Discover how explainer videos can produce numerous benefits for any business.
Consumers are bombarded with "in your face" sales content whenever they open their laptops or phones. With so many brands competing for consumer attention, how do you make your brand stand out in that sea of ads?
While video marketing is an effective solution, it's also a very common approach. In fact, 91% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool.[1] This means you have to take your approach to the next level.
Welcome to the world of explainer videos—short, snappy, engaging ways to catch your prospective audience's attention. These videos can transform how people connect with your product, service, and brand.
This guide covers what an explainer video is, some of its key benefits, as well as the different types, and how your business can get started on using these videos to help promote your brand. Let's dive in.
What is an explainer video?
An explainer video is a short film that will help you communicate how something works—such as your product or service. These short-form videos are compelling, engaging, and effective, and are often found on a site's homepage or a specific landing page.
However, they can also help boost conversions when implemented into social media strategies. For example, a winning explainer video could go viral on Facebook or TikTok, especially when leveraging the right social media marketing tools.
What makes a good explainer video?
The description of an explainer video makes it seem like this approach is simple enough, but without key elements, your video could fall short.
Consider these elements when planning and creating your next (or first) explainer video:
Keep it short: While you can aim for anything under three minutes, the most successful videos are often between one and two minutes. For reference, the famous claim that humans have an 8-second attention span, less than that of a goldfish, has since been debunked.[2]
You need a strong call to action (CTA): After your audience watches your video, what do you want them to do? Subscribe? Head to your online shop? Schedule a demo? Make that CTA clear and actionable.
Make sure you solve a problem: The best explainer videos usually focus on a problem. Provide the solution by explaining your product or service, and you'll win over your audience.
Ensure it's high quality: Quality matters. Your explainer video's production and content quality needs to be top-notch.
With that in mind, you should follow this structure when creating the script for your explainer video:
What is the problem?
How does your product or service solve it?
Why should your audience choose your product or service?
What are the benefits of explainer videos?
Since explainer videos are used for promotional purposes, they can help boost conversions when done correctly. However, there are plenty of other benefits along the way.
Engaging stories
People stick around when you tell a captivating story. Since the best explainer videos are short and engaging, once someone starts watching, they often stick around until the end. Create a simple narrative that immediately draws the viewer in to achieve higher viewer retention rates. Explainer videos can also help you optimize your site's SEO—visitors who watch your explainer video stay longer, reducing bounce rates to help improve your ranking.
Saves time & resources
Pitching sales and answering customers' questions takes a lot of internal resources, including time and energy. When you create an explainer video, it can do some of the heavy lifting. For example, how often do your sales reps make the same demo or pitch? A well-executed explainer video can help automate this process, free up manpower, and ensure consistent messaging.
High ROI opportunity
Your explainer video will lead to more conversions when all goes to plan. When your audience can see your offering in a real-life application, they see what your product or service is capable of. The viewer immediately sees the value it could bring to their life, leading to more purchases and a higher ROI. Also, once you invest in an explainer video, you can measure its success via several metrics, allowing you to optimize your video content for an even higher ROI.
Communicates brand culture
Explainer videos are highly effective communication videos. They often explain complex ideas and concepts in a way that is easy to understand, fun, and accessible. You can effectively show your prospective audience how to use what you offer and how it benefits them. This show-and-tell marketing helps build credibility and trust while showing your audience what your brand is all about. Give viewers a true feel for your organization via your explainer video's style, format, and attitude.
Boosts visibility
Explainer videos can increase visibility by keeping up with consumer trends, especially on social channels. The more shares you generate, the more eyes you'll have on your product or service. At the very least, explainer videos can help increase the number of followers you have. With a strong online reputation, you can later convert those not yet ready to buy.
Searching for a video production company to hire for your business? We’ve got you covered. Check out our list of companies in the following areas:
What are the different types of explainer videos?
There are different types of explainer videos, each with their own pros and cons. The best type will depend on your brand, audience, and use case. Plenty of explainer video examples are available online across these varying types. Check them out to see what would work best for your brand.[3]
Animated explainer video
Animated explainer videos are the most common and are created using varying techniques, such as 2D vector, 3D animation, and motion graphics. Today, many companies are leveraging animation software to create these videos, moving production in-house, and then outsourcing editing. The major benefit of this type is the creative freedom. Create whatever world you wish.
Live-action explainer video
This traditional approach involves filming real objects, locations, and people. This non-animated approach is often best for companies selling physical products or people-oriented services, like restaurants. Having real people in your video can help build a more emotional connection.
Live streams
These are nearly identical to the concept of live-action videos, except you do not have the option to edit. This raw footage can be frightening but can also have a massive impact. When you have nothing to hide, you humanize your brand. This approach is common on social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Whiteboard explainer
This explainer video is a specific animation approach involving images hand-drawn and erased on a whiteboard. It is one of the cheapest types of explainer videos to make, and based on its ease of operation, it is also one of the most popular.
Crowdfunding explainer video
Crowdfunding explainer videos can be either live-action or animated—or, in some cases, a combination of the two. Nearly every crowdfunding video is an explainer video. However, these videos are often longer than other types because brands have to pack in a lot of information about how they plan to spend the funding. This approach can make or break a campaign.
How to make an explainer video
Interested in the benefits of an explainer video? Follow these steps if you're wondering how to make an explainer video.
Step one: Decide if an explainer video is the right choice
Explainer videos are great, but they're not meant for every application. Would an explainer video align with your needs? To find out, consider the following.
Who is your target audience, and will an explainer video resonate with them?
What is your story? If it's too simple or broad, this may not be the best approach. Know where your story begins, how to communicate the most crucial information, and your CTA. Your campaign will fall short if your story is too complicated or doesn't flow.
If you don't have a clear takeaway, an explainer video may not be the best option based on the production effort.
Step two: Decide how you'll create it
This step is one of the most crucial and complex, as many variables are involved, including the scope of the project, your capabilities, and explainer video cost. One way to help you decide is based on your desired impact. The greater it is, the higher your investment should be.
You can hire a company with the skills, talent, and tools to make a winning video. This is optimal if a lot is riding on your explainer video. The other option is to make yourself with the help of available software. If your video is a quick product demo, you may get away with simplicity as long as the video is engaging and informative.
Step three: Develop your story
What is it you want to convey to viewers? Create a brief to act as the foundation for a script—a vital step in the video development process. The script allows you to organize thoughts so that the story is cohesive. The last thing you want to do is confuse viewers because of a lack of clarity or flow.
As you create your story, loosely think of the structure discussed above:
What (the problem)
How (the solution—your product or service)
Why (convincing consumers they should choose you)
Put your creative spin on it, implementing your brand's style and tone. If you partner with a video production company, work closely with them during this initial development phase. Based on the type of explainer video you choose, you'll also need to plan for storyboarding, illustrations, animation production, voiceover recording, or a combination.
Step four: Leverage your tools and resources
If you plan to create explainer videos in-house, invest in the tools and resources needed for your stories to come to life. There are plenty of programs that you learn to use, some of which have steeper learning curves than others.
Test out a few explainer videos
Once you're done your research and come up with a few ideas, it's time to put those ideas into action. You may find you need to try different approaches until one (or two) really resonate with your audience. And that's the beauty of telling your brand's story with videos. You get to test out what works, what doesn't, and what really makes your business stand out.
Continue learning about the explainer video production process
Here are some resources to help you choose the best options throughout the varying stages of the explainer video development process: