If you consider yourself a modern day MacGyver, what's a better way to show off your invention than creating a Kickstarter campaign? An important element of any Kickstarter project is to engage audiences with an effective video.
While you might be able to create a killer product, generating engaging content will help it off the ground. Many successful campaigns know how to use Kickstarter to market their project.
If you find yourself at a loss for inspiration, here’s a list of videos that work. While you may be able to get a project funded without following these rules, if you want to ensure a blockbuster hit keep in mind these Kickstarter guidelines for creating effective videos.
How To Create Effective Videos
Creating an effective video is more than just shooting a few shots of your product and saying a word or two about it. As much as you may think Kickstarter videos aren’t crucial, they can make or break the outcome of your project.
Think of the video as a promo for your project, give people the information they want to know and show how the project works. The more interesting your video is the better chance people are going to help fund your cause.
- Engage audiences within the first five seconds of the video.
- If you're the founder, tell your story! The best way to get people interested is to tell them why this particular invention or movement inspired you.
- While some of you may have the brains of Bill Gates, some of us aren't so lucky. If you're creating a techie product simplify it so it's super easy to comprehend.
- Make the project bigger than itself. Make it into a movement; people want to feel inspired about a product, so help generate that feeling.
- It's important that you actually show how your product works. It’s great that you created this project and are ready to make it happen, but people want to see how it works!
Videos That Work
So now that you’ve realized Kickstarter videos are important to your campaign. You’ve taken out the camera but aren’t sure how to implement those guidelines into execution, here’s a list of successful campaign videos that work (they have all surpassed their initial funding, so there is evidence that backs up my claim). These videos may help get the creative juices flowing so you can figure out what you need to make it a hit.
MaKey MaKey: For starters, who wouldn’t want to play Dance Dance Revolution with buckets of water as dance mat? But in all seriousness, this video starts out by grabbing our attention. It shows us the multiple uses of this product (you can basically become a master banana pianist) and then it gives us the founder’s story. Bravo!
Remee: "What would you do if you could control your dreams?" This is the first thing you see in the video and automatically you’re going to think about what you would dream about. It really draws you in and makes you want to keep watching to find out more. By the end of this video all the questions you may have about this product are answered. It explains how it works and how it was created.
Pebble E-Paper Watch: This might not be as exciting as the first two videos, but this campaign was extremely successful with funding. The reason this video works is because it’s a good product and it simplifies it so it’s easy to understand. This is a techie project and sometimes it’s hard to explain how and what it does, but this video does a nice job of breaking it down.
Coolest Cooler: A party disguised as a cooler. This project just made coolers a whole lot cooler (corny joke I know, but it had to be said). This video uses eye-popping colors, demonstrates all the functions it has and the founder gives the background on why he decided to create this. Watch out, these coolers will soon be coming to a barbeque near you.
FlyKly: You have a smart phone, smart TV, smart car and now there’s a smart bike to throw into the mix. This project is a bike wheel that is controlled by your smart phone. You can control speed, and unlike your old bicycles, it helps you up that hill and recharges itself when you go downhill. This video is good because it clearly explains the functions of the project and what went into making it.
Form 1 3D Printer: Who doesn’t need a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower? Well, now that’s made possible thanks to this new 3D printer. I’m only kidding about the miniature Eiffel Tower; this printer can pretty much print whatever you need at an affordable price. The reason this video is effective is because they simplify their product. They show the design process, explain its uses and show the infinite possibilities this printer has to offer.
3D Doodler: You know all those doodles you drew back when you were supposed to be “paying attention” in class? Well, they have nothing compared to this 3D pen that brings your animation to life. This video starts out using the pen and showing what you can create with this pen. It shows how easy it is to use and the endless possibilities you can create with it. Teachers beware.
The Veronica Mars Movie Project: This is a good concept; it is using Kickstarter to fund an entire feature film. There are always fans that want a movie after the series ends but the funds for a movie are not cheap. This video uses characters from the Veronica Mars show and plays off the storyline for the show. I can see this being a new platform for other films to gather funds.
Structure Sensor: This is another Kickstarter campaign that was extremely successful with their funding. The video works because it starts out by intriguing you into watching more. The video demonstrates how the device allows mobile products like the iPad to capture and understand the world in 3D. It shows how versatile the product is and gives you a sense of what it would be like to use it.
What are your thoughts on these Kickstarter videos? Let us know in the comments below!