There is not a set length that will work for every Kickstarter Video. Why? The simplest way to answer this is that every campaign and product is different. Some products require more time to explain and others don’t need very much time at all. 
The main determining factor of the Kickstarter video length is your script. In fact, the script is the most important part of your video because it’s your hook and sales pitch. Each page of the script often represents one minute of film.
We recommend you keep your Kickstarter video length around 1-3 minutes. Most videos will be able to fit in this time frame. If you really need more time for your sales pitch, go ahead and take it. However, don’t put in extra fluff just to make your video longer. And if you have a 5-minute video and you aren’t sure if there is fluff to cut, show it to someone with fresh eyes and ask for feedback.
Once in awhile, our creative team will make videos up to 4 minutes long in unique situations. Anything longer is generally pointless because your backers’ average attention spans just aren’t that long. A long video could even cause them to become disinterested in buying your product, which is obviously not the outcome you want.
Sometimes the script needs to be longer in order to convince potential backers that they need your product. This is the main reason you would need to extend the Kickstarter video length past three minutes. If you find that your campaign is more complicated than others, you may need more time to explain and prove that your product works.
This is common for products that have a unique function, complex features, or purpose that consumers have never heard of before. Of course, every campaign should be different from the last in one way or another if they hope to be successful, but we are talking REALLY DIFFERENT. There are just some products that require more explaining and evidence to convince people to back the campaign.
Another reason you could consider extending your Kickstarter video length is if you have an extraordinary reason why potential backers would continue watching your video past that three-minute mark.
An example of this extremely rare situation is the Sono Music campaign. They were able to raise $6,224,254, and are currently the 12th most-funded campaign on Kickstarter ever.
The Sono Music Kickstarter video is a grand total of 11 minutes and 24 seconds long! How did they get away with this? They had the support of several music celebrities who were willing to try out the PonoPlayer and say on camera how much they love it. You can see the genuine amazement in their eyes after listening to music in a new way.
Even though longer Kickstarter videos have worked for campaigns like Sono Music, remember that a length of 1-3 minutes is best in most situations. A longer video can really hurt your campaign if you aren’t careful.
It can actually be harder to make a video shorter than a longer one, so this is an issue that a lot of campaigns have. Strategically aiming to shorten your video challenges you to really zero in on your script to get that sales pitch just right without extra fluff that isn’t needed.
Something as simple as the Kickstarter video length is easy to talk about, and at the same time a challenge to implement. And it would take books to explain all of the ins and outs on how to successfully accomplish what we’ve discussed. If you would rather put this strenuous task in the hands of experts, Funded Today is happy to help.
Funded Today is the World’s leading crowdfunding marketing agency with a creative team that knows how to make you a compelling video with a script that sells. You can also trust that our team knows what they are doing when it comes to your Indiegogo or Kickstarter video length, as well as many other tricks that will be helpful to your campaign.
