A step by step guide on how To Make Explainer Videos on a small budget
- Lui Austria
- September 30, 2022
- 6:07 am
- No Comments
Explainer Videos – Let your Big Ideas be Understood
Imagine this: ever since you were young, you’ve had this brilliant idea for a product that you’ve NEVER seen anywhere before. You go to school, do well enough to pass and get your degree, and after a couple of years working, you finally save up enough to start the business that you’ve been dreaming of since childhood. Congratulations! You got all of the paperwork, you’ve talked to suppliers that can create your dream product, and you’re starting to get it out there.
You talk to a friend that built their business at the same time as you, and they’re doing really well. Much better than you, actually. Months pass and their business booms faster and faster, while yours remains the same. Finally, you ask them how they grew their business so quickly and they told you that they invested in good digital marketing; specifically, they released a good explainer video.
So how do you make a “GOOD EXPLAINER VIDEO”” you ask?
Let’s first cover the basics…
You need to start asking the right questions – what do people know about your product?
You could have one of the most innovative, extraordinary ideas and products in the world, and it STILL won’t sell if people have NO CLUE what exactly it is about, what it does, or what it’s for. Before you start focusing on getting sales UP, maybe start by making your business known.
A great way for this is to have a good explainer video. An explainer video focuses on letting your audience know and understand your product, getting them hooked on the idea, and building a need for it in the first place.
Are explainer videos really THAT effective?
Short answer? Yes. Scientifically, explainer videos use audio and visual stimulants that engage the brain much more effectively than just using text. When people read, they retain 10% of the information. When do they watch videos? They retain up to 68%.
Explainer videos are a great way to get your company story and products out there. But you have to make sure that your explainer video is something that sticks and sells.
What do good explainer videos look like?
A few examples of some really good explainer videos are:
Want an explainer video crash course?
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZC9m81CAEg)
These explainer videos follow a set pattern and general format that makes them effective and attractive to consumers. They know how to grab attention and keep it there during the video.
How do I make good explainer videos?
Now that you understand the basic concept behind creating animated videos for your business, it’s time to create one!
If you’re going to make explainer videos, keep these things in mind:
- What platform are you using?
- What kind of story do you want to convey?
- What are your branding and identity?
- What kind of voice do you want to use?
- What kind of explainer video am I going for?
(Not sure how to figure out your branding? Check out our other article on *article link for branding and identity plug*)
What platform are you using?
Figure out the length that works best for your platform. As a general rule, these are the best video lengths for different platforms:
- Instagram: 30 seconds
- Twitter: 45 seconds
- Facebook: 1 minute
- YouTube: 2 minutes
What kind of story do you want to convey?
After analyzing what platform you want to use, figure out the story you want to tell. Once you get that covered, there are a couple of different types of explainer videos, all with different effects and purposes. Find out which works best for you.
- Live-Action Explainer Videos
- Non-animated and with real people and actors. This kind of explainer video is best if you’re selling something that is a physical product or is people-oriented, like food or even a consultation group. This can help create an emotional response from your videos, because we see humans that use and endorse the service, making it more trustworthy.
- Animated Explainer Videos
- Probably the most popular format, this kind of explainer video is best when endorsing technology or software. This is the easiest way to show some creativity, plus it’s the fastest way to make changes or updates in the future if things change with your product or service
- Whiteboard Explainer Videos
- Low cost and easy to operate, this type of explainer video only needs a couple of things to work: a whiteboard, your hand, a pen, and your voice or someone that can do the voice over
- Live Streams on Social Media
- A newer form of explainer video can be one of the most intimidating because of the raw, and unfiltered way you get your message across. There are no cuts or editing on live, so you have to be careful. This form can also be pretty eye-catching because it shows your audience you have nothing to hide, and it invokes trust. Plus, it can be highly interactive and personal.
Tips on Branding or Identity, kind of voice and the type of explainer video you should use
BRANDING 101 CRASH COURSE
If you’re just starting out, it’s understandable if you have no clue what your branding should be. Don’t worry, we can give you a couple of good tips on effective branding.
First, what are you selling? Is it a service, or a live product? What is your target audience? How do you want to be perceived by the public? These are questions you need to ask yourself in order to figure out what your brand will be. Your “voice” is very important for this too. Do you want to sound fun? Professional? Youthful?
