Crowd funding is the preferred way for many start-ups and small companies to get the required money from backers all over the world. By getting small amounts of money from numerous people, they are able to reach goals easily and go into production with much fewer delays than would have been possible if they had gone the traditional route and approach banks and like institutions for loans. In this regard, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are two of the world's largest crowdfunding sites and they are visited by many thousands of supporters, as well as large corporations that are looking to fund and pick up a viable product.
Videos
There are a number of ways in which you can get your product on to Kickstarter. You can fill out a form, write a description and wait for the product to get backers or you can create a video. Kickstarter videos are making waves on the internet right now and for all intents and purposes, there is no description that you can write that will be even half as good as a simple video.
In fact, stats show that you are likely to raise 115% more money when there is a video in the description. Also, success rates for projects with videos stand at 50%. Another study that went through over 7,000 projects on Kickstarter found that there is 85% more chance for a project to reach their goals in terms funding if they have a video to go with it. Also, a study from the University of Pennsylvania found that without a video, a project has only 15% chance of success. If you are looking for funding, those are the kind of odds you do not want to play with.
How should you go about doing it?
So it is settled; you need a video for your product. The next step is deciding how you are going to go about it. There is really no point in creating a video that will not be watched. It is not enough that you have a video, it must be made in a way that convinces people to actually pay for a product that is not even on the market yet.
Kickstarter and most other crowdfunding sites will have a team that will help you set up your product campaign, give you tips on marketing, even offer to set up a site or a blog where people can come and learn more about the product apart from your actual product page. The burden of paperwork and setting up is relatively light, but creating the video itself is entirely up to you. All you will hear from them will be to 'keep it entertaining'.
1. Hire a professional video creator
There are professionals out there who do this sort of thing for a living, they know how to make videos for various purposes, you are sure to get quality work from a professional, at least in the way it looks and sounds. While it is true that a decent camera or even a phone can make some great, high definition video, it goes without saying that the final product from a professional will be many times more watchable than one shot by that guy from across the street, unless he is a professional himself. Melty Cone is a professional Kickstarter video production company in NYC.
2. Set the theme and tone
For the most part, product videos are made to ensure that people watching them get more than a fair idea as to what the product does or is intended to do. It also does not mean it has to be a slide show with technical specs and make it sound and look like a class in advanced engineering. You are reaching out to the common folk, people who see something they haven't seen before and want to put some money on it. It is said that you have to capture the audience's attention within the first ten seconds. That's all the time you have to impress people. They are going to be watching your video on a little smartphone on the train, you need to make it worth their time and they have to share it with their social circle.
3. You are not making an advertisement
Keep in mind that it is not a mere advert. Adverts are for products that are either already in the market or are ready to be shipped to stores. In most cases, apart from a few concept sketches and prototypes, you are unlikely to have anything else to go on. So don't make claims like you would on an advert. What you are looking to create is a product video, so describe the product, sell the idea of why this product will be awesome in a person's day to day.
4. Personalize it
People like to put a face on their products. Think Zuckerberg, Jobs, Gates, we all know them as human beings behind huge empires. You, similarly, you need to put a face on your product. Come in front of the camera, tell your story, tell people why you made this product. Tell them how you were frustrated about something and decided to do something about it. That really speaks to the audience.
Be natural with the script, let it flow, do not try to be funny where you don't have to. If you are the serious type, be serious. Serious and boring are two different things. Above all, be honest, you are on video, people can tell if you are not being honest. Also, make sure you actually ask the audience to pledge and support you.
What is Melty Cone? Melty Cone is a full-service video production company in NYC. We make videos from start to finish; from creative idea conception to final video delivery.
