Enhancing your crowdfunding campaign with video

Enhancing your crowdfunding campaign with video

Video can help your crowdfunding campaign stand out.

Imagine you need funds for a new venture and you don’t want to borrow from the bank. Imagine if you could get in on the ground floor of something awesome without taking any great risk. What if you could get complete strangers to invest in your idea? What if you could pledge some money and get something tangible in return?

All that is possible through crowdfunding, the latest means to tap into social media and access a virtual bank. Crowdfunding has been around forever – remember knocking on doors to sell cookies or raffle tickets of collect money in little tin boxes?

I recently had the good fortune to work on a crowdfunding video for Janet Pliszka-Hughes, an extraordinary photographer and the owner of Visual Hues Photography. Her efforts and skill brought out the best in me, and I am proud to share one of my headshots with the world.

 

From that photo shoot emerged a great working relationship. At the time, ChicFlicks was just starting to emerge, and I was already having discussions with prospective clients about how I could fulfill their video needs. Janet was one of those discussions. After months of work and planning, an amazing video shoot, and a great deal of careful editing, I am thrilled to finally be able to share the Kickstarter video for the Kids Photography Academy (KPA). KPA is a series of online classes that teaches kids the art, science and fun of photography. I was thrilled when Janet hired ChicFlicks to not only shoot the KickStarter video, but also as the contracted videographer for all the lessons. From what I have learned during the shoots, I can tell you with complete honesty that these lessons are going to be great fun for any child. KPA has already started issuing challenges to kids over on their Facebook page, and my children are delighted to grab the camera and run outside to capture an appropriate image (bad mommy has yet to upload them all).

Why would you need video for a crowdfunding campaign?

According to Kickstarter, 50% of crowdfunding projects with video get funded, while only 30% of those pitches without a video get funded. Over at Indigogo, another big player in the crowdfunding universe, pitches with video content raise 112% more than those without. It may sound dramatic, but video can make or break your project.

Here are some things to keep in mind when creating video for crowdfunding projects.

Don’t just wing it

Scripting is critical if you want to sound credible, professional and dedicated to your campaign. Your video should tell the story of your project with a clear beginning, middle and end.

Hire somebody

Sure you can shoot your video with your smart phone and some good lighting. Be aware that you are asking people for money and you are asking your backers to ask their friends too. Your production values should reflect your goal: if you are asking for $5000, do not shoot your own video in your bathroom.

Don’t put all your eggs in one video

While most people will enjoy watching a video, there are still a lot of potential pledgers who will prefer to read. Try not to rely solely on your video to make your pitch – your text should be professional and error free.

Mind your manners

Remember what your parents taught you: Always say THANK YOU! Keep your backers in the inner circle with regular updates and personal thank you messages.

If you are interested, visit the Kids Photography Academy’s Kickstarter page where a pledge of $35 will earn you the first three FUNdamentals video lessons.