Explainer videos are an excellent way to communicate your business’ product or service without the need for a lengthy text-based explanation. They’re usually between 60 to 90 seconds long, and you can use them to introduce your company, explain how your product works, or highlight some of its benefits.

This guide will discuss everything you need to know about creating an explainer video, including where to start and what things you should think about when making one.

The Different Types of Explainer Videos

Before you begin creating an explainer video, deciding what kind of video you want and need is important. There are different explainer videos of various lengths, styles, and production values.

Whiteboard Video

Whiteboard video uses a hand-drawn animation style to help viewers understand complex ideas. The concept is simple: a narrator explains the problem and then draws on the board to show how the product solves it. It is often used in tech or business niches, where they can help explain complex ideas in easy-to-digest ways.

Animated Video

This type of explainer video uses animation to tell a story. The characters and objects on the screen may be 2D or 3D, but they’re always moving and interacting with each other or with the audience in some way. The visuals make the viewer feel immersed in the product or service being promoted and create a more dynamic and engaging experience.

Live Action Video

A live-action video uses real people and footage to promote a product or service. It’s an incredible brand awareness tool, helping your audience connect with your business and understand what your product or service does in a quick and fun way.

The Benefits of Using Explainer Videos

Explainer videos are perfect for audiences who don’t have much knowledge about your product or service. They’re also short enough that they don’t lose your viewer’s attention span very easily – think about how many times you’ve watched an ad on TV that was 15 minutes long.

According to a 2021 report by Wyzowl, 94% of people have watched an

explainer video to learn more about a product or service. And 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

In fact, they’re so effective that many companies have begun using them as part of their marketing strategy. And it makes sense since explainer videos are more engaging than traditional text-based content and can be shared easily on social media channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Tips and Tricks for Creating an Effective Explainer Video

Producing an explainer video can be daunting, even if you’re a seasoned marketer. There are many things to consider: the story, design, animation—the list goes on. But don’t worry! We’ve got tips and tricks on how to make an explainer video to help your business grow.

Scriptwriting

Before you start filming, make sure you have a solid script to plan for all the different scenes and visual elements you need to have in your video. This will also help you cut down on editing later.

A good script should include the following elements:

• Introduction: Tells viewers who you are and what your brand represents
• Problem: What’s wrong with an existing product or service? Why do people need your product?
• Solution: How does your product solve the problem? What makes it different from any other solution out there? How will it change lives?
• CTA (Call To Action): What do you want viewers to do after watching your video? What action do they need to take to start using your product or service?

Storyboarding

Once you’ve written your script, it’s time to storyboard it! This is the process where you draw out the scenes from your script one by one so that everyone involved in creating the video can understand what they’re supposed to do and when to do it. 

Steve.ai is a software that helps you create storyboards for your explainer videos, in fact it completely takes care of it. This automated tool makes it easy to go directly from script to first draft of video instead of storyboarding each scene. With Steve.ai, you can focus on the creative part of storyboarding at the script stage and not waste time on repetitive tasks like finding images or formatting text boxes.

Design and Animation Tips

• To make sure your explainer video is effective, you should use images that convey the message of your product clearly and are easy on the eyes. Additionally, use pleasing colors and text that’s readable from across a room (or even from across the street if you’re doing outdoor marketing).

• Consider whether you want your explainer video to be animated or not—animation can be fun but expensive if you don’t have the budget for it. If you go with animation (which is generally recommended), make sure it doesn’t distract from your message.

• Use a video editing tool like VEED or Adobe Express video editors to make sure your explainer video is as polished and professional-looking as possible.

• Ensure that your explainer video has clear calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your video. This will encourage viewers to take the next step in your sales funnel and convert.

Sound and Voice-over Tips

• Get rid of background noise. If you’re using a microphone, make sure it doesn’t pick up any background sound that could distract from your voice-over.

• Don’t use too much music. Music can be great for setting the mood of your explainer video, but too much can distract from your message or even turn off your audience if they don’t like the song.

• Make sure you have enough time to record. It’s a good idea to practice reading aloud before you start recording so that you’re comfortable with how it sounds—and can be sure your pacing is right.

Choosing the Right Screen Recorder for Explainer Video

If you’re making an explainer video, chances are you want to include visuals that make your message easier to understand. You may also need to capture your computer screen for demonstration purposes. A screen recorder is a perfect tool for this.

When choosing a screen recorder for an explainer video, you should make sure to pick one with the following features:

• Easy-to-use interface: You don’t want to spend hours figuring out how to use your screen recorder. If it’s not intuitive, it will take away from your production time.

• Multiple formats and resolutions available: You want to be able to record in whatever format is needed for your platform and audience. This will help ensure that your video looks great on all devices and screen sizes.
• Capture an entire screen or just a specific window: If you’re recording yourself on a webcam and want to show what’s happening on your computer screen in real-time, selecting which window is being recorded can be useful.
• Export as MP4 or GIF format (if needed): Some platforms require specific file formats before accepting your videos. If you’re planning on uploading to multiple platforms (Facebook, YouTube, etc.), ensure that your software supports the file types required.
• Upload directly to a cloud-based storage platform (if needed): The best screen recorders for explainer videos will allow you to upload your videos on Dropbox or Google Drive. This allows you to easily share the video with others and view it on any device. You can also back up your videos to the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about losing them.

Compressing Your Explainer Video

When you compress a video, you’re making it smaller and faster to download, making it easier for your audience to watch without buffering or lagging. This is super important because you want people to watch your explainer videos in their entirety—and if they can’t do that because of slow-loading videos, they’ll leave and never come back.

The process is done using codecs, which are algorithms that encode and decode digital data. Compression algorithms are designed to remove redundancy in the source data without losing its content or meaning.

Use an excellent video compressor tool that doesn’t significantly reduce the quality of your video. This is especially important if you plan to upload your explainer videos to social media, email them around, or put them on YouTube or another site where viewers will have slow internet connections.

Conclusion

If you’ve read this far, you’re ready to start creating your explainer video. This video marketing strategy is an excellent way to engage potential customers. It can also help you reach new audiences, increase sales conversions, and improve brand awareness.

The good news is that plenty of tools can help you create an explainer video. You can record one on your computer if you have the right apps installed, or even just record it as you talk into the camera.

Once you’ve created your video, don’t forget to share it! The best place to do this is on various social media platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Remember, the more often people see your product or service in action, the more likely they are to buy it!