What are explainer videos?
Explainer videos are short online marketing videos used to explain and provide more info about your company’s product or service.
Explainer videos are not a new thing, but until recently, they were predominantly shown for big businesses. They worked so well that small businesses are starting to see their worth and get in on the action.
Benefits of Explainer Videos
Even though a products or a business might not be ‘cool’ or even complicated, it is still necessary to have a video because they are so easy to see and share. Plus, videos are just effective- their conversion rate can be as high as 75 percent.
Explainer videos have tons of benefits. It is a short video explaining your product or service. These short videos are easily sharable and are a great way to spread the word about your business. Because it is a short video, think of it as an elevator pitch of sorts. An elevator pitch is an essential part of any marketing plan. Explainer videos have a larger reach and can be shared over and over again.
Your business’ explainer video is a reflection of your brand, culture and personality. More than any text, video can show people who you are as a company and attract your ideal customer. Learn more about the benefits of video for businesses.
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Explainer videos do not have to be complicated and it does not need to be viral because a decent explainer video will spread organically. An explainer video can be as easy as putting together a Powerpoint presentation. All you have to do is decide what to say and find relevant music and graphics. The only difference this time is you’ll be recording a voiceover from a written script instead of presenting it live. You’ll be able to plan, be concise and truly explain how something is done. The biggest difference is the final step of putting all the pieces together into an easy-to-access, video file format.
How to Make Your Own Explainer Videos
So now that we know a little more about what an explainer video is and the impacts it could have, here are a few pointers to keep in mind, if you decide to take the next step.
Define Your Goals and Audience
How you approach your video will vary depending on what your goals are and who your audience is.
There are 4 main goals you might be wanting to achieve and they will all change how you choose to convey your message. Are you trying to promote your products, inform or position yourself as an expert, demonstrate your products or a different way of approaching your product, or maybe you are trying to capture the attention of a new audience or investors? For each goal, you would have a different approach.
As for your audience, you wouldn’t use Barbie Dolls to sell men’s razors. You wouldn’t use a football star to sell a Barbie Doll to a 9 year old.
2. Write your own script
If you hire a videography company, please write your own script. They have their areas of expertise and they can help you choose better wording or flow, but they don’t know your company like you do. They will not be able to encompass everything about your company that you wish to convey in such a short time. Write your own script and let them help you edit.
3. Less is More
This is a good tip for writing but it also applies to videos.
Although that might seem short, most viewers won’t hang around for more than 90 seconds so you want to get to the point. Conceiving a key message is an exercise that tends to be much harder than initially expected. People tend to make things way too technical and want to show off all the features they have proudly developed. You want to get their attention then let them show it off to their friends once they find out all about it.
4. Answer Questions
The point of an explainer video is to answer the questions people have about your product or business. Not only do you need to ask the right questions but you also need to ask them in the right order. “How does this product fit into my life?”, or “Why should I use this?”, should be answered before answering “How does this work?”. You want to pique the user’s interest with the video, then let them figure how the product works on their own, by signing up and using it.
5. Call to Action
You’re video will be next to useless, if you don’t include a call to action, or a way to tell users what to do after the video is done. And if you tell a user to download a product, make sure there is a prominent “Download” button next to the video at all times.
6. Quality
Not all videos have to be a cute animation, but they need to be of good quality. A concise script, good design, clear visuals, and good quality audio all make a difference in whether users watch the video, and how they react to it and to your product. If there are additional concerns such as privacy then a good quality video will show customers, you’re experienced and you know what you’re doing.
So these are just a few things to think about when planning out your explainer videos.
Want to learn more about video production for your business? Check out these posts.
10 Reasons Why Your Business or Product Needs a Video
How to Use Video to Grab Your Audience’s Attention
Please leave a comment, if you have any questions or additional comments!
Don’t forget to pin these awesome explainer video tips for later!
