Table of Contents
Complete Guide to Explainer Videos 2023
Introduction - Explainer Videos 2023
What is Video marketing?
It’s been said and accepted that an image is worth a thousand words. For a video, multiply that by another thousand. That is the basis of video marketing, a powerful form of marketing that effectively engages your audience as a part of your marketing campaigns.
This medium of marketing has dominated the entire digital world & emerged as the most powerful marketing tool for every brand.
What are Explainer Videos?
An explainer video is a short marketing video, usually animated, that is designed to explain a business idea in a simple and engaging way. Explainer videos are often used in online marketing strategy by addressing the pain points of the audience and then offering a business solution.
Explainer videos are usually short-videos, combining both audio and visual elements that relate to the problems of the viewers, increase message retention and nudge your potential customer a little closer to conversion.
How do Explainer videos work in marketing strategy?
Explainer videos are versatile and work perfectly for all stages of marketing. You can explain your idea, show how your products or services work, and announce new features or changes in your product or service.
Video marketing uses videos to promote and market your services & products, reaches out to the target audience, increases engagement, educates clients & customers, and effectively boosts conversions
Explainer Video structure in marketing strategy.
Depending upon the objectives target audience, style, duration, etc the structure of an Explainer video can vary. But broadly they have the following 5 points.
- The problem — to address the main problem and make the audience relate to it.
- The solution — revealing the company and the value proposition it offers
- How the business or product works.
- Benefits — the end result the customer will experience.
- Call to action — a compelling reason to take the next step.
Types of Explainer Videos
There are many types of explainer videos that can be used depending on your aim and your video marketing strategy. Some of the most used styles are mentioned below.
2D Explainer Video
An explainer video is a short marketing video, usually animated, that is designed to explain a business idea in a simple and engaging way. Explainer videos are often used in online marketing strategy by addressing the pain points of the audience and then offering a business solution.
Explainer videos are usually short videos, combining both audio and visual elements that relate to the problems of the viewers, increase message retention and nudge your potential customer a little closer to conversion.
App Explainer Videos
App explainers or screencasting videos are simple types of explainer videos that explain the utility and features of an app using simple animations. This explainer video is great because of its simplicity. No story, and no complicated concept. They show what they need to show and nothing more.
App explainer is a highly engaging and effective way to tell your potential customers what your app is about and how it can help them. App explainer videos connect with your audience on an emotional level, combining attractive visuals, animations & informative audio, to boost your brand image and engagements.
Whiteboard Animation Videos
Whiteboard animation is a video style that shows the viewer static images being drawn on the screen. Typically the illustrations are accompanied by a narration that walks the audience through the story that is being told within the drawing. These animations are simple, yet undoubtedly engaging.
Whiteboard video demands your attention and focus. This means your message will be heard loud and clear.
Whiteboard animations are fast-moving and visually detailed, which makes them easy and fun to watch—for as long as it takes to explain the idea. Using a high-quality whiteboard animation video to get your point across will maintain high interest for as long as the video is playing.
E-learning Videos
E-Learning is used to describe learning using digital media to access educational content outside a traditional classroom. Using videos as a part of your e-learning program makes it engaging and easy to understand.
Videos are now considered one of the most valuable assets in the world of eLearning. This is mainly because the human brain is hardwired to engage better with real conversations where the tone of voice and moving images or gestures create a multi-dimensional experience. And that’s what video is all about: it combines texts, images, and sounds to create an immersive learning environment. Adding video to eLearning courses is a sure way of increasing engagement.
Why Explainer Videos?
Why are Explainer Videos so effective in a video marketing strategy?
- Explainer videos can convey the message in a short time (90-120 seconds). The viewers can see the product in live-action and understand the features and utilities faster compared to a bulky brochure or a sales rep giving a sales presentation.
- They simplify complex ideas and make them easy to understand.
- Explainer videos employ creative storytelling techniques to show how a product or service works. As a result, a viewer understands the products and increases the conversion rate.
- Easily shareable.
- Improves Google Ranking.
- ROI (return on investment) is high
Why use Explainer Videos in your video marketing strategy?
PFB some compelling statistics about why are Explainer Videos are the most dominant marketing strategy today.
- 85% of users tell they are more likely to buy something after seeing an explainer video about it.
- It is possible to get 157% more organic traffic from
search results with the help of the video. - 93% of marketers said they got high-quality leads with
the help of social media videos. - 97% of marketers say an explainer video helped their
users to get better understand a product or service - Landing pages with explainer videos convert 86% better.
- Video content is 50 times more useful in terms of driving
search results compared to plain text. - By 2022, 205 million users will watch videos via
smartphones. For comparison, this figure was 187.7
million in 2019. (Statista) - Smartphone users in India spend at least 92 minutes a
day watching videos.
