Do you want to invest in a video that explains your product in 60-90 seconds? These are known as explainer videos and they are a great way to engage with potential customers while also familiarizing them with your products.
But, many people struggle to get them right!
Considering explainer videos are the first thing your customers see (being on your homepage), it is crucial you nail it on the first try. Which is where we come in! We have come up with the top 5 tips for creating a great explainer video. Not only will these tips help you attract customers from the get-go but they will also elevate your potential as a company
Tip #1: A Great Script
A great well-written script is the foundation on which the whole video is built so ensure it is optimal. You should have an outsider write the script for you because they will provide a fresh look at your company and explain it in a way that anyone can understand. You will need to start out by filling a creative brief. These allow you to think about your company on a higher scale and help you see what actually matters. Below are some typical questions you can ask:
- Define your quick elevator pitch. Explain what your product or service is about in 1-2 sentences.
- What is your target audience?
- Clarify the specific pain point you are solving?
- What are the three main benefits you want to highlight? Avoid a generic “cool list of features and instead focus on the benefits.
- How does your product or service work? If possible, keep it 3-4 steps.
- Do you want your video to have a humorous, professional, or conversational tone?
- Do you have a specific style in mind for the visuals? Sample videos you like? An illustration style? Do you want a character in the video?
- Do you have a call to action?
Keeping these questions in mind, go ahead and write the script.
Tip #2: Keep It Short And Simple
The typical guiding principle in the industry is 150 words per minute. The longer your video is, the more people lose attention. Remember, your video is meant to be the hook that gets people interested in taking the next step.
You can’t keep it short if you can’t keep it simple. The best explainer videos out there focus on 4 simple things:
- The Pain Point: Address the pain point your customer is facing ( no more than 20 seconds)
- The Solution: Introduce your product or service as the solution (around 5 seconds)
- How It Works: Describe how your product or service functions ( around 25 seconds)
- A Call To Action: Tell people what steps they can take now ( 10 seconds)
Tip #3: Professional Voice Over
We all know how frustrating poor audio is as a listener. It could also be other things. Maybe the quality is perfect but the voice-over lacks the polish and delivery a professional may provide. That is why investing in a professional talent is a must. It get more complex, if you need your video in multiple languages. Just changing the voice of a video doesn’t work. There is much more to it. If you want a more in depth understanding, please feel free to have a read – Multi Lingual Explainer Videos
Tip #4: Actual Production
Your script is perfect, you have a professional voice-over but your video is… meh. It is crucial that your video resonates with your audience. People love to be entertained, whether it is the CEO, marketers, children, or others. The first and foremost is the selection of a style to present the video. Creative styles are vivid and have a huge spectrum depending upon the target market. You need to understand the various styles like live action, motion graphics, 2D, 3D, mixed medium, isometric and may more. We have a dedicated blog post to help you with this exact topic – Top Explainer Video styles most effective in 2022
Once you choose a style, then comes the creative branding and visualization. A storyboard can go a very long way to handle this. A storyboard is a generally a static representation of the key scenes of the video, which enables you and your team to visualize, contemplate and get a birds eye view of the entire video. Next comes the animation, effects, editing and sound scores! As they say, the devil is in the details. The finer gimmicks you have, more subtle and classy your video will be. Then again, it’s just like spice, a over dose will result in a quick drop-off. Polished-looking visuals are just as important as a voice-over in video production. You don’t have to go over the top, it could be something simple. The key is using visuals and voice-over that demonstrate the story in your explainer video. You can also add music to your video. Like video, music brings forth all kinds of emotions while also setting the tone for your audience. Professional studios have multiple teams working on these, so it’s something you normally would not need to worry about.
Tip #5: Planning For The Launch
A successful launch has 3 things:
- A Video Host: You can choose from plenty of options out there. We recommend Vimeo & Wistia
- Marketing Plan: Use your blog, social media posts channels, newsletter, and events to share your video. There are a ton of resources on digital marketing strategies. A great starting point can be our blog post on Video Marketing Strategy. If you are in a mood for depth learning, the Hubspot Academy can be a superb starting point.
- Integrate The Video On Your Website: Most companies choose the homepage so their video is front and center.
Conclusion
If you are looking to create an explainer video, these tips will be crucial in the overall process. Other than saving time and money, you will be able to create a video that delivers real and measurable results.
Disclaimer:
Clapstick Media is one of the pioneers in explainer video and animation services and are in the business of creating videos for MNCs, governments, startups and companies around the globe. This article is an honest suggestion of the best practices to be followed in this domain.
