Startup Pitch Video Tips: What to Include and What to Leave Out

Producing a startup pitch video that’s going to immediately grab the attention and attract the interest of an investor is key to the success of your startup business. Sometimes, just knowing what to include (and what not to include) is the defining line between producing an amazing pitch video and potentially leaving money behind on the table. Naturally you need to convince investors to support your startup, but how do you know if you are divulging too much information? Or worse, not enough?

At Beverly Boy Productions, we’ve spent the last two decades producing video content for business owners and brands of all shapes and sizes. From B2B and B2C businesses that are old to those that are just starting out, those that have hundreds of thousands of clients and those that haven’t quite nailed their first customer yet, we’ve seen (and done) it all! That’s why we think we’re well-positioned to define what should, and what shouldn’t be, included in a startup pitch video. And we’re sharing all the deep details with you so that you can have a successful pitch that doesn’t make the mistakes we did in the past. Thus you learn at the expense of our past mistakes!

Here’s what we find is most important to consider when it comes to producing a startup pitch video for your business or brand.

What to Include in Your Startup Pitch Video

When you start to plan your startup pitch video, it’s important to really think carefully about the details you intend to include. You already know that your campaign is on the right track by including a video as those with video raise 114% more funding than campaigns without video, but you can’t just rely on the fact that you created a video to win your investors over. They’re going to want data, details, and discovery.

With the limited amount of time that you have to work with, it’s important to know exactly what you need to include so that you can deliver the details and move on. Your investor wants to know, “What’s in it for me?” So that should be the focus of your pitch. Here’s what your startup pitch video should include:

• An introduction to your industry, background, and competitors.
• Who’s behind your business? Notable names of CEO, management, etc are important as well as their backgrounds. You need to show your investor WHY your team is the best for this business!
• How your business makes money.
• The numbers: your current valuation, total sales to date, revenue, and details about any other investors or the ownership model of your business.
• Projections that are realistic. What do you expect your business to make in the next year?
• Why you need investment funding?
• How you will use the investment funding?
• Why should investors support your startup? What’s in it for them?

Producing a startup pitch video that includes all of these important details is sure to hook your investor, attracting their interest in your business.

What NOT to Include in Your Startup Pitch Video

Just as important as it is to know what you should include, it’s equally important to know what not to include in your startup pitch video. Great videos are those that are short, very focused, and do not include certain elements that risk your investor audience losing interest, finding holes in your valuation or story, or otherwise debunking your credibility. And while it may seem like they’re there to do all of the above, they really just want to be sure that their investments are safe and will return a positive ROI.

Avoid the following:

• Buzz words and industry jargon. A little jargon might be okay, but you need to look at your investor as someone that’s new to the industry and might not realize with the jargon means.  
• Overly long words that are hard to pronounce and potentially equally difficult to understand. You don’t want to get hung up trying to speak them!
• Unrealistic valuations or projections. Naturally investors are looking for projections and valuations that are appealing to them as they want to know that they’ve invested in a startup that has great potential for growth, an unrealistic valuation or assuming projections that are simply impossible will not make you look good!
• Talking down to your investor. Don’t ever make any comments in your startup pitch video, or your presentations, that mention “let me put this in layman’s terms for you” or “let me dumb it down,” as these make your investor sense disrespect.
• Overwhelming with graphs, research, and documentation. Investors have one question in mind when your pitch begins, “What’s in this for me?” or “how will this make me money?” While graphs, research, and documented proof are important, you’ve got a very limited time for your startup pitch video so you must focus on answering the investor’s question. 

A Few Additional Tips about Pitching Your Startup

While you can let your startup pitch video do most of the heavy lifting for your business, there’s a good chance that investors are going to come to you with additional questions about everything from your valuation to historical industry or competitor details. You need to be prepared to answer all of their questions which means you pretty much need to be a total “geek” that emanates deep understanding and fosters a true passion for your industry. You should be able to recite top details and key information off the top of your head. This shows your respect and commitment to the industry as well as to your project. 

Confidence can be infectious. If you radiate confidence in your pitch, your investors will be more likely to find that same level of confidence in your startup business. Keep this in mind as you’re rehearsing your pitch or your post-pitch presentation. And always remember, the more your practice, the better you will be!

Need more help producing a startup pitch video that’s going to draw the attention and excitement of your target investor audience? Give Beverly Boy Productions a call!