Once you have that figured out, you can discover what kind of explainer video would work best for your needs. We would also recommend these softwares for editing and piecing it all together:
- Animated explainers
- Visme, AdobeSpark, Vyond, GoAnimate, and Renderforest
- Live-action and Whiteboard explainers
- Filmora, Apple iMovie, Adobe Premier, Invideo, and Lumen 5
Now that you worked out on what kind of explainer video works best for you and what you want to do, the hard part is getting it all written out. Here are some of the things you need to know to make sure that your explainer video works:
- Scripts Sell
One of the biggest keys to success is to have a really good script. It’s not easy to write a script, but it’s easier to have an outsider’s perspective when making one. Companies that you can hire for making explainer videos will usually have you answer a “creative brief.” This will highlight all of the main points you need in the video: benefits, target audience, and problems that your product or service will resolve. Ask yourself questions like:
- What kind of problem are you trying to resolve?
- Who’s your target audience?
- What kind of voice do you want in your video? (i.e., professional, fun, formal, informal, chic, youthful)
- How does your product or service work?
- What are the main benefits you want to highlight?
After you answer your creative brief, then you can begin writing your script. Remember to use words that are impactful but easy to understand!
- Short and Sweet
Illustration of a smiling cartoon crab with its pincers open with text that reads “Make it short, sharp and snappy.” [PHOTO: Nia Colinayo / OBRA Digital]
Be concise. The shorter the script, the better. Explainer videos are overviews; they’re how you can get people to be hooked on what you sell, and it encourages people to take the risk with you. As a general rule of thumb, speak at 150 words per minute for the best pacing. Keep your video short, so it sticks and retains attention the most.
- Keep it Simple
The best way to get attention, and to get it to stick, is to focus on four main points:
- The Problem – Talk about the pains your audience experience
- The Solution – Introduce the solution, your product/service
- How it works – Tell your audience about how to use your product, or what they need to do to get started
- A Call to Action – Tell your audience the next step that they need to take
- Discuss Benefits, not Features
People won’t care about what kind of new technology or innovation you have discovered. What matters to consumers is how your product is going to benefit them. Don’t say “500GB of improved, ultra-fast processing and memory,” say “A faster way to get things done”
- Hire a Professional Voice
To be fully engaging, your audio has to be crisp, clear, and enticing. Sure, you can probably record it all on your own, but it’s always best to have a professional voice be a part of your video for the best results. Not only will the audio quality be superb, but professional voice talents understand the science and schematics of using their voice to attract people and retain attention.
- Add Some Pizzazz
Don’t be shy about adding some life and personality to your video! No matter who you are in the world, no matter what anyone does, what everyone can agree on is they love entertainment. You don’t have to make your video all glum and serious. Add some humor, sprinkle some personality, and make it true to you and your brand. This will help the audience get to know you better and relate to you even more.
Putting something unique to your video will make it memorable and it will connect to people in a way that is entirely on its own.
- Visuals Matter Second
While it’s important to keep your video aesthetically pleasing, visuals are secondary to the content, framing, and phrasing of the story. Having professional-looking visuals is a definite plus, but that depends on the look you want to sell. Some brands and videos will perform best with simple visuals, some will do best with minimal visual effects or even none at all. It all depends on what your identity and audience are.
- Make it Catchy
Set the tone and vibe of your video with some tunes! Music is a great way to up retention, and to evoke emotions from your audience. Use music as a way to get your story across, and to get the story to stick. A lot of great explainer videos have tunes that you can never forget, and you will always attach to their brand. So, find your sound, and stick to it!
- Ready, Set, Launch!
Plan out your launch and make some noise! Having a good video is second to having it timed and launched properly. Good video launches have three things:
- Having a good video host that is easy to share and publish
- Having a marketing plan that can help boost and increase views and engagements on your video
- Having a spot in your website that can play the video on a loop
Conclusion
While it is possible to launch and create your video, it is much more time-consuming and energy-draining. Let’s face it, you probably don’t have the luxury of time to get into making, writing, directing, and producing the video on your own, and we’re sure you don’t want to release anything half-baked or something that doesn’t represent your brand well.
Making an explainer video is grueling work, and it is still better to hire a professional team that already knows the ins and out of how to make explainer videos that work for you. It can be pretty expensive, and the idea of spending a lot of money can be pretty daunting, but it doesn’t have to be such a steep price.
What if we told you that there is a team that can make this work for you, for just a fraction of the typical cost?
Obra Digital is a company that specializes in making engaging, creative content that is fit to your brand and your identity. Obra offers a wide array of services from the social media content, to making ads, and even making explainer videos!
Our goal is to make your ideas come alive and give you a competitive edge against other brands and competitors. And you don’t even have to worry about anything because whatever you need for making your explainer video, we can provide.
Talk to us and let’s make your vision a reality.
Share
