An explainer video is a short video that highlights the benefits of your product or service. It’s often published on your company website – on the homepage, a product page, or a landing page. These videos can be a fantastic sales tool, especially if you’re selling something complex that prospects may need to be educated on. Insurance or insurance-related products are a prime example.
Explainer videos simplify what you’re selling and highlight the benefits of buying in a compelling way. They can have a huge impact, too—raising conversions by as much as 80%. Here are a few tips for creating an impactful explainer video for your website.
1. Decide on your strategy.
Most explainer videos are about a minute long; a few clock in at 90 seconds. Explainer videos tend to come in two general types:
- Live-action videos: These usually work well if you’re selling a physical product or your service is fairly personal (the hospitality industry is an example). That’s because we tend to make more emotional connections to a real person rather than animation.
- Animated videos: Animation has been trendy lately, and often works well when you’re selling something a bit more abstract. An example is the tech space, where you don’t have a physical product to feature, and a live-action video might just be a person talking. You have more flexibility to get creative with animation.
2. Don’t skimp on the script.
Explainer videos need to be scripted tightly because you have so little time to get your message across. The script should explain your product or service in a simple, compelling way, get across your unique selling proposition, and do it in a way that grabs attention and imagination. It’s a tall order! That’s why many opt to hire a professional to write the script.
The best explainer videos are narrative in some way. The story you tell in your explainer script should clearly highlight the problem your customers face, and exactly how your product or service solves it.
3. Hire a professional actor.
Whether you’re going the live-action route or using animation, it’s crucial to have the right voice to deliver your message. The delivery needs to be professional, polished, and have the right tone to get your message across effectively.
The exception can be if you’re featuring the business owner or your employees in a live-action video. This can work because it showcases transparency and helps you build a personal relationship with prospects – but the delivery still needs to be professional. If that’s not your skill, hiring actors or voiceover may be the way to go.
4. Visuals need to serve the story.
Especially when it comes to animated videos, you can get away with very simple visuals (in fact, some explainer videos are just animated stick figures drawn on a whiteboard). The visuals do need to be professional, however, even if they’re very simple.
The visuals need to illustrate the story you’re telling effectively and fit in with the tone of the voiceover. Visuals that are too complex can sometimes distract from your message.
5. Get background music to match the tone.
Your background music also does a lot to establish the tone of your video – whether it’s uplifting, empowering, inspiring, or touching. You can license music at sites like EpidemicSound.com or PremiumBeat.com.
Explainer videos may be short, but they’re not simple. Producing a good explainer video involves a lot of moving parts. Curious how this process would look for your business? Email Kristen Nevins at kristen@directconnectionusa.com or call 707-410-7254.
Kristen Nevins, CDMP, has over a decade of experience in marketing and communications. She joined Direct Connection in early 2018 and leads the team with her extensive digital marketing expertise.
Leave a Reply