An explainer video can be a valuable part of your brand marketing strategy, especially if you have something complex you’re trying to convey. An explainer video can take big ideas and break them into smaller pieces. Explainer videos can also turn complex processes into simple steps.
A great explainer video is one that has a compelling and customer-driven story and an attractive design, according to Idea Rocket. Explainer videos should have good music and sound design, fluid transitions, dynamic motions, and an engaging voiceover.
Most explainer videos fall into one of a few categories.
There are animated videos, which are the most popular option. They’re easy to create and don’t require much production. Animated videos have visual interest, which can work well for educational topics. Animated explainer videos can be done in an infographic style or a chalkboard style. Product simulation, character-driven animated explainers, and motion graphics are all also popular variations.
Live action explainers use people and objects to explain something relevant to your products or services. These are harder to produce, but when they’re done well, they can get a lot of attention and be engaging. A live-action explainer video will usually have a spokesperson who takes the person viewing the video on a visual journey. They’re showing the products or services and highlighting their mission and purpose.
Some people create explainers for crowdfunding, which can be a live-action or animated format, or a combination of the two. These have details about how the company plans to spend the funds they raise.
Screen captures are another type of explainer that can help with tech or digital demonstrations.
So what specific situations do explainer videos work well in, and when should you consider using them?
Introductions
An explainer video is a good way to introduce a concept or subject in a concise way. You might simply be giving an overview of your company or maybe a product or service. Explainers can be a good intro for people who otherwise have no knowledge of your brand. This ability to deliver a succinct intro is why startups use explainer videos so often.
Processes
If you have a process or idea that might be complex or has many steps, an explainer video can help break it down.
Tutorials
Like breaking down processes, explainers are good for tutorials. You can provide background information for a product or service, as opposed to someone having to find it in a manual or look elsewhere. You can use explainers for step-by-step tutorials as well as demonstrations.
Collateral for Sales
Explainer videos can support a brand through a range of areas of communication. They are great for starting conversations to make sales. Similarly, they can be used to deliver presentations. You can provide the top-level information and then dive into things on a deeper level as needed. The explainer provides the context to set conversations up.
Culture/Employer Brand
You can create explainer videos to showcase your corporate culture and what sets it apart. These videos can be important for your consumer-facing brand as well as your employer brand. Your video can show your vision and values in a light-hearted and captivating way.
Why Are Explainers So Effective?
There are a lot of reasons that explainer videos are especially impactful for audiences.
First, videos are easier to digest by the human brain. We process information through multiple channels, including visual and auditory. Explainers speak to all the channels we use for processing information. Audio and visual channels function separately in the brain, with each potentially overwhelmed by too much information.
When you present content that uses both channels, it’s actually easier to digest and absorb. That’s why across the board, people tend to prefer video to other mediums.
You’re delivering your audience information in the most efficient and easiest way possible. You’re also positioning your brand as a helpful resource, which starts a positive relationship from the start.
Another reason for the effectiveness of explainers is that you can reach people via storytelling. When you have a brand story, you’re giving credibility to your brand, building trust, and creating an emotional connection with your audience. In marketing, storytelling principles usually include the problem, the solution-value proposition, how it works, benefits, and a call-to-action.
Written copy isn’t always the best way to tell a story. There are plenty of situations where visual storytelling is going to resonate most.
Practicality comes along with explainer videos. If you have a product or service that can be a bit complicated, it helps to have a video that visually demonstrates what it does and showcases the benefits it will have in the life of the person using it.
People are often more willing to make a purchase after watching an explainer because they address pain points, suggest a solution, and discuss the main benefits. The result is an improved conversion rate because customers feel like they’re able to make a fully informed decision.
Explainers don’t take many resources. When you’re pitching sales and doing customer service, it takes up a lot of time and energy, and you have to dedicate internal resources to the process. Your salespeople might be making the same demonstration or pitch over and over again. Explainer videos can allow them to put their energy elsewhere, and at the same time, you’re making sure messaging is consistent across touch points.
Videos elicit emotions. For example, when voiceovers are used with explainers, you have control over the tone you’re setting. The music can also influence mood, as do the visuals.
Finally, videos tend to provide a strong return on investment. An explainer video has an unlimited lifespan and reach. Videos can help bring traffic to your site in the first place, and marketers often report that having videos on a page significantly increases the number of time users spend on it.
Finally, Google found that 1 in 3 Millennials say they purchase products as a direct result of watching a how-to video or tutorial about it. Unbounce said there’s a 100% increase in conversion when a video is added to landing pages.
