In this article, we’ll delve into the essentials of what is an explainer video. If you’re interested in gaining a deeper understanding, read on as we explore this topic in detail.
Video marketing is more popular than ever, making it an essential aspect of any marketing strategy to reach your audience. A cornerstone of video marketing is the explainer video.
Explainer videos break down complex ideas into simpler terms, meaning your audience is more likely to understand what you have to offer. From there, you can engage your audience, keep them interested, and drive conversions, which makes explainer videos a valuable business tool.
We’re exploring “What is an Explainer Video” in this article, with all the key information at your fingertips.
Let’s begin our journey!
Table of Contents
What is an Explainer Video?
An explainer video is an informational content piece that helps audiences get to know your product, business, or team. Explainer videos typically focus on how a product works or its features, but you can cover many other avenues.
According to Forbes, 90% of customers say videos help them make buying decisions. This reach obviously makes video marketing an extremely powerful tool for conversion.
Search engines like video content, so videos of any kind can boost your search engine ranking. The higher the ranking, the more people will see your content, bringing even more people to your page, which ranks it higher, setting you up for a loop of organic growth success.
Explainer videos can convert a lurker into a repeat customer. Views, likes, and comments are all forms of positive engagement, and getting people engaged with your content is a big step in getting them interested in your business. When people understand who you are and how your products work, they feel more informed about purchasing from you.
Building explainer videos into your SEO strategy
When you think SEO, video marketing might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, video content can seamlessly complement your business’s SEO plan.
One of the key cornerstones of any SEO strategy is keyword research, which can guide you to what kinds of explainer videos to focus on. If you’ve done this research recently, you can apply it to your video marketing strategy—work smarter, not harder, after all. Utilizing AI video generator can streamline the process of creating multiple explainer videos based on your keyword research.
Explainer videos are a phenomenal demand generation strategy that goes hand in hand with search engine optimization. If many people are aware of your brand, it will positively influence your Google rank.
Explainer videos can boost other aspects of your marketing strategy, like social media or email campaigns, which is always good for SEO. You can post your explainer videos on your social media pages and attach them to your emails.
How to Create Explainer Videos?
If you’ve created video content for your business before, you may have some of these steps already in place. If you’re new to the explainer video scene, here’s a step-by-step guide on creating your own explainer video.
Step 1: Decide what you’re featuring
If you’re planning an explainer video strategy, you may already have a product and a loose execution plan for this video.
During the brainstorming phase, you’ll want to decide on the product or brand point you’ll be featuring. You’ll also decide whether it will be a live-action video taken on-site, a whiteboard video, a video using stock footage, or an animated video.
Step 2: Write your script
Writing your script is arguably your most important step. Create a script that sounds natural, incorporates your keywords, and engages your audience.
Don’t be afraid to read it out loud during the writing process—in fact, this can help you catch mistakes and unnatural phrasing. Once you’ve finished, read it to colleagues, but also try to screen it with some people who aren’t part of your business for a different perspective.
Step 3: Find your crew
Whether it’s voice-overs or actors who will be in the video, you’ll want to assemble your team as soon as you know what kinds of parts you will need to fill.
Consider lighting, sound, and camera equipment for live-action videos and contact the appropriate people. For animation, consider who will draw the scenes.
Step 4: Production
For a live-action explainer video, this is film day! Make sure you have all the props you need, like a whiteboard or your product, your sets are clean, and you have on your biggest smiles!
For an animated video, you’ll likely get some work-in-progress files after your animator has gotten started—make sure to have clear feedback for these samples.
Step 5: Music and sounds
This step is the part where you add the voice-over. Along with any voice-over work you do, you may need transitional music or sound effects to boost your video.
Don’t be afraid to experiment or think outside the box! However, to avoid legal trouble, be sure that any music or sound you use doesn’t have copyright limitations.
Step 6: Post your video and monitor your metrics
When you post your video, include a transcript as well as the appropriate metadata.
Then, it’s all about monitoring your metrics—your view count, most common pauses, click-through rate, and, of course, likes and comments. Video metrics can show you what’s working and what you need to improve next time.
If you’re ever in doubt at any point in the process, don’t be afraid to call in an expert. Someone who knows a thing or two about these videos already can offer expertise and referrals. If you’re not a camera work professional, hiring someone to operate the camera will save you time and frustration and will make your work look more professional.
