientele, including Kickstarter videos for a few different brands and a regular gig creating video spotlights on local businesses with BlogTO.
If you’ve followed along with any of my past blog posts about crowdfunding, you will already know how important the video content is for a Kickstarter campaign. But there’s a formula to follow if you want that video to be a success… and obviously if you’re investing the time, money and effort into a crowdfunding campaign, success is the goal!
Consider these five tips to creating an effective Kickstarter video that Noah Borer recently shared with me.
Tip #1: Timing Is Everything!
No, I don’t mean when you release the video. I mean how long the video is. The rule at Unbuttoned Media for creating Kickstarter videos is that it should never exceed 2 minutes in length. Less is more! The average human attention span is around 8-10 seconds, which leads to the next point…
Tip #2: Capture their attention right off the bat.
Have an interesting graphic, animation, or fact that the viewer may not know right near the beginning of the video. If you have a product already designed, giving a teaser or a quick glimpse of the product is another way to capture the attention of the audience.
Tip #3: Stick to the script
A good rule of thumb is the following: First half of the video – share the story of how the product and founders came to be. This should be mostly scripted or have bullet points to ensure the story gets told in a concise, snappy, and simple manner. Second half of the video- share where you see this product going/introduce the details of it. When having the founders talk on camera, being conversational and light is key. People can tell when someone is nervous or stiff and it’s off putting. If you have to do 100 takes until its perfect, do 100 takes.
Tip #4: Be aware of what you’re putting in the video.
You should be aware of anything from a logo to stock footage and royalty free music. You want to ensure that you go through the video carefully before launching the campaign to ensure you are covered legally with everything from a third-party you are using within the video. Make sure you have bought the rights to the music or footage that you want to use and that you won’t get burned down the line by having it in your video.
Tip #5: The “Ask”
Many Kickstarter campaigns have different ways to do the dreaded ask, and there are lots of different ways that are effective. Don’t just say “Back our project”. Give them a reason to. Some sort of reward or special treatment for getting into your business on the ground floor is helpful. If the product is something that will help them in their daily life, explain to them why they NEED this product and how the functionality of it is life changing.
Thank you to Noah for sharing these five tips. I think it’s fair to say these are relevant not only for Kickstarter videos, but for any videos about a brand or new product.
If you’re in search of more guidance on crowdfunding campaigns and the importance of video content, I lead you through it all in my ebook, The 7 Essentials of a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign.
