How to Make a Great Explainer Video

Not every video you create is going to be a viral success. Sometimes you just need to convey information to your target audience. These kinds of videos don’t have to be cute or funny, but they do need to get their message across in succinct and memorable ways. These videos are often called, “Explainer Videos,” and I’d like to share a few tips for making ’em great!

What’s an explainer video?

Explainer videos are short online marketing videos used to explain your company’s product or service. Explainer videos, often placed on a landing page, a website’s home page, or a prominent product page, have become extremely popular — some sites boast of conversion rates increasing by as much as 144% after including an explainer video on their website.

How do you make one?

1. Write a script

2. Record a VoiceOver

3. Produce it

4. Add music and sound effects

5. Measure its performance

The script is where you’ll need to spend the majority of your focus. It’s best if you write your explainer video script yourself (even if you choose to hire a production company). You know your target audience’s concerns and pain points better than anyone else, and the video is where those concerns need to be addressed.

What freaks out your potential customers? What confuses them about your product or offering? If you haven’t already done some research to answer these questions, now is a good time to consider surveying your audience and answering these questions.

Order of Script

1. Quick overview of your product and what it does

2. Introduce the problem

3. Answer the problem with your solution (via product or service)

4. Call to action (e.g. sign up for our free trial by clicking here!)

5. Broadcast your trust signals (such as well-known clients, awards, write-ups, etc.)

Explainer Video Script Best Practices:

1. Keep it short — 90 seconds or less is ideal.

2. Your key message and value proposition should be in the first 30 seconds. Don’t keep folks wondering.

3. Speak in 2nd person, using words like “You” and “Your.”

4. Use simple language — don’t alienate viewers with technical terms they won’t understand.

5. Keep in mind the tone you want for your explainer video. Most videos opt for a casual, conversational tone.

6. Try a touch of humor — videos with some subtle laughs tend to be more enjoyable.

Shoot like Robin Hood

Robin Hood always hit the bullseye. Why? Because he was a really good archer. Sorry for the lame metaphor, but you can hit the bullseye, too, so long as you know what you’re aiming at. In other words, establish your goals upfront.

1. Why are you making an explainer video?

2. What message does it need to convey?

3. What’s the one thing that your viewer needs to walk away with?

4. When it’s all said and done, what do you want your viewer to do after she’s finished your video?

Who are they?

You have to clearly define your audience for an explainer video. Knowing who our audience is will allow you to craft the right message, in the right tone, using the right kind of words.

Make it matter

Your target audience is more likely to watch your explainer video if it offers them something. The message you convey should be a cross between what you think is important and what interests your audience. That’s why a lot explainer videos feature an understanding of the audience’s situation before offering a solution from your brand’s product or service.

Make it worth watching

It’s getting harder to cut through the internet’s noise. So an explainer video has to educate, inspire, and be entertaining. That’s a tall task, but it’s possible.

Make it short!

Your audience’s attention is valuable. You’ll be working hard to get it in the first place, so it pays not to waste it once you have it. And this means being concise in your communication. Generally speaking, most explainer videos are around 90 seconds long. This gives you enough time to get your point across without bombarding your potential customer with information.

Be on brand

Being on brand is important. It ensures a consistent look, messaging, tone of voice across all of the content you produce. By doing so you create a customer experience that confirms your reputation and brand you’ve built.

To maintain this consistency and experience, your explainer video will need to be on brand too.

Conclusion

Explainer videos can be a great way to tell you target audience what you do and how to do it. It’s highly recommended that you create one and place it in a prominent location, like your website’s homepage. Just remember to stay on point and keep your branding consistent!