Does your company struggle to explain the benefits of your products and services to your customers? If so, you should consider utilizing explainer videos. At Fannit, we create high-quality content to help companies communicate with their customers more effectively.
This article will help you understand the definition of explainer videos and the benefits of using these your business.
If you ever need to reliable marketing video production services, contact us today and our team will be glad to help.
What Is an Explainer Video?
Explainer videos are short online marketing videos that are used to explain your company’s products or services.
They are extremely popular and will help increase your conversion rates after being implemented to your website.
You can create an explainer video yourself or hire a production company to assist you.
Explainer video companies will help create effective video for your business.
More helpful reading:
- 8 Tips to Get the Best Aerial Photography & Drone Videography Production Services for Marketing
- How to Do Video Marketing for Your Small Business (2020 Update)
Different Types of Explainer Videos
There are many different types of explainer videos. The question to be answered is – how do you choose the best type of explainer video for your website?
Let’s first go over each of these styles in-depth to help you decide.
Here is a list of the different styles along with explainer video examples:
Live-Action Explainer Videos
These are best for companies that provide a physical product or service because they are non-animated and incorporate real actors.
A few examples of companies who would utilize this type of video content are restaurants or consulting groups.
The benefit of this type is that they allow viewers to relate to the emotions that the actors portray.
The downside is that they are constrained to the real world and cannot incorporate animated pieces to help support their marketing efforts.
Here is an example of a live-action explainer video:
The example uses people to explain the issue that is at hand and how it is resolved. The way that this explainer video is effective is because it shows emotion and the viewer can relate to the actors.
Animated Explainer Videos
Animated explainer videos are best suited for explaining services or intangible tech services.
This is the most popular format of explainer videos because they allow for unlimited creativity and ease of editing.
Animated explainer videos can come in two different formats, 2D or 3D. 3D animated explainer videos have a different depth of field and types of movements than 2D videos.
Animated videos can be updated quickly even if they require some editing, especially when compared to live clips that may require extensive editing.
Here is an example of a 2D explainer video:
This is about a company called Doctoroo. This 2D animated explainer video has a high level of creativity and is engaging to watch. Animators bring a sense of surprise because you never know what is coming next.
The way that it goes into detail about the issue that the company is solving and portraying the benefits that their business provides is very effective.
Here is an example of a 3D explainer video:
Animated explainer videos such as this example, show the benefits of using a 3D animation.
The character in this example is extremely engaging to the viewer. He points at the camera and it does feel like the animated character is talking to you.
Consider utilizing this style for your business to ensure a high level of engagement.
The way that 3D animation is produced is not an easy task and they are very time-consuming to make, so consider hiring a production company to assist you.
Live-Action/Animation Hybrid Explainer Videos
This utilizes the benefits of both live-action and animated explainer videos.
You can choose to have elaborate or simple animations; it just depends on the style that you are trying to achieve.
Here is an example of a hybrid explainer video:
The actors provide a sense of emotion, but the animation also helps with the level of engagement.
If you look closely, the level in which the humans are moving is very minimal because the animation is making up for it.
Whiteboard Explainer Videos
These are created by animation being drawn on a whiteboard and then erased. Whiteboard animation is engaging and this format is extremely popular due to the low cost of production and the ease of creation.
Here is an example of a whiteboard video:
Whiteboard videos are unique because of their simplicity and efficiency. As you can see in this example, they are easy to watch and follow the message that is being conveyed.
Something to consider when selecting this style is the quality of your voice-over. Voice-overs are always important, but especially in whiteboard and animated videos because there is not much movement.
The voice-over and whiteboard animations will help explain what is being illustrated on the whiteboard and will help keep a high level of engagement for the viewer.
How to Make the Best Explainer Videos
There are many things to consider when making an explainer video, but this section will help guide you through the necessary steps that it will take.
It can be a difficult process that requires a lot of effort, but it will be worth it in the long run. Explainers keep your brand prominent in people’s minds.
Let’s go over the steps on how to create effective material that will help you stay ahead of competing brands.
Step 1: Define Your Objective
Define what your goal is. Which style is going to best represent your company?
Step 2: Writing the Video Script
Some production companies think that the script is the most important part.
Even if you have the most intriguing visuals, the script will help the viewer understand what ideas are being portrayed. Here is a set of general guidelines to follow.
- You should start with an overview of your product or service
- This will immediately provide your viewer with a higher level of brand awareness.
- Introduce the problem
- Explain what your company is trying to solve because this may help them relate emotionally.
- Explain how you are helping solve the problems
- Once your viewer sees how it solves their problem they may now be a potential customer.
- Provide a call to action
- Give your viewer a slight push to consider becoming a customer. This may help them make their decision.
More explainer video tips:
- Do your best to keep it under two minutes. Many marketing experts agree that exceeding two minutes puts you at risk of exceeding the individual’s attention span.
- Introduce the key point early on.
- Use language that your audience will understand and avoid jargon that is specific to your industry.
- Define what type of tone you want to have. A casual tone is easy to listen to and you want your audience to feel comfortable with how your message is being delivered.
- Include motion graphics to add some color and flair to your video. Motion graphics are shapes such as an arrow that help highlight specific things in your video.
Step 3: Recording the Voiceovers
After you have completed your script you will need to record your voiceover.
There are many options for this process. You can hire a professional voice actor online at companies such as voices.com.
You can also find individuals on Craigslist or Fiverr that will provide you a decent voiceover. It is very important to have a voice that is engaging to listen to.
For example, when you hear a voice such as Morgan Freeman’s, your level of engagement spikes because of his strong and recognizable voice.
Step 4: Producing the Explainer Video
There are a couple paths that your company can pursue for production.
Explainers can be produced by yourself or you can hire a professional to help you out.
