What are Explainer Videos and Why Do they Work?

Definition of an explainer video

An explainer video is a quick way to convey the core functions of your product or service in a digestible, sharable format. Your video can be animated or live-action; the key is to make it attention-grabbing, memorable and informative. Use your explainer video to tell the viewer what your business is about and how your value proposition is going to address his or her pain points. 

What an explainer video isn't

A long-form sales spiel. 

Seriously, if you pop up on your target's screen with an extended, jargon-filled, finger-pointing, CTA-screaming video, you can kiss good engagement ratings goodbye. 

Your explainer video is a little bit like a first date.  

Visually, what it should tell your potential customer is:

Hey, I'm a trustworthy, well presented prospective partner. These are my strengths. I have facts and figures to back up my promises. I can be humorous when appropriate, but more importantly, I'm reliable and authentic. But really, I want to hear more about you. 

Creating video content is a fantastic way for your business to cut through the clutter of online content, engage your buyer personas and lead them to the next step in the sales funnel. The process, however, is a bit of a science. 

Why? 

Because you have to get the balance just right. 

The explainer video formula

The big picture

Before we jump into storyboards, graphics and audio, you need to set the goalposts. 

• What exactly do you want this video to achieve? 
• What is the core message you are trying to get across?
• Which audience are you trying to reach with this content?

Once you have answered these questions, it will be much easier to illustrate the problem that your business solves and demonstrate the solution you offer. 

After determining the key aims of your explainer video, you can start developing a concept and a storyboard that gets the viewer from point a to b. 

It’s also at this point that you should set the parameters for how long the explainer video needs to be. We don’t advise that you go over the 90-second mark. Attention span is a big consideration here. 

The script

You'll need an exceptional script, created by specialists who understand the language your buyer personas respond to. The script must then be voiced in an inviting yet definitive tone. Because we've all heard those slightly repellent sales voices, right? You can source professional voiceover talent; or, if someone on your team is a gifted orator, this may be their time to shine.  

Don’t over complicate your sentences and speak in the second person – it’s more personal and immediate. 

The audiovisuals

Furthermore, you'll need good quality visuals. Explainer videos shouldn’t be shot on a mobile. 

This invaluable asset is something you will share, time and time again, with new and prospective clients, either at the awareness stage or even during onboarding. It needs to show your business in the best possible light. Therefore, you want to make it entertaining and representative of your company's brand. 

You’ll also have to choose the style that suits your business. At SpotDev, our specialists are able to produce:

• Animated 2D and 3D video
• Moving typography

The execution

You’ll need to pick the platforms and channels that your target audience hangs out in. When sharing and promoting your video, it’s important to have a solid strategy as well as clear calls-to-action. This ensures that your video doesn’t get lost in the stream of content that your customers come across daily. 

Also, you can’t just publish your video and hope for the best. You need to measure the results, track the engagement rate and find the best platforms for your content. 

Top 5 reasons explainer videos work

2. Educating your customers with a video helps to get your value proposition across much quicker. As a result, your conversion rates will increase.

3. According to Forbes, Google ranks pages with video higher than pages without, so your explainer videos are a great way to boost your SEO. 

4. From a marketing perspective, your explainer video is an evergreen investment. Sure, the initial cost may be fairly substantial, but you’ll be able to share that video with new customers continuously. You can embed your video in your landing pages, refer to it in other educational content such as blogs, and include it in certain stages of your email nurtures. If you’re pitching to a new client and need to get key decision makers onboard, your explainer video is the perfect introduction. 

If you’re starting to think that explainer videos are the way forward for your business, you’re probably right. At SpotDev, we’re seeing a lot of demand from our new and existing clients for video creation. If you’d like to learn more about our service, pricing and process, visit our dedicated explainer video service page here.