So you’ve created an innovative product, and now you want to use crowdfunding to bring it to life.
But how do you get backers when there are so many other entrepreneurs trying to get funded, too? A professional product page? An exclusive offer? A ‘thank you for supporting my project’ e-card with lots of kind words and hugs and kisses?
All of these things have their place in a great crowdfunding campaign (yes, even the cute card), but to really resonate with customers and get them to support you, you need to communicate the unique value of your product clearly and concisely.
That’s where learning how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video comes in.
In this guide, I’ve put together 7 practical tips to show you how to create a crowdfunding pitch video that gets results.
But first, let’s reiterate why learning how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video is so important in the first place.
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Why is a crowdfunding video important for your campaign?
If a picture paints a thousand words, what’s a video worth? Ten thousand words? One hundred thousand? A jillion? Let’s just agree on a heckuva lot.
Your crowdfunding video captures the USPs of your product in a way no other medium can. It lets your audience see your passion for your brand as clear as a full moon through freshly polished glasses. It builds trust and (most importantly!) turns visitors into backers.
44% of people say they’d prefer to watch a short video to learn about a brand, according to Wyzowl. That easily beats the 16% who said they’d rather read an eBook and the 13% who prefer to read articles.
Why? Because videos are faster to consume. They appeal to our dwindling attention spans, engage us, and make us want to find out more.
This is all pleasant news for your crowdfunding campaign—the more time someone spends browsing your page, the more likely they are to back you.
And that’s not even counting virality—video content gets 1200% more social media shares than text and images combined. When Insider covered our campaign video for baKblade, we saw a six-figure revenue increase in just four days.
Knowing how to make a crowdfunding video is more important than you think. It’s so often the difference between a successful campaign and heading back to the drawing board.
7 Tips on how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video
Now that I’ve shown the ‘why’, let’s look at how to make a crowdfunding video.
I’ll assume at this stage that you understand your target audience, their pain points, and how your product solves them—and if you don’t, our guide to conducting market research will help with that. This knowledge is your crowdfunding video’s guiding light.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into my top 7 tips for how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video.
1. Capture attention with an attractive hook
Your hook is the first thing a visitor will see and hear when they click on your video. It needs to grab attention and altogether convince potential customers that your product is worth their time.
The average human attention span is just over eight seconds—almost an entire second shorter than that of the poor, misrepresented goldfish. That gives you eight seconds to create something memorable and enticing.
One tried-and-tested approach for achieving this is by immediately stating the pain point your target audience is experiencing. Here’s how we achieved this with our hook for BusyBox, who we helped raise $332,202 on Indiegogo.
*Rolls up chair*
*Turns on computer*
*Gets ready to work*
*Roommate BUSTS in*
“HEY MAN! YOU BUSY?”
*Leans back, sighs, and swivels in his gaming chair in frustration*
Yes.
You are busy.
And it’s time you let your house know it.
This hook clearly states the problem—you are busy, and it’s time you let your house know it.
It gives BusyBox’s target audience what I like to call a ‘that sounds like me!’ moment, meaning they’ll stick around for longer to find out the brand’s solution.
2. Explain your product clearly and concisely
Once you’ve secured the attention of your visitor, you need to explain who you are, what your product does and how it will solve the problem you outlined in your hook.
Again, time is a factor here—while there is no right or wrong video length for a crowdfunder, it’s important to be concise.
I suggest starting with the name of your business or product and then telling the viewer your main value proposition. Here’s what we created for BusyBox:
Meet BusyBox.
The wireless status box that helps you work uninterrupted and enter deep focus at home.
This outlines BusyBox’s core benefit in relation to the problem in the hook: You’re busy, and it’s time you let your house know it—here’s a product that will free you from these distractions.
Once you state your value proposition, you can dive into further details, such as how the product works and any other core features and benefits. Just remember to keep things brief and resist the urge to dive into complex technicalities—after all, this is a teaser to build excitement, not your finished product page.
3. Use visual elements to make your vision clear
Visual elements are more than a way to catch the eye. They evoke emotion, tie your brand narrative together, and create a story that helps your audience connect with your product. That means you need to tailor them to your customers and the message you want to convey.
- If you’re crowdfunding a never-before-seen gadget, showing off the development process will help audiences connect with your journey.
- Launching a campaign for an Action RPG? You’ll want to show a demo of the game in action and the features that make it unique.
- Crowdfunding for a community initiative? You need to provide footage and testimonials of the impact your team is having and the problems you’re solving.
Visual elements can help you convey the tone and values that matter to your audience. These are all things we had to consider when designing a campaign video for AIR PIX.
Example: AIR PIX
AIR PIX is a pocket-sized aerial drone that lets you take photos and video selfies. It’s primarily targeted at the younger demographic (think trendy group selfies and Instagram videos over nature photography and drone racing).
When we designed AIR PIX’s campaign video, we leaned into this angle by including an upbeat music track and high-energy action shots. We told a visual story that depicted who the product was for (younger adults), how they might use it (taking photos and videos), and how that would benefit them (better social media content).
Here’s the resulting crowdfunding pitch video that helped AIR PIX raise $1,611,851 on Indiegogo.
4. Be creative with the “why” of your campaign
Throughout your crowdfunding pitch video, you need to explain the ‘whys’ of your product convincingly. Why did you make it? Why will this product solve your audience’s problems? Why should they back you?
To achieve this, you need to get creative and find inspiring ways to resonate with your customers. We already touched on visual storytelling in the previous section, but here are some additional ideas:
- Describe your journey as a founder and why it led you to make your product.
