What Is an Explainer Video and Why Is It So Effective?
55% of internet users spend less than 15 seconds on a webpage. This means you have but a quarter of a minute to grab and keep your users' attention. Otherwise, they're going to click off your site.
Typically, businesses focus on having text on their websites. But when you consider that users will click off after 15 seconds, you need to have something that'll grab their attention better.
For example, an explainer video is effective in piquing people's interest and keeping them on your website.
So what is an explainer video? And why is it so effective? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this type of media.
What Is an Explainer Video?
So first off: what exactly is an explainer video?
You've probably already guessed what it could be. It's a short and simple video that discusses any number of things that you may wish to convey to your audience. It can be anything from your brand and company history, to your products and services, to a complex idea that involves your brand.
Typically, they're anywhere between 30 seconds to 3 minutes, which is about how long a music video is. This is just short enough to capture the attention of users, but not long enough for them to get bored and click off of your video. The graphic designers will also use their knowledge and expertise to ensure the video is fun and engaging instead of sombre and too informative (which can cause the video to drone on).
The main uses for explainer videos are for introductions, overviews, processes, and tutorials. But so long as you're breaking down some type of topic and making it easier to digest for your audience, then it's most likely an explainer video.
Types of Explainer Videos
There are 2 main types of explainer videos: live-action and animated. Read on to find out what each type entails and which situations they're best for.
Live-Action
Live-action explainer videos involve real people and scenarios. This can be useful if you're trying to put some faces to your brand to grow familiarity and to get your audience to connect with you more.
If you have a product that may be hard for consumers to figure out on their own, a live-action demonstration can be highly beneficial. When they can follow along at home and instantly get what your product does and how it works, they'll feel more compelled to follow through with a purchase.
Not only that, but they'll also have a frame of reference when they receive their product and go to try it out. Having an explainer video that's readily available can help you be there for your customers when they need you the most.
Animated
As you can infer from the name, animated explainer videos use things like motion graphics, stop motion, and other types of animations to get the point across. These can be useful if you have an abstract concept that's hard to grasp without some visual aids.
Also, the sky's the limit with animated explainer videos. Basically, whatever you wish to display, you can get it. And because you don't need to work with actors (besides voice actors), it's a more flexible process where you don't have to adhere to as strict a schedule.
If your brand's going for a lighter, more fun vibe, then an animated explainer video can do exactly that. By nature, animations are lighter in tone. So if you have a cartoon character on screen rather than a man in a business suit, that can already significantly change the mood you're trying to set.
Why Are Explainer Videos so Effective?
So now you know what explainer videos are. But why are they so effective?
By nature, humans like to see things visually rather than have to read and imagine it for themselves. But there are also many other reasons why explainer videos are effective. Read on to find out what they are.
They Break Down Complex Ideas
Let's say your product is SaaS. This can be quite abstract, not to mention difficult to understand as well. Often, even lower-level employees can't quite explain your product. If they can't understand it fully, how do you expect your customers to?
A great way to break down a complex idea into digestible parts is to use an explainer animation. It's a simple way to represent a complex idea. Not only can you use these videos to intrigue customers, but you can also use them as part of employee training to ensure your staff fully understands your product.
The reason why this works so well is because of the dual coding theory. Someone can read text that explains a complex idea well, but that just won't suffice in some cases. An explainer video puts together verbal and non-verbal processing, which can make things instantly click in someone's head.
They Engage the Audience More
Sitting and reading through pages of text can be tedious, even if it's on a subject that you're passionate about or interested in. It's a bit too reminiscent of studying for school, after all.
Even if you have the most engaging copywriter writing for your site, at some point, people will click off. Remember that 15-second statistic? And remember the dual coding theory?
Videos are much more appealing for audiences because not only are they seeing text (in subtitles), but they're also hearing and see visual cues. This engages more senses than just their eyes, and it gives them something more to look at than just text.
You Can Show the Inner Workings of Your Products and Services Better
As we've said above, explainer videos can show the inner workings of your products or services. If customers are confused about them, you can't invite them into your factory or office and do a demonstration for each person; that'd simply be unfeasible.
Having a manual or product page would be nice, but it just won't be as effective as using an explainer video. The average viewer retains 95% of a message when they watch a video, as opposed to just 10% when reading text.
An explainer video can be as simple as just filming a regular day in the factory or office. Or you can use an explainer animation to get even more into the nitty-gritty of what makes your product tick. They're great for showing mechanics that wouldn't otherwise be captured with live-action videos.
Advantages of Using Explainer Videos
An obvious benefit of using explainer videos is they're extremely effective in engaging your audience.
But what else? Read on to find out.
You Have Complete Control Over Branding
When you work with a graphic designer and animator, they'll have the knowledge and skill to brand your explainer animations in the best ways possible. But you can also still have executive control over where and what is shown.
This means you have 100% control over your branding. You won't have to feel like it's in someone else's hand, where you're at the mercy of their decisions.
You Also Have Complete Control Over Every Shot
This is your brand's video, so you should have complete control over every shot as well. With an explainer animation, you can achieve this. Considering everything is animated from scratch, practically every pixel will be personally approved by you.
While you can also have a degree of control over live-action explainer videos, it's still not as much as you'd have with animations.
They're Evergreen and Serve Multiple Purposes
These videos are evergreen pieces of precisely-crafted marketing collateral. This means you can use it for multiple campaigns in the future, whether it's for just education or selling your products and services.
This means that when you invest in an explainer video, you'll get a fantastic ROI for it. Not only can you put the video on your website, but you can also share it on social media, feature it on your social media accounts, send it out in email newsletters, and more.
Use Explainer Videos for Your Brand
So now you know the answer to the question: what is an explainer video? And you're also now aware of why explainer videos are so effective and the benefits you can reap from them.
While other methods of marketing are certainly effective, you can add an extra effective layer to your strategy by having an explainer video created. That way, you have several methods of engaging with your audience and keeping their attention at the most crucial times.
Are you interested in getting an explainer video produced for your company? Then get in touch with us now.
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