Been There, Done That & Made The Video

Ben Hamilton - Tue, Jul 7th, 2012 10:28am

Last week we heard from various successful project owners about their views on what makes a good pledge reward, however what's the gurantee that people will scroll down the right hand side of your project page to even look at your rewards?! What's going to entice them to do so?

This is where your video pitch comes in, for it’s the first thing people look at when browsing your project, and which is why it essentially acts as a selling tool for your campaign. A project cannot go live without a video pitch for a campaign. The reason being that projects with a video have a much greater chance of being successfully funded than those without.  So we asked our successful project owners how they successfully ‘sold’ their campaign to the crowd and asked them what they thought makes a good video pitch.

Making Your Video

We’ve shared our tips, and have told you that 71% of successful video pitches are under 3 minutes long, however once again it’s time to hear it from the horse's mouth. So, what makes a good video pitch then eh?

Look interested! I can't tell you the amount of videos we researched beforehand where people just looked BORED about what they were talking about- if you're not excited, why should they be?! Blue Origin

I personally believe that a good quality, professional video was key to ensuring our projects success. Through a "friend of a friend" we were able to outsource the filming of our video to a professional, "Tom Joy Photography" - who kindly took on the job for free, noting that the video was for a worthy charitable cause that really intrigued him. Help Us Grow Into New Designers

Demonstrating what it is you actually do rather than just talking about it (boring). The Arts Barge Project

I spoke about my project honestly and also showed that I really cared about what I was doing… I cannot believe that I posted it on the internet for all to see, but I think maybe the honesty and simpleness of it was why the campaign was so successful!  Being A Londoner

Just remember to smile and keep your pitch short, clear and imaginative. The Terrorist 

Keep it simple. I actually used a video from a friend who'd been on one of my food tours. I thought showing people what the experience of doing a tour was like, would encourage them to get involved. I think you need to give people a frame of reference for your project and a reason to care. As human beings we're suckers for a good story. So tell the tales of how your project came to be. Make it personal. And be yourself. It doesn't have to be flashy. Create Your Own Food Adventure

A Final Thought

People are often put off by the idea of making a video, but it's nothing really; it just makes a more personal pitch, showing the viewer who you are, what you are doing and why you need the money. If you've got the tools (or contacts) to do a professional job then great. If not, don't stress. The most imprtant thing is that people see you for who you are, and what your project is all about. Keep it short, show examples of work if you can, and think of a way that will instantly grab the viewer's attention (as well as enticing them to scroll further down your page). 

Next week we’ll be asking our PleaseFund.Us success stories about how they promoted their project; how they garnered the support of the crowd, and how they got the word out there... 

About the author:

Ben Hamilton is a Community Manager for PleaseFund.Us. If you need any help or advice about crowdfunding (or perhaps you'd just like a chat), drop him a line at: ben@pleasefund.us