One-liners and investor messaging
How do I create a pitch video for investors?
Short answer
Record a one to three minute video of the founder talking straight to the camera. Say who you are, what you do, and show the real business, such as your factory floor, your device or your team. A basic webcam is enough. Put the video on your website, in the first three pages of your deck, and on your one pager.
Start with the founder on camera for one to three minutes. That is the format I recommend, and I say it at nearly every event. In my experience many capital raisers have no video at all, so a short one can stand out.
What to say and show on camera
Keep it to one person talking to the camera. Say who you are, what you do, and show the real thing. In one example I gave, the founder says her name, then shows her manufacturing floor, her device and her team working on it. That is the whole script.
In this clip I explain why a short founder video belongs in your pitch materials and what it took me to record mine.
"It's better to have a grainy picture that's not quite full HD, but it's literally you walking the ground."
That means no clip art. If you invest in multifamily, show what you really own, not a stock photo of a skyscraper. If you do equipment leasing, show the collateral. People need to see what the asset looks like.
Thirteen takes and a $300 webcam
My own video was two to three minutes long. It explained why people should subscribe to our YouTube channel. It took me 13 takes, and I have recorded a lot of videos. You might need 40 or more. That is normal. I used a $300 webcam and no video crew, and the quality was good enough to be effective.
The video costs nothing but time. Investors want to know they can trust you. They want to see that you are credible, that you are someone like them, and that you know what you do. A face and a real setting do that faster than a page of text.
Where the video should sit
Place it on your website, in the first three pages of your pitch deck, and on your one pager. Mark, who runs an investor club, said he won't look at a deal without a one pager. He does not have time to read a 42 page deck. So the video should be where a busy investor sees it first.
Here I put the founder video next to the one liner, the one pager and a shorter deck, and say which matters most.
Summary and key takeaways from this video
In that talk I said a short video is more valuable than any of the other materials, honestly. Pair it with a one liner and a deck closer to 15 pages than 44. If you want feedback, we offer a free GPT tool called pitch deck success score that reviews a deck in 25 ways. Our capital raising one liner AI tool gives you seven one liners in 30 seconds. Use your best one liner as the opening line of the video.
Many sponsors talk to a securities attorney about how to approach investor-facing video.
From the Family Office Club stage
Here is where I put the video, and it is the same clip every time. I put one video of one to three minutes on the one pager. I put that same video in the first two to three pages of the pitch deck, and ideally on page two. You do not need a different cut for each piece. Record it once and reuse it everywhere an investor might first meet you. The deck, the one pager and the website then all tell the same story in the same face and voice.
"You should have a one to three minute video on your one pager. You should have a one to three minute video, that same video, in the first two to three pages of your pitch deck, ideally page two."
Facts from this talk
- My founder video took 13 takes to record with a $300 webcam and no video crew.
- The video belongs on your website, in the first three pages of your pitch deck, and on your one pager.
- A deck closer to 15 pages works better than a 44 page deck, and a short founder video adds to it.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: 5 Free Must-Haves Every Investor Wants in Your Pitch Deck (But Almost No One Uses), Capital Raising Strategies: Expert Insights from Top Investor Club Leaders. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around investor video content, offering communications and pre-publication review process. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.
Your next steps
- Write a one liner and use it as your first sentence on camera.
- Pick one real location, such as your site, your product or your team at work.
- Record a one to three minute take on a basic webcam and expect many retakes.
- Place the video on your website, in the first three pages of your deck, and on your one pager.
- Consider talking to a securities attorney about your video before you share it with investors.
People also ask
How long should an investor pitch video be?
I recommend one to three minutes. It should be the founder talking directly to the camera about what the business does.
Do I need a video crew?
No. My own video used a $300 webcam and no crew, and the quality was good enough to be effective.
Should I use stock photos in the video?
No. Show the real thing, even if the footage is a little grainy. A real walk through your site is more believable than clip art.
Related questions
- How do I explain my startup idea to investors?Start with the customer problem, then explain in plain language how your startup addresses it.
- How do you pitch an investor for the first time?I would pitch an investor for the first time by keeping the conversation short, relevant, and focused on their interests.
- How should I follow up with an investor after a meeting?I follow up with investors by listening carefully, documenting what matters to them, and contacting them when I have something genuinely valuable to share.
- How can I make my investor pitch more convincing?I make an investor pitch more convincing by showing a clear fit between the opportunity and a specific investor.
Work through it with the one-liner builder. See all one-liners and investor messaging resources.