With video’s popularity exploding across industries today, the explainer video has become one of the most prevalent types of video – especially among experienced video marketers. If you’ve ever asked any of the questions below, this post is for you!
- What is an explainer video?
- Why should I make an explainer video?
- How can I get the most from my explainer video?
The Sharp Eye Animation explainer video
What is an explainer video?
An explainer video is a 1-2 minute animated video that takes a complex concept and distills the most important messages into an easy-to-understand story.
They usually have a clear call-to-action at the end, such as “contact us today”, “buy one now”, or something along these lines. They’ve single-handedly made numerous businesses successful.
Perhaps the most famous explainer video was Dropbox’s, which helped the company grow from 0 to 100 million users in less than five years.
Dropbox’s explainer video helped them grow from 0 to 100 million users in less than five years
Traits of the best
Chances are you’ve seen them yourself but just may not have realized that what you were watching was in fact, an explainer video. Our team has been making explainer videos since 2012, so we’ve seen their evolution and what makes the best ones so great. Here’s what we found:
1-2 minutes long
The average attention span of a typical person these days is worse than a goldfish’s. This is why the best explainer videos keep it short and to the point.
Character-based
While many explainer videos don’t include characters, the best ones do. They show a character (or characters) going through an experience, which creates empathy and trust in viewers.
They’re funny
The best explainer videos strike an emotional cord with viewers, using humor. While this not only puts smiles on faces it also helps the video get remembered (and shared) more.
Simplify complicated concepts
Using industry-jargon and ultra-long words in your video script is a great way to lose an audience the moment a video kicks off. Great explainer videos dumb-down the content, so that a 3rd grader can understand it.
Problem-solution oriented
Showing a character realizing they have a problem, searching for a solution, and then ultimately solving their original issue is a great way to keep viewer attention while getting important messages across.
Include original artwork
While it’s pretty easy to make your own explainer video these days, most of the tools out there only provide pre-made templates and artwork that other businesses are also using. The best explainer videos have original artwork that help it match your brand.
Stay on-brand
Making sure that the colors, logos, voiceover, and overall look-and-feel match your company’s brand help your explainer video and other online marketing assets
Professional voice overs
Using a professional voiceover artist to record the voiceover for your explainer video helps keep it crisp and classy. In other words, don’t record it yourself.
Upbeat music
For explainer videos, music can make or break a video. The best explainer videos have music and sound effects that are synchronized with the voiceover.
The ShipStation explainer video won Gold at the 2018 MarCom competition
General Tips
• Write your video script as if you’re talking to someone at a bar – keep it casual.
• Consider paying to license an audio track (as opposed to using royalty free music). A great soundtrack can make or break an explainer video.
Why make an explainer video?
They’re efficient
An explainer video can be powerful extension of your salesforce. It can deliver the perfect pitch every time, and can be in multiple places at once. Plus you don’t have to worry about paying them commission every time they close a sale.
They help you get found
Explainer videos can be added to your website, shared on Instagram and even be added to email footers. One of the best things you can do is upload them to YouTube, which when optimized properly can even help you show up on page one of Google search results.
They increase conversion rates
Explainer videos help break through any confusion your prospects might have by proactively answering FAQs or potential deal breakers. One of our clients, for example, has seen conversion rates improve after adding an explainer video to their website.
They build trust
A great explainer video not only educates and boosts conversion rates, but it also increases the likelihood that they trust your company – especially if it’s their first time interacting with it. They show prospects that you can empathize with them, understand their needs and even have similar tastes.
Be sure to get alternate versions – one built specifically for Instagram & one for Facebook, for example – to get more out of your investment
It also shows how your product or service will make their lives better. All of this helps them feel more confident, interested and excited for what you offer in the long run.
They’re versatile
Adding your explainer video to your website, social channels and YouTube channel is a great start – but that’s just the beginning. You can use them in email campaigns, paid ads, trade show booths, presentations and more.
How to get the most from my explainer video?
When you’re ready to promote your explainer video, you should look at it as “pillar content”, as dubbed by Gary Vaynerchuk. Create shorter versions (“micro content”) of your video that contain the best moments for example – five, 10, 15-seconds long – so that you have more content to share beyond just a single blog post or email campaign.
Consider making memes, images, Instagram stories, GIFs, and more from it. If you’re creative you could get 30 different pieces of content from one explainer video.
Gary Vaynerchuk’s content model
Repurposing your explainer video in this way helps you over-index on the platforms you distribute it to, and boosts the ROI on your original investment.
Be sure to have the team who makes your video provide you with alternate versions – one built specifically for Instagram and one for Facebook, for example (many platforms require very specific formats for sharing video).
Have the explainer video company send you artwork from your video (characters, graphics) so that you including it your website and printed marketing material, if you’d like.
Conclusion
So if you’ve ever wondered “what is an explainer video?”, hopefully this post has helped! We’re still in the early days of video, so it’s more important than ever to stake your claim video world by making and uploading asap.
Explainer videos can help drive new prospects to your website and business, they help convert them when they’re there, and they teach them even after they’ve made a purchase.
Need an explainer video? Contact Sharp Eye Animation today to chat with a video producer today.
Sharp Eye Animation is founded by Google video lead and marketing specialist Daniel Bales. The company provides end-to-end video marketing solutions for startups, enterprise companies and everyone in between.
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