What kind of explainer videos work best in your video marketing strategy?
This is where we come into the picture. We ask questions and try to understand your goals, your marketing concept, target audience, tone style, brand voice, and a lot more to understand what video content and style suits your brand the best. Since every company and its marketing strategy is unique, and so is every message. You can read recommendations and blog posts and even watch videos that worked for other brands, but whoever wrote it doesn’t know YOUR business. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, There are dozens of choices. That being said Animated videos are one of the most versatile and widely used videos. They offer a great amount of customization and work with Finance, Healthcare, IT & Technology, Travel & Hospitality, Real estate, Internal, Education in almost every Industry.
What are the elements of a good explainer video?
The elements of a good explainer video might be different for different aims. The basic structure though remains the same. A successful explainer video is one that grabs and holds the attention of the audience and drives the desired results. It must include the following elements.
Identifies and solves the problem.
The first goal of an explainer video must be to identify with the viewer’s problem and adopt a solution-oriented tone to the video. The viewer must be able to relate to the problem and understand why and how your product is a solution.
Targets the correct audience
Choosing a style that does not relate and appeal to the audience whose attention you want to grab can
be a total disaster. Make sure that the style, tone, and look of the Video are perfect for the audience and aligns with your marketing strategy.
Size of the video (because size matters)
Video length and engagement have a significant relationship. You only have a few seconds to generate
interest in your audience. If you are able to keep them engaged throughout the entire video, that means your explainer video is effective. For Animation Explainers, the ideal length for animated marketing videos
is between 60 and 90 seconds. In that amount of time, we believe you can deliver your key messages with effectiveness without losing engagement and include a strong Call to Action.
A strong Call to Action
A strong call to action in an Explainer video is probably the most important part of your marketing strategy which will actually generate the result for which you got the explainer video made. There are many different ways you can
approach your call to action, check them out below:
1. Final Action: Call for the final action. For example, link to purchase, claim a free trial, or any other direct action.
2. Learn More: Refer the viewer to learn more, or go to a product page. There they can see more info about the product and they are a bit further in the funnel.
3. Ask a question
Some Examples of Calls to Action that can be used in an Explainer Video:
- Sign up. This is good if you’re collecting emails to get potential customers into your sales funnel.
- Visit your website. You can direct them to your homepage, landing page, or the product page.
- Call number. This is the classic one that we all remember from TV commercials and before websites. It’s still effective today.
- Contact Us. Another great option for getting people in your funnel.
- Schedule a demo. Potential customers love trying products and services out before having to spend money or commit. This is a great choice if you have something that works with demos.
- Try for free. Same as a demo, this is an effective CTA.
- Find out more/Learn more. This is another great CTA for products or services that may create buying hesitation (due to high price, unfamiliarity, complex details, etc.)
What to consider before you start your video marketing?
Your main goal!
You need to understand your video marketing strategy, why exactly you need an explainer video, what the main goal should be and how it fits in your marketing strategy. Does your audience already know you? Do you want to explain your product, service, or a new feature? Increase sales or generate leads? Tell your brand story? Educate your audience?
Be as specific with your goal as possible because it is crucial. Don’t leave your audience confused and all over the place. We can always create more videos for other goals.
The main message.
Many of us make mistakes at this stage. You need to identify the main message that you want to convey and then design the rest of your content around that core message. Be as specific and clear as possible. Otherwise, the viewer might get confused and won’t remember anything.
Target audience
Never think that everyone is your audience. Know your target audience and be as specific as possible. For example, you are a B2B company your tone, style, and message should be directed towards your target companies’ person in charge of the service or product you offer.
The budget
Just like any other project, it is important to decide the budget upfront. You must talk to the explainer video company about the project. The prices are decided to keep in mind- the style of the animation, the runtime, the deadline, and many other smaller factors.
Apart from hiring an Explainer video company, you can also go with other choices such as Online video creating software or Hire freelancers.
But Hiring a professional Explainer video company Video is the option that fits most businesses.
- You get a full team of professionals who have loads of experience working together.
- There will be far less work and hassle on your end.
- You’ll have a project manager assigned to you that you can communicate with at any time as a point of reference
Tone & Style:
Visual style: There are various types of visual styles that you can choose depending upon your aim. (check Types of Explainer Video) We ask questions and try to understand your goals, target audience, tone style, brand voice, and a lot more to understand what style suits your brand the best. Since every company is unique, and so is every message. Online Platforms or templates are a total no-no if you want to deliver a custom message that people identify with your brand and remember for a longer time.