Explainer video best practices: How to make helpful, engaging content
Now that you know the basics of making an explainer video, these tips will help you take your video to the next level.
Think about your overall marketing strategy
One of the first things you should do when planning your explainer video is review your marketing and SEO strategy. This will help you identify gaps you can fill with explainer video content.
In addition, a review will ensure you don’t overload your audience with one particular brand point. You want your explainer videos to complement everything else you’re doing, not get in the way of your plans.
Keep your timing in mind
We live in the age of short-form films like Instagram Reels, so make sure your explainer video doesn’t drag.
Your exact timing will depend on what you’re offering and what you’re trying to accomplish with your video. As a general rule of thumb, aim for about 90 seconds. Try not to have your explainer exceed two or three minutes.
The big exception to this rule is if you’re choosing to do a live stream, like Facebook Live. You’ll want to reiterate through the stream who you are and what you’re doing. The more you do this, the more you’ll have a gut feeling about how often it should be.
When crafting your explainer video, make the point in the first 30 seconds. At that point, anyone watching the video should know who you are and what question you’re about to answer. Not only does this keep people watching, but it also offers maximum shareability on your audience’s social media pages or among their friends and loved ones.
Content localization
One of the easiest ways to reach a wider audience than you usually have is by incorporating content localization. Content localization isn’t just translation—it incorporates cultural knowledge to better reach segments of your audience around the globe.
When you simply translate a video, bits may get lost, either from translation differences or cultural ones. Localization considers these differences, so you can more naturally reach your intended audience.
Keep it conversational
One of the biggest rules about explainer videos is to keep your tone conversational and informal. There’s a bit of wiggle room with formality depending on your industry and your products, but for the most part, friendly videos tend to be the most engaging.
If you can incorporate humor, even just a little joke, it will go a long way in making your video memorable to your audience.
Make sure that your script is accessible to your audience as well—don’t use super big words or obscure jargon. If your audience doesn’t know what you’re talking about, they won’t finish your video. Imagine you’re explaining your concepts or products to a close friend who isn’t in your business.
Keep your branding consistent
This goes for any aspect of your marketing strategy but good advice bears repeating. If your brand colors are light pastels and your products are all named after dessert puns, you probably don’t want to make a video in black and red and evoke spooky imagery. It wouldn’t be consistent, so no one watching the video would know who you are.
This is the importance of branding. Make sure you tailor everything about your explainer video to your brand voice. Knowing this and picking out what feels right and what doesn’t will get easier the more videos you make. Look to your social media and email campaigns for aesthetic inspiration.
Optimizing explainer video SEO for maximum impact
One of the most important things you can do to maximize your video’s impact is to choose a good title, especially if you’re posting it on a platform like YouTube.
Don’t forget your other metadata, like alt text and meta description. Your description is a great place for one or two stellar keywords.
Transcribing your videos and ensuring solid metadata will improve search engine indexing and boost your business’s rank. Make sure that you use high-ranking keywords in your script, but keep it natural. As a bonus, including a transcript, makes your video more accessible.
Finally, don’t forget your thumbnail image! An eye-catching thumbnail will make your potential audience curious and want to watch your explainer.
FAQs:)
An explainer video is primarily used to quickly inform or educate viewers about a brand, product, or service. Its goal is to engage the audience and simplify complex information, making it easy to understand and remember.
Most effective explainer videos are between 60–90 seconds. This length is optimal for holding attention without overwhelming the viewer.
Costs can vary widely, from a few hundred to thousands of dollars, depending on factors like length, animation quality, and production value.
While both introduce a product, explainer videos focus on storytelling and presenting the “why” and “how” of the product’s benefits. A product demo, however, focuses on demonstrating specific features and usage.
Conclusion:)
Explainer videos hold a lot of power in any SEO strategy. When done right, an explainer video will engage your audience, boost your search engine rank, and attract repeat customers. They simplify complex topics, making them easier for viewers to understand and share. Additionally, they can increase the time visitors spend on your website, which is another positive signal to search engines.
Read also:)
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If you found this article helpful or have any thoughts on what is an explainer video and its uses, feel free to leave a comment below—we’d love to hear your insights and experiences!