Explainer videos have grown to be one of the most popular advertising forms today. Given how comprehensive and creative these short videos are, it’s understandable why solopreneurs and huge corporations alike are allocating more of their marketing budget into this strategy.
But nothing good ever comes easy and if you’re determined to make these videos click and resonate well with your audience, you’ll have to put in the work and exhaust your ideas to the best of your abilities.
Here are 8 tips you should bear in mind when creating explainer videos:
1. Make every second worth it.
Explainer videos do well because they’re concise. Considering the nature of this visual avenue, every second has to contribute to your brand’s main message. What are you selling? What story are you trying to paint? Is the problem clear? How does your narrative progress in succession without being too bland and overloaded? Know exactly what kind of script you want to draft and what visuals you want to accompany them. This helps you better understand how long you’ll need your video to be.
2. Get a charismatic lead.
It’s an old Hollywood trick, but it works every. single. time. Getting someone charismatic to star in your these videos help keep audiences hooked. And no, we’re not talking only about good looking people. We’re talking about charisma as an enigmatic element. It’s hard to quantify charisma because this may mean different things to various people, but charming and humorous characters often draw sympathy a lot easier in mediums like this. If yours is animation, cast someone whose voice is soothing and easy to the ears. Remember that people are more likely to linger when they appreciate someone’s company — in this case, that company could be yours.
3. Get rid of the jargon.
Using jargon can sound impressive in job interviews, but when you’re bent on telling the world what your company has to offer, no one wants to hear non-everyday words. Terms like “content delivery network” or “amitriptyline” might not ring a bell to the general public. This is why dumbing down concepts is always a good idea. Not everyone shares the knowledge you have. Making things easier to understand is key brand education. Figure out a way to talk about your products without mentioning unfamiliar language.
4. Don’t forget subtitles.
This one’s pretty easy. When people view your videos, there’s a 50% chance they don’t have audio; either they’re in transit with no earphones or they’re in line at a cafe. Making sure people understand your videos even without audio can be helpful. While we’re not downplaying the importance of sound, highlighting your visuals does give you an advantage.
5. Don’t overdo it.
It can be tempting to produce explainer videos that transcend the norm. Every creative is determined to beat records by coming up with content we’ve never seen before. And while that’s noble, videos that are often too much can overwhelm a viewer. When you put out a visual ad such as this, your goal is to educate them about your products and services—not garner enough sales to be able to afford a sequel. You’re coming up with a short video ad, not a film. Keep it creative, but don’t pressure yourself into making sure this isn’t like anyone has ever seen before.
There’s a reason some videos do better than others — these videos pattern after existing ones and only add elements to the videos that’ve been produced before them. They don’t shake up the entire medium.
6. Focus on both sound and visual.
Visual images that have pictorial support is crucial, but visual images that have pictorial support and have a striking script is raising the bar. It’s true that your visuals, to an extent, have to be able to tell the story by themselves, but when your audio matches what people see on their screens, this improves their digital experience, contributing to the cohesive feel your brand should learn how to curate. Remember that coming up with videos can be tricky, but something more challenging than that is making sure your potential customers feel something every time they consume media from you.
7. Find your voice and stick to it.
There is an ocean of resources online about how important brand consistency is, but for some reason, it needs to be said over and over again. Entrepreneurs and business decision-makers only ever appreciate the impact of branding once they understand how their products and services shouldn’t end as commodities — they should help define lifestyles, too. Whether out of a strong advocacy you rally for or out of the insatiable desire to create unique confidence that can only come from patronizing your brand, learning to associate your brand to a lifestyle or an idea makes it easier for your market to stick by you. Remember that even commodity is regulatory and we are identified by what we consume. Find your brand’s voice and make it evident in your storytelling. Your target market will know they’re being spoken to once they see it.
8. Sell the lifestyle, not the parts.
We may not be talking about ads here, but have you noticed how many car manufacturers sell their vehicles with constructs that involve luxury and pride? Lamborghinis and Bugattis never immediately start by citing what pieces they use or what kind of parts these autos have. They start by selling how cool and esteemed one is going to look like when their clients purchase their cars. Explainer videos should borrow that premise. Don’t highlight how much memory your product allows, emphasize how much memories they’ll be able to make on a vacation without worrying about storage space. Ditch the feature and sell the convenience. People are most likely to respond positively when they can envision themselves reaping the advantages your products and services bring about.
At the end of the day, creativity isn’t the sole determiner in vitality and buzz. Details like authenticity, voice, intention, and duration have a huge impact, too — and all these usually start once you know your brand’s own message.