The tone: The tonne of the video is largely decided by the script. Do you want a conversational tone, a funny one, a serious message, or a formal one? Deciding upon this depending on your aim and target audience is crucial but you must not experiment with it too much. In the end, it must be clear and direct with simple language and speak directly to the audience.
What to consider when selecting an Explainer video company.
Price, Potential, and Portfolio.
Also, Make sure that the video marketing company you choose isn’t only about designers focusing on the visual aspect. You need to make sure whoever you work with also has a great marketing expert on the team that understands your objectives and strategy.
Now that you understand the WHYs and the WHATs let’s get down to the HOW of video marketing and explainer videos.
Our Explainer Video production process
Understanding and communicating the aim:
You need to understand what is your video marketing strategy and why exactly you need an explainer video and what the main goal should be. Does your audience already know you? Do you want to explain your product, service, or a new feature? Increase sales or generate leads? Tell your brand story? Educate your audience?
Be as specific with your goal as possible because it is crucial. Don’t leave your audience confused and all over the place. We can always create more videos for other goals.
The briefing:
Briefing the production team about your aims and objectives and the results you are expecting from the Video campaign is one of the most crucial; steps in the success of the project. The company must try to dig deep into the brand to specifically understand the objectives of the video.
Scripting and Storyboarding:
Writing the script for your explainer videos is a crucial part of the pre-production process. After the briefing and a rough script provided a solid script that has the right tone and sets the basic premise for the video has to be made. `it must start by addressing t the problems the customers are facing then go about providing a solution highlighting the product or service. Define clearly the features and utilities of the product and then finally finish off with a strong CTA.
The Voice Over
Unless you are creating a live-action Explainer Video, adding a Voice Over is crucial. We must remember that the audio aspect in an explainer video is as important as the visual aspect. You must pick a voice actor whose voice is compatible with your brand and target audience. The accent and the tone must match the tone of the video and the viewer must be able to connect with the video.
Sound design:
A soundtrack completes the emotional aspect of the video by setting the right mood for the video.
Do not rush into the soundtrack. Shortlist a few tracks and then decide the one that fits the mood of the video.
Launching your Video Explainers!
Let’s say that you have a freshly brewed Video from an Explainer Video company. What is the next step?
Obviously, you want the maximum number from your target audience to watch the Video and take the desired action. Let’s see where and how you can host the Video for maximum reach.
Let’s see where and How can you host the Video for maximum reach.
Hosting
When it comes to hosting there are multiple options. A few of the best are:
Vimeo:
Trusted by our community of over 230 million users Vimeo offers various marketing tools apart from just hosting the video. Integration with tools like Mailchimp, HubSpot Gmail, and Google Analytics Vimeo is an excellent choice for a video marketing campaign
Wistia:
Wistia is another great option. With its simple-to-use interface, it claims to turn your video into marketing machines. This platform too offers integration with Email marketing and CRM tools making it an excellent choice for your video marketing campaign
Youtube:
While YouTube doesn’t offer the advanced tools the others do, you should still upload your video here.
YouTube is the second biggest search engine after Google. And since they’re owned by Google, YouTube videos are given preference in Google searches.
How to use my Explainer Video?
Once you have set up the Hosting for the video the next step is to place the Video in channels where you can get the desired results.
Landing page
Embed the video on your Home page. But you need to be careful where you place the video on your homepage. It should be visible right in front of the viewer at the top of the home page.
Social Media:
You should use the explainer video across as many social media platforms as possible. With Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn you can share the link of the video and redirect the audience to where the video is hosted. For Instagram, you will have to upload the video to their platform. Instagram allows videos only up to 1 minute. In case you have a longer video you will have to ask your production team to edit an Instagram version for you.
E-mail marketing
According to Sprout Marketing, a first-time email with a video inside gets a click-through increase of 96%. Your email marketing tool wil;l provide a template where you can embed an explainer video.
Closing thought!
An explainer video is one of the best marketing tools out there that you can use, whether you’re a startup or mega-corporation. Explainer videos build your brand’s personality, makes your pitch interesting, gets people excited about your product, increase your online visibility, attract new customers, generate leads, and strengthen your relationship with your current customers, and even pushes you up in Google search rankings. According to statistics, 85% of people are more likely to purchase a product once they watch a video about that makes video one of the best tools to increase your sales conversions. It’s a truly brilliant way to market in the digital age.
We hope that this article will guide you in your next video marketing strategy.
If you have come this far we are sure you are serious about getting an explainer video we are your go to video marketing agency. We have tried our best to answer as many questions as possible about Explainer videos here. In case you still have a doubt or want to know more let’s schedule a 30-minute free consultation call.
E-mail-info@monkmedia.in
Call us +91 79800 55644