At the very core of a crowdfunding campaign is a story. Most good stories told with video start out with a script. A good story has a beginning a middle and an end. You know when you’ve just witnesses a good story because it leaves you riveted and at the edge of your seat, or time flies right in front of you and before you know it, two hours has past. Hollywood has been doing it since the beginning of time — think back to some of the greatest movies you’ve ever seen and recount the thrill that comes from a great story.

Crowdfunding campaign stories are a little different though. The storytelling method that you are most used to is being entertained after you pay money for it (or stream online for free). In that case you pay for the story before you actually witness the story. In crowdfunding, the method that you need to wrap your head around is giving someone the story before they pay for it.

THE BEGINNING – Present the Problem

The beginning of a typical successful crowdfunding video begins with a sizzle reel that showcases the product or company you are seeking funds for. Think of this as a mini-commercial and way to grab your viewers attention. Our studies show that you have about 15 seconds to grab someone attention. You have about 1 minute and 30 seconds before the viewer gets too bored and usually before the first minute is up, a viewer has made the decision whether or not they would seriously consider giving you money for your product or company or cause.

Don’t forget to present that problem that you are solving in the beginning of the video.

THE MIDDLE – Make a Connection

Use cases. You want to make your product as tangible as possible through the video. Show it being used in different scenarios or describe all the ways that your business helps and solves problems. You’ll also want to begin to present the solution to the problem that you presented in the beginning.

THE END – Present a Solution

Finally, you’ll want to present the solution to the problem you’ve presented in the beginning and touched on during the middle. Typically successful crowdfunding campaigns at this point present their founders, inventors or a spokesperson for the brand or product.

NOVELTY

Get creative and think of some out of the box things to add to your campaign video.

WRITING THE SCRIPT

It doesn’t need to be hyper-professional. A few talking points and an outline is realistically all that you need to get started!