Explainer videos are very popular today and continue to grow. More and more companies are using these short, animated videos to explain, communicate and inform viewers. Explainer videos can describe a company’s product or service, while other focus on creating more of a brand experience.
For the past couple of years, we have produced a variety of explainer videos for both Fortune 500 companies, as well as small businesses like startups and new companies.Just recently, we finished work on an explainer video for a new web startup called CampCite.
Building upon their brand, design elements and core features, we created this unique, promotional web video that will be used on their landing page to educate and inform viewers about their new, social media service.
So, you’ve got a new web or SaaS startup, and you’re looking for a short animated video to promote your business. Here are some steps to remember when creating a explainer video.
Carefully Craft the Script
Every successful video project starts with an excellent script. It is the backbone from which everything else flows. It must capture the tone, the voice of the company. The carefully crafted words need to feel like the company itself wrote them. And, a good script will follow this simple structure:
- What are the pain points that a potential customer can relate to?
- How can your business or service alleviate or eliminate those pain points? What are your features and benefits?
- Close out with the call the action. Instruct the viewer on what to do next.
Every good story has a beginning, middle and end.
- Do you need a better solution?
- We’ve got the solution.
- Contact us today.
Utilize Brand Elements
Every company has its own branding and marketing requirements. Bigger companies will provide you with a small encyclopedia of their brand requirements. Smaller companies may only have a logo, colors and some design elements.Either way, utilizing a company’s existing brand elements is the most effective way to build an explainer video that looks and feels just like the company. You’ll notice in the CampCite explainer video above that the design elements (color, fonts, graphics, 2D graphics) are all identical to the design elements used on CampCite website.The more you can utilize a company’s brand elements into the video, the easier it will be for viewers to connect with the company.
Engage the Audience
The first question I ask a potential client is this: who is your audience? Who will be watching the video? Describe them to me.Knowing the audience is essential. It determines everything about the explainer video:
- How fast or slow the pacing will be
- What visuals will appear on screen
- What the voice talent will sound like
- What the music selection will be
- How long or short the video will be
Below is a short, animated video we did for a gaming start up company. The audience are young, distracted gamers wanting to compete against other gamers. We needed a short, fun, fast-paced video that catered to their competitive ego. This is what we created:
By knowing who the audience was, we were able to craft a script, create a visual style and even find a youngish, gamer voice talent to voice the story. By doing so, this video has one of the highest viewership retention rates of all the videos we’ve created.
Create an Actionable Close
The closing call to action is paramount. Too may videos today close with some vague information and a URL hoping the viewer will instantly sign up or purchase the product. It’s not that simple.If you have effectively engaged your audience and successfully communicated the value of your product or service, don’t lose the momentum. Close out the visual message with a powerful call to action. Maybe even offer something special like a discount or limited time offer. Find a hook and pull them in.If you find yourself in need of a explainer video, contact an experienced Dallas video production company today!
