7 FAQs About SaaS Explainer Videos

While video is a fundamental of marketing in 2019, it’s still the new kid on the block; and as such, people have a lot of questions about what exactly it entails, and how it works. We’ve set out to answer the most frequently asked ones.

What exactly is an explainer video?

An explainer video is a short (often animated) video that explains something–anything. Most frequently they’re used to give a broad overview of a company and the products and services that they offer. However, they can also be used in a more specific way to delve into the minutiae of how a product operates.

An explainer video takes a complicated subject that could take a long time to explain in a text or verbal format, and condenses it down into a short, attention-grabbing video that illustrates your point clearly. They work brilliantly on company websites, and they excel on social media where viewers attention is at a premium.   

Why an explainer video?

Studies have proven that video is beating traditional content, not only in its ability to draw the eye and retain an audience but also in how much the audience learns from it. Insivia shared statistics revealing that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. If people respond so well to videos, can you really afford to not use them at the heart of your companies marketing?

How long should my video be?

We recommend creating explainer videos that are a minute in length. Shorter is fine, but any longer than that and you’ll often start to see a dramatic reduction in the number of people watching till the end. It’s easy to get carried away with wanting to include every little detail about your company; what you sell, where you’re based, who’s in your team, what pub you got to on a Friday after work etc. But don’t. Keep it to the point, waffle free and fun. You’re selling your software, so outline the benefits of your software and the problems it solves, and don’t get bogged down in the details.

How much does it cost?

Animated videos are incredibly difficult to quote for. There are so many variables that determine exactly how long it’s going to take, the style of your video, for example, or the length of the script. As such, most companies don’t like to give a solid quote until those points are nailed down. 

At SpotDev however, we’re doing things a little differently. We know transparency is key and our streamlined explainer video process allows us to offer our videos at three distinct price bands: 

• For £3,000 you can get a minute long, ‘basic’ animation. 
• For £5,000 we’ll create a minute of ‘enhanced’ animation for you. 
• Finally, should you require something more niche like 3D animation, then we’ll run through the details and create a quote based on those requirements. 3D animation often costs upwards of £7,000.

For a clear breakdown of what exactly you get for those prices, feel free to head to our explainer video page and scroll down to see our price banding.   

How long will it take?

Time is always of the essence, and you want your video yesterday. We know that. That's why we like to turn our videos around as quickly as we can for you. However, we won't scrimp on quality in order to get it out the door as soon as possible. On average, we’ll produce a minute-long animated explainer video for you in 4-6 weeks. This can shift up or down slightly depending on a  few factors:

1. The simplicity of the graphics and animation.
2. The speed at which you feedback. 

Basic animations almost always fall into the bottom end of that bracket and enhanced animation, the top. 3D work usually takes even longer as we have to factor in (jargon alert!) modelling, rendering and compositing times.

Why does it take so long?

There are a few reasons why it takes us a while to create our explainer videos. Firstly, we don’t use templates. We are creating a bespoke animation just for you; so we craft it just the way you want it.

Secondly, animation is fiddly and time-consuming, as is design. Oh, and writing scripts, and editing audio can be tricky, too. So I'm sure you understand these things can take a little while to get right. A rushed job is always reflected in the final product, and that's just not our game.

Finally, we like to make this process a collaborative one; we're creating an explainer video for you, so we like to get your feedback and sign-off at every step of the process. We appreciate that this video will not be the only thing you're working on. It can sometimes take a little while to get your team together and run through any changes you might like to make. We factor this into our delivery date estimations.  Of course, the quicker you get back to us, the quicker you'll have your final animation.  

Why should I get my explainer video made with SpotDev?

There are dozens of companies who could make you an explainer video, so why should you choose SpotDev? It’s because we create truly bespoke explainer videos that put you at the heart of the process. When we create an explainer video, it’s a collaboration between you and us. You’ll get a dedicated account manager on hand to handle any queries and guide you through the process, and our creative team will be working tirelessly to create the video that you’ve pictured in your head. On top of our animation experience, we’re a company that specialises in generating leads; we know exactly the kind of language and imagery that helps SaaS companies do business. With a SpotDev explainer, you’re not simply getting a video. You’re getting a marketing tool primed to help your company grow.