9 Expert Tips For Producing A Super Explainer Video

Thinking of boosting your sales by making an explainer video? Instead of sending your website viewers to sleep with walls of grey text, you could produce a tiptop 60 to 90 second video and make a big impact on them!

There’s no doubt that explainer videos are amazing marketing tools that engage viewers, helps them remember your business and become customers; but first, you will need to get them right.

If positioned correctly, the explainer video will be the first thing your visitors will see. Animated videos are at their best when placed on the landing page. As such, it is vital that your explainer video is well-made. Here are 9 expert tips from our team about creating explainer videos that clearly describe your business and lead to more sales:

1. Script Is The Foundation

An explainer video won’t convert well if it doesn’t have a well-written script. Think of the script as the foundation where the other features are built. Anyone in a company can define what a business does, but how about having an experienced video writer do the script? He’ll look at your company with fresh eyes and explain what your company does with easy to understand words that anyone can follow, removing unnecessary waffle and jargon and produce a targeted script.

This doesn’t leave you out of the loop however, your the one who knows your business inside out, so many video companies will often ask you to complete a video script questionnaire before they begin. This will let you define some important aspects of your business and will give the script writer a greater understanding of what your after. Here’s a few questions they might ask…

Briefly describe what your company does?
What problems are solved by using your company?
What would be the preferred tone/mood of your video?

2. Length Is Important Too

Creative directors and writers agree on this- the less words you say, the more it sticks in your audience’s mind. Your company may have a lot of messages to share with your viewer, but an explainer video works best as an overview, a hook that brings in the audience and walks them through to the next step.

45% of viewers will stop watching a video after 1 minute and 60% by 2 minutes.

Visible Measures

150 words (max) per minute is a good rule of thumb. This magic number allows for the right pacing, accompanied by pauses and scene changes for the optimum delivery of your message.

A shorter video lets a viewer watch the video and not lose interest in the process.

When it comes to describing the product features and benefits, cut back on the long scripts and be as concise as possible.

3. Keep It Simple!

The general public want things that are simple, easy to learn and use. Keep this in mind and try to sum up the video and focus on 4 important things:

For a minute of video-

The Problem should be presented within the first 20 seconds

The Solution should be given within 20 to 25 seconds

How It Works will describe how to get started or how the product works (in between 25 to 50 seconds)

The Call to Action (buy now or sign up) should be included within 50 seconds to the first minute

4. Focus On The Benefits

A new electronic device or app may have a lot of cutting-edge features such as 200GB storage, 4k resolution or 30 hours of battery life, but the customer will be asking a different question- how does the product or service benefit them?

So keep the features in the background, and instead talk about how the product will make their lives easier or better. That 30 hours of battery life can translate into having a reliable device that gives you more playing time and needs less charging.

5. Invest In A Professional Voice

That high-definition explainer video should be accompanied by a high-quality audio script. A poorly recorded audio ruins the animation video faster than you can say “buy now!”

Invest in professional talent when it comes to voice overs. Try out www.Voiceovers.co.uk or Voices.com and start looking for the right voice for your business.

6. Have Some..Fun?

Businesses often think that an explainer video should be businesslike and have somewhat of a corporate tone. The truth is that an explainer video should be one that will resonate within your target audience!

Everyone, from CEOs of big companies and businessmen to working mums simply love to be entertained. Putting in an element of surprise- a bit of humour, something off-hand or out of the norm can get viewers smiling and be more connected to your brand.

7. Effective Visuals

Animation styles can range from simple 2D to ones that pack a lot of visual 3D punch. A good-looking professional video goes a long way but visuals are only as effective as the script and story you’re tying it to.

Visuals should give that extra oomph to the message you are trying to convey. Too much emphasis on visuals and wowie effects can detract your audience’s attention away from the main message.

You don’t want it to seem like it’s been cobbled together from different stock illustration styles so getting the visuals worked on by an illustrator usually gets the best results. The whole video, then, will have the same look and feel throughout.

8. Music Sets The Tone

Music is an extraordinary tool that can evoke a wide range of emotions and reactions from the audience. It can also set the mood and pace in explainer videos!

Life Without Music Would Be Like A World Without Colour

Mark Desvaux

You may have thought of the perfect accompanying music when creating the video, but the best way to do it is to finish the animation video first before choosing a tune. There are a lot of music websites where you can browse and purchase the ones that fit your theme the best. Try Audiojungle, Pond5 or Premiumbeat for starters.

9. Lift Off Launch Date!

Don’t get too excited yet when that animation video is finally done! There’s one important thing that you still need to do- set a video launch date. There are 3 factors you will need to consider:

Select your video host. YouTube is a no-brainer, but there are other hosting websites you should consider, such as Vimeo, Wistia or Vidyard.

A marketing plan. Set the stage with some extra marketing push (social media, teasers) to help your explainer video reach more audiences. Put in a blog article, send out newsletters and shout-outs in social media channels and invite others to share your video.

Put the explainer video front and centre. This means hosting it on your main website on the landing page. The video should blend in seamlessly with your brand and website content.

These expert tips should get you up and running and help you create a super-duper video that brings in fantastic results!

Haven’t got time to manage this by yourself and would you like us to take care of everything? Get in touch today!