Explainer videos are one of the fastest-growing trends in video marketing, and for a good reason. They’re simple, effective, and inexpensive to produce. They can be used by almost any business to introduce and demonstrate products and services.
Explainer videos come in a variety of formats. Some are animated characters that tell a story about your brand. Others are live-action shots set to music and voiceover narration. Either way, its purpose is to explain what your company does and why customers should prioritize you over competitors.
They are the new norm for businesses that want to build trust with consumers, who increasingly demand transparency and honesty before buying. However, a lot of startups will tell you they want to utilize the power of video marketing, but the vast majority won’t actually do anything about it.
This is because video marketing can seem rather intimidating for anyone with less experience. However, this Definitive Guide to Explainer Videos will help you overcome any fear of creating a video explainer that actually converts. Keep reading.
Story Stages
What Is an Explainer Video?
Explainer videos are short online marketing videos that explain your company’s product or service. They are sometimes called promo videos or sales videos. They can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes long and provide a quick overview of your offers/products.
They’re a great way to increase conversions on your website and social media pages since they’re concise, engaging, and effective at getting your point across fast. Although others can be created with live-action footage, these videos are typically animated.
Why Do You Need an Explainer Video?
It’s easy to get excited about your product or service, without realizing how you will showcase it to your audience. For instance, how do you spark out their curiosity? How do you make them want your product or service?
Answers to all these and many more questions is creating an explainer video. Here is why you need explainer videos.
Boost Your Conversions by 20%
Explainer videos are the most effective way to get your message across to your audience while also helping them understand your business.
Customers today demand that their questions be answered very quickly. An explainer video informs customers immediately and dramatically cuts down the time it takes to make a sale.
So ultimately, animated explainer videos help you boost your conversions by 20%. It is a fact. And the best part is, you don’t need to be an expert in video production to create the perfect video for your product.
Increase Visitor Time to Your Site
Did you know the average attention span of a web visitor is less than 8 seconds? That’s not a lot of time to capture someone’s attention and convince them to take action.
What if there was a way to get your message across in a short time while also keeping visitors’ attention and building trust?
There is…, and it’s called an explainer video. The human brain can process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Video content is more engaging and easier to understand than plain text. That’s why it’s no surprise that more than 85% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.
Videos can be used in different sales funnel stages to make your customers aware of your brand and educate them about your products and services. It also helps build trust among the customers and increases their willingness to buy from you.
Communicate Your Brand’s Message
With attention spans being notoriously short these days (the average attention span is 8 seconds, which is less than that of a goldfish), getting your message across as quickly as possible is important.
As a visual tool, explainer videos are an extremely effective way to communicate your brand’s message to your audience. They help you stand out in a sea of boring text and images by giving your potential customers a better understanding of your product or service.
They’re Memorable
Explainer videos are fun and exciting, which means they’re more likely to be watched until the end. As opposed to longer sales pitches or commercials where people may tune out after only a few seconds, explainer videos also leave a lasting impression because of their interesting nature.
What Are the Different Types of Explainer Videos?
Your business needs an explainer video. You’ve read the stats, and you know an explainer video can help you communicate your value proposition faster, convert more visitors into leads, and even grow your revenue by 20% or more.
But how do you get started? What are the different types of explainer videos? Which one is right for you?
To help you answer these questions, we’ve put together this guide to the different types of explainer videos. We’ll cover the 3 most common video styles and when and why to use each one. Let’s get started!
2D Animated Videos
This is by far the most common type of explainer video. A 2D animated video uses character animation to tell a story, usually with voiceover. It’s a great style for almost every business because it’s flexible and allows you to cover a lot of information within the relatively short span of a 90-second video.
It’s also easy to customize — since the characters are animated, they can look like anyone or anything you want them to look like.
Whiteboard Animation Videos
Whiteboard animation is similar to 2D animation in that it uses stylized characters and illustrations to tell a story. However, unlike 2D videos, whiteboard videos are made using stop-motion animation — meaning that they were literally drawn by hand on a whiteboard and then photographed frame-by-frame.
The result is an interesting visual effect that captures viewers’ attention and keeps them engaged throughout the video. Many marketers prefer whiteboard videos because they’re extremely effective at getting their message across.
They’re all over the place, and for a good reason. They’re fun to watch. There’s a human element that makes them engaging. And they’re easy to follow.
Live-Action Explainer Videos
Live-action videos are shot with real actors, costumes, sets, and props. This gives them a more organic look than motion graphics videos. We’ve seen live-action videos used for many different products and services, but they tend to work best when the product or service has a human component.
For example, if you run a non-profit that helps people or if you’re selling home improvement services, these are both excellent candidates for live-action explainer videos.
Bottom Line
Now that we’ve looked at the key terms and fresh approaches, along with some real-world examples, hopefully, you’re inspired to create an explainer video of your own. The good news is that this type of video has a lot of potential for creativity—you can tell engaging stories and educate people in a way that few other video formats are capable of.
Be sure to consider all the above as you create your explainer video, and it should help you develop a much clearer picture of what goes into making this style work most effectively.