- Showcase the real impact of your product with case studies.
- Introduce team members to talk about the inspiration behind your campaign.
- Explain exactly why you’re asking for backers and what it will achieve.
- Create animated explainers to emphasize key benefits and use cases.
This is your opportunity to show your passion for your project and why you truly believe your product will solve the problem your audience is having. It’s about building connections with your customers.
5. Always show your credentials
Consumer trust and crowdfunding success are like chickens and eggs—you can’t have one without the other.
If your value proposition is bold, visitors will want to know that you can back it up. You need to show them why they should believe in you.
There are three main ways you can achieve this, depending on the type of product you’re crowdfunding.
- Providing scientific evidence to show why your product works
- Show the credentials of the person who created the product.
- Feature testimonials of people who have used your product.
Here’s an example of how we did all three of these things for the Neck Hammock.
Example: Neck Hammock
In the crowdfunding campaign we built for the Neck Hammock, our primary value proposition was that it could alleviate neck pain in 10 minutes or less.
This is a bold claim. Visitors were naturally going to be skeptical. ‘Can the Neck Hammock really fix my pain in 10 minutes, or is this another one of those darn marketing schemes?’
We anticipated these questions and addressed concerns directly in our campaign video. Here’s the result:
In the video, we explained the science behind cervical traction and introduced the founder of Neck Hammock (a doctor and licensed physical therapist). We also included testimonials from the brand’s clients to really emphasize the brand’s credibility.
By addressing these concerns proactively, we proved Neck Hammock’s credentials, helping the product raise $1,642,934 on Kickstarter and Indiegogo InDemand.
6. Have a clear CTA
Putting a call to action (CTA) at the end of your video may seem obvious, but from my experience, many brands overlook it entirely. If you don’t ask, you won’t sell—period.
Use your CTA to clearly state how much you’d like people to pledge and explain what they’ll get in return. Don’t forget to tell them about your vision for the future. This is also an excellent time to ask viewers to share your crowdfunder with friends (free publicity for the win).
As a side note, not everyone will view your video on your primary crowdfunding page, especially if it gets shared a lot. You should include a link to your campaign so that any social media viewers can easily find your main page.
7. Use quality equipment
Video quality matters—it shows off your brand in its best light and proves you’re taking the project seriously.
The good news: You don’t need to be a professional videographer with a camera the size of a dustbin to create a compelling crowdfunding video. In fact, we shot the entire video for ShiftCam (which raised $224,541) on an iPhone—it helped us show the value of the product.
That said, there are some essentials. Here are the non-negotiables for a great video:
- Some form of camera capable of taking high-quality videos.
- A tripod to stabilize your camera (motion sickness doesn’t help with sales)
- A good microphone—high-quality sound is crucial.
- A computer to collate, polish, and edit the footage.
Of course, hiring a professional is always preferable. If you’d like to find one, we’ve added the video agencies we trust to our LaunchBoom Expert network.
But remember this: Ultimately, it’s your brand story, passion, and value proposition that are going to resonate with viewers and turn them into loyal backers. So, if you’re budget-minded, an iPhone is never a bad choice—just remember to use a tripod and film vertically (trust me).
How to craft a compelling crowdfunding video: Final thoughts
Creating an outstanding crowdfunding pitch video doesn’t need to be complicated—and it certainly doesn’t need to cost you your entire marketing budget. By showing your enthusiasm and getting creative with how you capture attention, answer user questions, and ask for support, you’ll have everything in place to create a video that converts.
And, to give you something extra for sticking through to the end, here are four quick bonus tips on me:
- Make your video as long as it needs to be, but not a second longer.
- Prepare everything (seriously, everything) before you hire anyone for filming.
- Don’t skimp on testimonials—these act as social proof for your product.
- Be confident in your mission. Your enthusiasm will rub off on your audience.
I hope this guide has shown you exactly how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video. If you’d like to find out more, check out our book: Crowdfunded – The Proven Path To Bring Your Product Idea to Life. In it, our CEO, Mark Pecota reveals everything you need to know to plan, test, and launch a high-performing crowdfunding campaign.
Want some extra support? My team and I have helped over 1,000 creators raise over $125M on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. We’ll craft a campaign that builds consumer trust and gets you results. Reach out today to get started.
How to craft a compelling crowdfunding video: FAQs
How long should a crowdfunding video be?
The short answer is around 1-3 minutes. The long answer is the one everyone hates: It depends. If you have a lot of features to show off and a cool story to tell, you can make a longer video. But I suggest always asking this question: Is this section really necessary to communicate my product’s value? If you answer no, you can probably cut it.
Can I create a compelling video without professional equipment?
Absolutely. Professional equipment is helpful, but it isn’t everything. With a good smartphone, a decent microphone, and a compelling narrative, anyone can learn how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video from scratch.
What should I include in the Call-to-Action (CTA) of my crowdfunding video?
You need to ask directly to get what you want. Tell people how much to pledge and what they’ll get in return. You can also tie in a development timeline and expected release date to build trust and show accountability.
What do you say in a crowdfunding video?
A lot of learning how to craft a compelling crowdfunding video comes down to explaining the ‘why’ elements of your product. Why did you make it? Why is it beneficial? Why should your audience back you? These are the hallmarks of almost every crowdfunding pitch video. The real differentiator is how you present these elements. You need to let your passion shine through. If you believe every word you’re saying and present it confidently, your audience will, too.
