June 30, 2020

Explainer Video: The Definitive Guide

The Process Behind Explainer Videos and Why They’re Effective

Explainer videos are marketing videos that are usually animated and short, that describes a product in an engaging and meaningful way. Most explainer videos are used by companies to demonstrate their latest product and its benefits through compelling visuals.

Explainer videos have various structures and usually covers main points such as-

  1. Problem- Addressing the problems of audience
    Solution- Introducing the company and its advantages
    Demonstration- Shows how the product works
    Benefits- the end result after using the product
    Call to action- Persuasive reason to take a further step

Choosing an Explainer Video Production Company

There are numerous Explainer video production company that you can find online. But you need to consider some factors before choosing an explainer video production company-

They should have a distinctive style
You can afford the price or not
A great portfolio
They specialise in marketing videos or not



Types of Explainer Videos

Knowing the different types of explainer videos will be beneficial for choosing the style that best suits your business.

Screencast Videos

The major benefit of this video style is that it is very convenient, easy to create within a low budget, thus making it accessible to all. This type of explainer videos shows the real-time usage of the product using screen recordings or screenshots.

Whiteboard Videos

Whiteboard videos are appropriate for a B2B product overview. They are black on white videos where a person draws and records the illustration on a whiteboard or similar surface, to describe the concept. These videos are accessible to all.

Typographic Videos

Creating a typographic video is much easier. The message is conveyed through text animation. It's great for demonstration of large amounts of data and statistics, making it apt for B2B statistics presentation.

Live-Action Videos

Live-action videos are great to establish personal relationships with the audience. This type of explainer videos features an actor who demonstrates the product. And normally for creating these videos, the budget is very high.

2D Character Animation Videos

If you want to add a personal touch or want a relaxed brand identity, then look no more than 2D character animation videos. These videos feature animated characters and scenes to demonstrate your brand idea.

2D Motion Graphics Animation Videos

These types of videos are apt for demonstrating complicated products/services. The product/service is demonstrated using illustrations, icons and text.

3D Animated Explainer Videos

These type of videos are much realistic and are apt for demonstrating a hardware product. These videos make use of 3D live elements in a digital environment.

Process of Making Explainer Videos

Gathering Information

An explainer video production should begin by understanding the requirements. At this stage, you will determine the features of the product, the user demographics, the advantages of the product and the pain points of the audience. In order to set the expectation for the video, the explainer video production company will provide you with a creative brief. It includes details like the target audience, motive of the video, etc. Through personal meeting or online call, the explainer video production company can get to know more about the product.

Script Writing

The script is the narration for the video. It begins with an idea which can be conversational or one that evokes an emotion or conceptual. A script should contain nearly 150 words for an explanatory video of 1-minute duration. The script should include the target points that you need to showcase.

Storyboarding

A storyboard consists of hand-drawn sketches outlining the visuals and actions. It guides the animator and designer in their animation. The storyboard artist lists the important points that demonstrate the brand story in the right sequence.

Voice Over

The next step is choosing the professional voice over artist. Voice over plays a crucial role in making or breaking a video. But the voice should suit your video and match the brand's tone.

Animation

The animator gives life to the visual style that is created. It will have perfect timing, and when the voiceover is added, it makes a perfect animated explainer video. The animation is a time-consuming process and needs a lot of patience.

Music and Sound Effects

Music and sound effects complete an explainer video. You can seek the help of a music composer for an original track or use music sources to find out the track apt for your video. Custom sound effects such as pop-up, mouse clicks can also be used.

Why Explainer Videos are Effective

  1. Demonstrates a message within 60 seconds
    Shows brand personality
    Conveys a problem and its solution
    High Return of Investment
    Increases conversion rates
    Boosts google ranking
    Simplifies a complex message to a simple one

No matter if you're a startup or established one, explainer videos help build brand personality, attract new customers, and improve online visibility. It's not only affordable but easy to share as well, besides other benefits. Needless to say, it's a great marketing tool that can be used in this digital age.