Digital MarketingGrowing Your Business
People describe video with words like powerful, explosive, and viral. It’s one of the most effective ways to reach a wide audience, but creating it presents challenges for business. Explainer videos are a solution that has skyrocketed in popularity because they’re cost-effective and because they work.
What’s an Explainer Video?
Explainer videos are short videos that explain how something works. They’re simple, engaging and to the point. According to a recent report on the State of Video Marketing, they’re the most commonly created type of marketing video, making up 72 percent of the offerings of companies surveyed.
Explainer videos increase conversions when you put them on your social media feed, home page, website landing page or product page. They could be live-action or animated, serious or humorous. Here’s one that gives a brief explanation of what we do:
What Can Explainer Videos Be Used For?
You can tell from the example how much more engaging a page becomes when it has video. Our clients love explainer videos (and yours will too) because they’re so versatile.
Introduce Products and Services
For everyone, there’s a first time they’re exposed to what you do or offer. An explainer video can give a brief, succinct overview of what your product does, what services you offer, or what your company stands for. They’re an engaging, memorable way to make a strong first impression.
Make Your Sales Pitch
You know the value of your offer, but you need to communicate that to everyone else. Sometimes it’s much easier to show than to tell. Use explainer videos to demonstrate what makes your product or service stand out. Show interested parties how it would make their life better or solve their problem. Appeal to their emotions and to their senses and they’re more likely to buy what you have available. Check out how this overview sells you on a service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixpg0Kq_bEU
Draw Eyes at Trade Shows
Trade shows happen at huge convention centers, where everyone’s booth is about the same size and all attendees have an agenda. They’re noisy, and not a good place for a long conversation or complex demonstration. Explainer videos put your message out there in seconds. Play yours on a loop to draw eyes, attract investors and partners, and win hearts. Because they’re simple visual tools, they’re often even effective at getting your value proposition across when it’s hard to hear.
Make Processes Easier to Understand
If you get a lot of questions about a product or service, you have excellent material for explainer videos. Give step-by-step instructions or break down processes into bite-sized pieces that are easier to digest. Consumers will feel your business is more user friendly and appreciate that you invested in making their life easier.
Improve Email Marketing Campaign Results
Including explainer videos in your email marketing can increase email open rates by up to 96 percent when you include the word “video” in your subject line. As part of our lead generation process, we encourage clients to build an email marketing list using lead magnets like downloadable ebooks and other content.
When people enter their email address to access content, we then send them a series of emails to nurture them through the sales funnel. Explainer videos are useful for getting people to open, read, and respond to those emails.
Businesses can also share explainer videos post-sale to nurture relationships and increase delight. Email customers after they complete their purchase with instructions on how to get the most out of their item to ensure they’re thrilled with what they receive.
Support Sales and Customer Service
Dealing with consumers can be tough. When you give your sales staff and customer service staff explainer videos to explain your offer or provide step by step instructions, they have a tool that makes their job easier.
Companies also use explainer videos to simplify staff training and onboarding. Give everyone access to the same information about your processes and you’ll see improved consistency.
Explain Your Company Culture
Hiring the right people means finding the right fit. Sometimes companies that struggle to communicate their company culture find it’s easier to capture what they stand for using video. Your company culture video might show what it’s like to work there and convey company values. Anyone can say their business is fun, trendy, trustworthy, obsessed with perfection or caring. A video like this one on working at Dropbox acts as proof.
Why Are Explainer Videos So Effective?
Simply put, explainer videos work because they make information easy to understand. They work for every industry because they’re good for both the company that creates them and the people who consume them.
Consumers prefer video. It’s entertaining and easy. They hate ads and spam, but they actually want to see video from brands and businesses they support.
People like what they can understand. When a product, service or brand is familiar and makes sense, consumers are more likely to feel positively toward it. The opposite is also true. If something is complicated it causes frustration. If your potential customers have to work hard to make sense of or use what you offer, they won’t bother.
Videos make money. Explainer videos increase sales, bring in leads and reduce the load on your customer support staff. They improve revenue.
Emotion drives viewers to take action. Use music to set the mood. Tell a story that makes your customer the hero. Add drama or humor with your voice over. Create emotion to increase conversions. For example, this video appeals to most peoples’ disgust with spam and promises to give them more time.
Tips for Creating Effective Explainer Videos
When clients ask us to help create a video for them, here’s the advice we give.
- Research your target audience. Know what your buyer personas are looking for.
- Keep things short and simple – The best length is between one and two minutes.
- Start with your script – State the problem, reveal your solution, show how it works, and call viewers to action.
- Highlight benefits – Don’t list what your widget does, show how it solves the viewer’s problem or makes their life better.
- Use quality audio – Invest in a professional for voiceovers. Choose music that matches the emotion you’re trying to create.
- Make it easy to follow up – Know what action you want viewers to take, tell them explicitly how to do so, and provide a way for them to do it immediately.
How to Get Explainer Videos
At Spade Design, we create explainer videos that get results. Get in touch to start working on yours today.
