How to Make A Startup Video That Works (2025)

According to HubSpot, 72% of customers prefer learning about a product or service through video, which means your startup’s first video needs to count. Simply adding any video to your website won’t cut it. If you’re about to commission a video but aren’t sure what you actually need, read this first. The goal isn’t just to produce content, it’s to create a video that drives results.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

One of the biggest mistakes startups make is producing a glossy lifestyle video that never explains the problem they solve or how the product works. The result is usually a beautiful montage that looks great but drives little action. Your first video should focus on two things: generating sales fast and clearly showing what your product or service does. These goals go hand in hand and make for the perfect first impression on your website.

Understanding Your Consumer Journey

To create a video that works, start by mapping out your customer journey from discovery to purchase. Document every question, objection, or pain point they might have, this will reveal the key communication points in your sales funnel. Your customer journey typically falls into four stages: awareness, interest, consideration, and action.

1. Awareness Stage: Potential customers become aware of your product through social media, search engines, or word-of-mouth.
2. Interest Stage: They start looking at product details to see if it fits their needs, so you need to show them it does.
3. Consideration Stage: They compare your product with others, seeking validation through testimonials, reviews, and case studies.
4. Action Stage: They decide to purchase, needing clear instructions and possibly incentives to convert.

Key Elements of an Effective Video

Here are the key elements to focus on for an effective video for your startup:

1. Capture Attention: Use engaging visuals, such as a person talking directly to the camera. Avoid gimmicks, product shots, or lifestyle shots. Authentic, relatable content speaks directly to your audience.
2. Communicate the Problem: Start with a relatable statement that clearly articulates the problem your product solves or share a personal story from the founder.
3. Highlight Key Features and Benefits: Focus on the core features and benefits that most of your customers need. More detailed videos can be created later.
4. Show Validation: Use customer testimonials, reviews, and awards to build credibility and show that your product delivers on its promises.
5. Strong Call to Action: Clearly direct customers on the next step. Include offers or incentives to help them convert.

Practical Examples of Effective First Videos

To illustrate these points, let’s look at some successful startup videos from around the web:

Dollar Shave Club: Their launch video, “Our Blades Are F***ing Great,” is a prime example. It captures attention with humour, clearly communicates the problem (expensive razors), highlights key benefits (affordable, high-quality razors delivered to your door), and ends with a strong call to action.

Slack: Their explainer video focuses on how Slack solves communication problems within teams. It captures attention with engaging visuals, explains the problem, highlights features and benefits, and uses customer testimonials for validation.

Purple Mattress: Their video features a quirky demonstration of how their mattress solves common sleep problems. It effectively captures attention, communicates the problem, highlights unique features, and ends with a compelling call to action.

Platform Optimisation

Once your video is ready, think about the best platforms to share it. Social media, email campaigns, and embedding it on your website are great ways to increase visibility. Tailor your video content to fit the format of each platform. For instance, short clips work well on Instagram and TikTok, while longer, more detailed videos are better suited for YouTube and your website.

Track and Optimise Your Video

• Measure performance: Track views, engagement rates, and conversion rates.
• Refine your strategy: Use the data to see what’s working, and what’s not.

Double down on winners: If a certain type of content performs well, create more videos in that style.

The Impact of a Great First Video

A well-crafted first video can transform how customers see your startup. By avoiding common pitfalls, mapping your customer journey, and focusing on the essentials, you can create a video that drives sales and builds credibility.

Here’s what makes a great first video so effective:

• Immediate engagement: Standout examples like Dollar Shave Club and Purple Mattress grab attention instantly with humour and originality, keeping viewers watching.
• Clear messaging: Slack’s explainer video shows how effective storytelling can quickly communicate the problem and solution so potential customers see the value.
• Strong call to action: The best videos make the next step obvious, whether that’s signing up, buying, or learning more, so viewers know exactly what to do.