Professional
Hiring a professional to assist you in the process is a great option to ensure high-quality production.
Many professional video production companies will help you produce your video. Some companies that you may consider hiring are Explainly, Studio Pigeon, or Demo Duck.
The downside to using talented professionals is that it is going to cost you.
If your company is willing to shell out anywhere from $5,000-$20,000, you will receive a high-quality video from a professional.
This is a great option if you have the necessary funds to choose this route.
Especially when it comes to hiring professional animators, your money will be well spent because it is not a simple task.
DIY Live Action Explainer Video
Today it is becoming more normal to be carrying around a phone in your pocket that has the capabilities to film comparably to expensive cameras.
You can film on your own and then utilize editing software to piece it together. iMovie and Adobe Premiere are good choices for editing software.
In the editing software, you can add simple touches such as motion graphics that will help improve the quality of your video.
If your budget is low and you have some creative skills, then give this option a try.
It may be a long and rigorous process but you are also able to control exactly how the final product turns out.
Utilizing Software
If you are operating on a smaller budget, consider producing in house.
There are websites such as PowToon where you can go on and create your own animated video.
You can use software such as these even if you do not have any experience.
They have very easy step by step instructions. This software is typically free to start and then if you want to use the video, you pay to have the rights for it.
You can add motion graphics in this software which will improve the quality of your video.
With effort and a lot of hours put into creating your own animated video, you may be pleased with how it turns out.
Work With a Marketing Agency
Working with a marketing agency is a great way to produce a high-quality video. You will end up spending a bit more money than if you were to create it yourself if you hire a marketing agency to assist you.
But it will be well worth the money due to the quality that they will provide and the speed of delivery. At Fannit, we consistently maintain a high level of professionalism and quality with each of our clients. Reach out to us to get started on creating your content today!
Step 5: Sound Effects & Music
You will likely need to add some background music and sound effects to provide more depth to the video. With the right song choice and sound effects, it can really spice your production up.
Sound effects are short little bits of audio that help with engagement. A few places that you could go to look for background music and sound effects are:
- YouTube: YouTube offers free background music that you could implement into your creation.
- Free Sound: You can access this database that is full of licensed audio samples and recordings.
- Audacity: This is a tool that allows you to create your own audio files.
It is important to keep in mind who your target audience is when deciding on which music to incorporate. Also keep in mind the level of the audio because you do not want it to be too loud or too quiet.
Post Your Explainer Video
Now that you have completed production, post it on as many different platforms as possible.
Use your company’s social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and even Tik Tok to try to increase the number of views on your video.
This will help increase the level of your brand awareness by doubling as a form of marketing. Your viewers will be receiving information about your company’s products and services as well as becoming more familiar with your organization.
As technology has progressed more individuals are using their handheld devices to watch videos. We will ensure that it is compatible with each of these platforms and for each device that individuals may watch it on.
Moreover, add it to your company’s website and post it in the proper place, like a relevant blog or service page. If the material is describing your business, your website’s home page, blog, or landing page may be good locations for it.
Having a video on your home page will immediately provide your visitors with information that is engaging to consume. If it is describing a specific product or service then place it on the corresponding page, just remember to avoid using autoplay at all costs.
Measure Your Explainer Video’s Performance
After posting, it is important to track the performance of it. You can see how it impacted the click-through rate to your website or how it influenced buying decisions.
There are many analytic tracking tools that you can implement that will help you optimize your company’s performance.
The data that you collect is very important. It can help you identify what draws in customers, which platforms provide the highest amount of views, along with much more crucial information.
You can also figure out where people lost interest in your video due to when they closed out of it.
This will help guide you to make changes and provide you with things to avoid in future videos.
Enjoy the Benefits of your Explainer Video!
You will quickly start to realize the benefits that it is providing for your company.
Here are a few of the benefits:
- Companies usually experience a boost in conversions.
- Websites that have videos usually engage customers for longer.
- They are easy for viewers to share with their friends on their social media accounts.
- Implementing content onto your website may increase your SEO search ranking.
There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on which style you want to utilize. Most importantly, you need to identify how much money you are willing to allocate to production.
Furthermore, understanding the message that you are trying to convey will help define the most fitting style for your business.
If you are trying to convey emotion, you should consider live-action or maybe incorporate a little bit of animation.
It is important to keep in mind your budget prior to beginning production. As we mentioned above, professional production could cost up to $20,000 but you could also choose to produce it yourself for much cheaper.
If your goal is to get creative, consider using a 2D or 3D animated explainer video to tell your story.
These are fun to watch and engage the viewer. Another key aspect to consider is to choose the proper audio, including songs and voice-overs because these attributes help control the tone.
Another valuable takeaway is that the right video can encourage your page visitors to share a comment, name, email address, and other pieces of information.
Collecting information on your page visitors will help you stay in touch with them. Also, they encourage viewers to stay on your page for a longer period of time.
A tool that we use at Fannit is called Crazy Egg.
This is a marketing tool that lets you see where users spend most of their time on a page, so it can help companies create better video by seeing which elements attract the most attention.
You can learn more about it here: https://www.joomlashine.com/blog/crazy-egg-understanding-your-customer-better.html
Overall, any style that you choose is going to help your business if it is produced well. Ensure that you are conveying the exact message that you want before releasing it to the public and you will be good to go.
Want to Create an Explainer Video for Your Company? Contact Fannit Today to Get Started!
There are a multitude of things to consider when creating an explainer video, but we are here to help you create the best content possible. At Fannit, we help make the process of creating an explainer video for your business easy.
Our talented production team are experts and will help you through each step of the process.
We have all of the resources to create an effective explainer video for your company and will work with you hands-on to tailor it to your preferences. Contact us today to get started on your explainer video production!
