Robert Hokin, Manager Partner, Greenbackers
We’ve seen thousands, so here are some thoughts on what’s good, bad and downright ugly.
We here at Greenbackers have been recommending, recording and reviewing video pitches for quite some time now, we’re big believers. It’s an important weapon for deepening investor engagement. There’s a whole industry springing up around this, but we’ve seen some self-made ones that are great! Whatever your budget, you should take the time to create one to support your fundraise – or work with us to help you to do it. Here are some pointers to keep in mind. As with any type of marketing content, there are things to nail and things to avoid.
Too much content
Keep your video to 3-5 minutes max. A short 2 minute visual ‘preview ’ is better than a 15-minute big production. Treat your video as a ‘trailer to the movie’. You want to whet an investor’s appetite, not bury him in data. It’s not even your first meeting! So don’t go overboard.
Not enough visual
Pictures and graphics, if they can tell the story, are much better. Use visuals, pare down the text to the minimum or you’ll likely lose the viewer. Remember, they see lots of these. So, repeat after me:
Too much text
- Makes for…
- Really.
- Boring.
- Video.
- Pitches.
- No matter how good the idea is…
The problem, the solution, why it matters
Define the problem, your solution to it, and the benefits early on. There’s a formula: No well-defined problem + no well-defined (and validated) solution = no investor.
Showcasing the product
Video is a great medium to demo your product or technical approach, whether physical or software, and how it works. Use it to drive home all the points you want to make on how it works. Again – keep it brief.
Showcasing your financials
Sooo…HOW’RE YA GONNA MAKE MONEY…AND PROFIT…and by when?
About your team…
Not showing your team’s strengths is a big missed opportunity, so be sure you do it. In addition to your technology/service offering, this is essentially what the investor is buying into. So talking up your team’s strengths and how you/they will turn the business into a great, not just good, investment is critical. Any advisors? Add them. But try not to over-sell the team story – keep it credible.
Telling the story
Everyone loves a story. Why did you start this business? What drives you and your team? And if you and/or your team are to appear in your video– don’t forget to smile, investors like (natural) enthusiasm! Here are some other pointers on this from our friends at Crunchbase (be sure to check out the video Pitching Investors vs Pitching Customers). Can you get all this into a 3-5 minute video? Well, of course, you can! And Greenbackers can help you do it.
Get in touch if you want the inside track to campaigning, communicating, and connecting to professional investors for your Seed, Series A, or Series B round.