Production Budgeting

When budgeting for your video production, you have three primary options:

Low Budget (Under $25,000)

For the best results and to avoid unexpected issues, we generally don’t recommend a budget under $25,000. However, we understand that not every startup has the resources to produce videos with a commercial production budget. If you need to take this approach, here’s what we recommend:

1. Research and Concept: Thoroughly research your customer journey and craft a compelling concept and script for your video. Share it with trusted friends and colleagues who match your core customer persona to get their feedback and make necessary revisions.
2. Pre-Production: Once you’ve finalised your script and concept, engage a director, videographer, producer, or production company to help create a shot list. Alternatively, tender the project out to production companies and request a video treatment based on your concept and script.
3. Securing Essentials: Secure your cast, location, props, and product for the shoot. Leverage relationships to access options for all these items free or at lower cost. Provide these details to your producer to schedule and plan the shoot correctly.
4. Crew and Shooting: For a lean yet efficient crew, we recommend a Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Gaffer, Sound Technician, and Runner, along with you and your team. Any less, and you risk losing production efficiency and compromising the execution.
5. Post-Production: An experienced editor should cut and deliver the video to your specifications. We recommend allocating at least five days for editing to ensure a quality video, with a minimum of two rounds of revisions.

If you have less than $10,000 for your first video, we recommend a simple interview and b-roll style approach. As above, research your customer journey to inform your script, and engage a good videographer and editor to shoot and edit your video.

Medium Budget ($25,000 – $60,000)

With a medium budget, you can achieve a more polished production with fewer compromises, and less or no reliance on favours and connections:

1. Enhanced Pre-Production: In addition to the basics, you can expect professional creative development including treatment writing, storyboards, shot-listing, animatic development, and pre-approvals to align with compliance obligations. 
2. Quality Resources: Allocate funds for higher-quality cast, a wide range of location options, and more professional props and support. This improves the overall production value and helps make your video more engaging and visually appealing.
3. Expanded Crew: A medium budget allows for a more robust crew, including additional roles like a Stylist, Hair and Makeup, Assistant Director, and specialised camera operators. This ensures smoother production and higher quality output.
4. Advanced Equipment: Higher quality camera packages, bettering lighting equipment for diverse scenarios, grip, stabilisation, and camera support. 
5. Professional Post-Production: Enhanced post-production with professional colour grading, sound design, and royalty free music licensing. Whilst the editing time is still generally five days, the addition of specialist music and colour expertise adds a layer of quality beyond those of a generalist. 

Good Budget ($60,000 – $150,000)

An ideal budget allows for top-tier production quality and creative freedom:

1. Comprehensive Pre-Production: Engage top professionals for scriptwriting, storyboarding, and planning. This includes detailed concept development sessions to ensure your video aligns perfectly with your brand and marketing goals. Full scripting, animatic editing, and shot list development. You can also engage a research agency to test your animatic to see and understand how the video might perform once complete. 
2. Premium Resources: Hire high-calibre actors, secure premium locations, and invest in top-notch props and set design. This budget allows you to create a visually stunning and compelling video.
3. Full Production Team: A comprehensive crew that includes roles like Art Director, Production Manager, Assistant Director, Camera Assistants, Riggers, Grip, Best Boy, and other specialised technicians. This ensures every aspect of the production is handled by experts.
4. Multi-day Shoots: Due to production logistics more than one full day may be required for production. Having more time available not only allows for more takes but also ensures that your video content is diverse and engaging.
5. High-End Equipment: Use the best available equipment, including advanced cameras, lighting, and sound gear. This level of investment ensures the highest possible production quality and technical execution. 
6. Extensive Post-Production: Allocate substantial time and resources for post-production, including detailed editing, professional colour grading, sound mixing, and the integration of special effects. Multiple rounds of revisions ensure the final product meets the highest standards.

By understanding and planning your budget carefully, you can ensure that your video production aligns with your business goals and delivers the desired impact. Whether you’re working with a lean budget or have the resources to aim for the highest production quality, these guidelines will help you create a compelling and effective video.

Conclusion

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to a first video that drives sales and builds credibility. Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Our team specialises in creating high-impact startup videos that resonate with your audience and convert. Get in touch today and let’s create a video that works.

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At Story Machine, we specialise in creating high-quality video content tailored to your needs. If you’re ready to start your next video project, contact us today!