Yes, you did read the headline correctly; kittens bursting into a fiery blaze, laser pointer distractions and mutant animals have helped achieve unbelievable success on Kickstarter. But, before we get into how these three seemingly unrelated things are going to launch your project to unprecedented success, lets take a quick step back…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple years you’ve probably read the buzz surrounding platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Crowdfunder, etc., that have skyrocketed into popularity as the new way to fundraise. Whether you’re Zach Braff raising money for a new indie film or an aspiring small business owner with a killer idea, these platforms offer a place to panhandle in a respectable way! Just kidding…they actually fund projects in one of two ways; either via donation in return for a few perks, or through selling ownership stakes. Regardless of which model is used the results can be nothing short of amazing.

As of January 29th, 2015, Kickstarter alone collected $1.5 Billion for a little more than 77 thousand successfully funded projects. If your mind isn’t blown yet I’d be shocked, but it definitely will be when we introduce exploding kittens…

So, where do these elusive exploding kittens come in, you ask?

In a cleverly designed explainer video three ordinary guys created to explain what they refer to as a highly strategic kitty-powered version of Russian Roulette. Curious what it’s all about? Check it out:

This video, strategically placed as the first piece of content on their Kickstarter page, has helped fund their project far beyond their wildest dreams.

Yes, you also read that correctly!

This project was fully funded in just 20 minutes. That’s the power of video! In less than 2 minutes these three creators were able to explain their crazy idea far more efficiently and in-depth than text alone, capturing their audience’s attention and making them laugh til they cried. Their video leaves a lasting impression and captures the brand persona of their simple card game perfectly, increasing the chances of viewers remembering the funny content, laughing about it, and sharing it with their friends…which is exactly how we found out about it!

When it comes to crowdfunding, spreading the word is everything. Engaging your audience and leaving a lasting impression is the best way to do that. Kickstarter knows this too, which is why they recommend each new user upload a video to help fund their project. Their data shows that “50% of projects with video are successfully funded compared to 30% of projects without video!”

Wondering how to create an effective crowdfunding video? Here are our tips:

• Do as the cool kids do – do your research to find some of the most successful campaigns that incorporated video; What made them memorable? How did they leverage the medium to explain their content? Doing your homework will set you up for success.
• Prepare for impact – an impact is something that hits hard and is over quickly; which is exactly what your video should do. Create an engaging opening and explain your content concisely for the most impact.
• Don’t forget to beg…I mean ask – don’t allow yourself to fall so far down the rabbit hole of creating a super awesome video that you forget why you’re creating it! You need viewer support to fund your project and they won’t help you unless you ask.
• Go out with a bang! – again we’re talking about impact (are you noticing a theme here?!). You want to make your video memorable so people feel compelled to share it; and people don’t share boring content!  But this doesn’t mean it needs to be complex and expensive.  The Exploding Kittens video is a relatively easy animation that good studios like ours can bang out with ease.

So if you’re wondering how to create a successful crowdfunding campaign the answer is simple; use video. The one and only downside is the project will likely get funded so quickly your hopes of owning the Exploding Kittens Deck of Legends will be forever dashed 🙁