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What is an Explainer Video & Why Your Business Needs it

Oct 7, 2020 | Video Marketing

What is an explainer video? Why is it important for business? Explainer videos for business are the best tools for engaging the visitors of your business’ official website. Such videos are also crucial to convey messages to the audience about the advantages of availing your company’s services and products.

Training and consulting experts Nielsen Research says,

The average user spends about 10-20 seconds on a site if there is no compelling reason to stay longer.

The first ten seconds of explainer videos are crucial for telling viewers the reason(s) for continuing to watch it by laying out your brand’s value proposition.

In just a few minutes, you simply cannot risk to put your reliance on the text only to get the audience’s attention, graphic & animation are indeed an essential element for that job.

There is no better tool to show the line of difference that you have from your competitors than an explainer video. Why? Because audience today has a shorter span of attention and through a 60-second video incorporated with incredible graphics and eye-catching animation, you will be able to sell them what they want!

How does an explainer video production work wonder? Some stats to look for-

Only 20% of people remember the information they read and only 10% remember what they heard
Visual information is processed 60,000 times faster than text
Visual aids were found to be 43% more persuasive than unaided presentations
With video, 1.6x more viewers make purchase decision
96% of the customers believe that a product video help them to make a purchase decision
58% of the consumers are ready to trust the companies providing videos about their products
52% of the marketing experts choose video among other types of content as having the best ROI
Social videos are shared more than text and images combined, 1200% more times to be exact

and explaining the figures:

Explainer videos can clearly articulate the business’ product or service that it is representing in just a minute or two.

Video allows the viewers to extract more information in just a jiffy when compared to the time taken for reading anything.

Secondly, explainer videos incorporate both visual as well as audio communication that enhances the perception of the people on that brand.

Explainer videos build brand awareness and generate trust of the audience in the company. A high quality video is aligned with the brand’s personality, values, aesthetics and cultural guidelines.

Explainer videos are created platform-friendly; i.e. they can be posted on any digital media channels, targeting customers across the internet.Plus yes, they are mobile-friendly as well.

Need more? Here are some video trends to substantiate the concept:

By 2019 video will make up to 80% of all traffic compared to 67% in 2014 (Cisco in its VNI Global IP Traffic and Service Adoption)
70% of all digital video viewers will be watching on a tablet in 2018
58% of top performing companies have adopted market automation, making videos smarter
3 out of 4 brand experts and ad agency executives said they expect original digital video programming to be as important as TV programming within the next 3 to 5 years.
With the completion rate of 90%, interactive video is poised to become the single most powerful tool, companies have to communicate with customers and demonstrate true ROI to the Higher-UPS (Source)

So, why Animated explainer videos then?

Here are some benefits of explainer videos that are formed with animated effects:

Animated explainer videos are perfect for businesses who find it difficult to pitch and sell a product through other type of videos or other kinds of promotional methods. Studies have shown that it is very much impossible to gather a higher traffic growth unless the marketing video is animated. With the power of animation, any complex information can be visualized.
Lively characters coupled with eye-catching cartoons strike the intent and the emotions of the users and create an atmosphere of engagement. An addition of emotional component with rational argument enhance the desired effect of germinating attention. It becomes easier for the audience to follow the story line. Information stick to the memory more.
Animated explainer videos can never be bound by the script. The possibilities are endless. Here, the characters (even texts) can fly, sing, dance and stand in front of you in costumes. And when they are backed by incredible storylines, then you can expect a higher rate of lead generation.
Video explainers are affordable. Businesses can save a lot of time, money and resources just by putting texts and graphical elements into work and injecting the entertainment factor for grasping the audiences’ interests.
Animated explainer videos are wonderful tools for increasing the business to business (B2B) sales. The medium is highly effective when it is utilized well by the private entities and companies (yes, I’m hinting at the investment).
There is a great boom in the production of web videos since it has increased the rate of internet searches on products that are spoken about through videos. A lot of companies have been able to see an incredible rise in their sales by creating and posting animated explainer videos.

Explainer videos are easier to communicate and convey the most complicated information in the simplest form. They also create memorable images and appeal the audience at the emotional level. They are practical, relevant and the audience can definitely find solutions to their issues. As for the businesses, they can experience:

Increased rate of click-through
Increase in customer engagement
A higher search engine ranking
Optimized rates of increase in leads
Increase in conversion rates
Increased sales
Reduce in number of consultations

Get a clearer picture with claims and facts…

With an explainer video, a business will have two (basic) goals:

Increased rate of conversion
More generation of sales

Forbes, in a recent study, came with some amazing figures on how video drives the executives down the purchase path. Here are those statistics:

After watching an explainer video:

39% executives called a vendor (after watching a work-related online video)
42% made a business-related purchase
53% conducted research for a product for more information
65% Visited a Vendor’s website

Case studies & success stories for more confidence

1. Dropbox

Dropbox’s success story is considered as one of the most successful ones. The brand welcomed unimaginable amount of success as a startup with the use of explainer video.

The brand was founded in the year 2010 and it reached 100 million users from zero in just a short span of 5 years.

How?

They used an effective viral campaign and the most simplified landing page design which had an animated explainer video at the bottom, with a download button.

The effect?

The video was viewed 750,000 times in just 1 month.
Dropbox increased its conversions by 10%.
Converted nearly 1 million visitors into registered users.

2. Rypple

Rypple or workproject.com placed an animation video on its home page. The result? It increased conversions by 20%.

To wrap up

If you want to make any of your products successful or to protrude your brand reach, make a wise choice of employing explainer videos for your business goals. The tool can never go wrong. Today, getting an animated video created for your business has become unbelievably easy. You just have to find the right tool or seek the right person to meet your creative requirements.

Animated Video, the final curtain for all your video marketing needs

Need an explainer marketing video for your business as well? Have faith in us, the Animated Video. Our custom made explainer video animation services sit perfectly with the professional requirements of all kinds of businesses. Want to create a niche on social media? Want a perfect video for your website’s landing page? Want an explainer video for your business’ products and services? We have it all. Tell us what you need and we’ll get it done ASAP, so that you get to achieve your business goals faster.

Case Study: How to Create a Killer Explainer Video

Oct 7, 2020 | Seo, Social Media

How many times have you seen an awesome explainer video and said to yourself… “Wow, that was awesome! I should get an explainer video done for my site!” — probably quote a few times. Unfortunately, the process of creating an explainer video is quite complicated and can cost you a lot of money in the process. While there are many methods out there for creating these types of videos, it seems like the options are either too complicating, too time consuming to figure out, or just way too expensive!

Before we jump into “how” to create a killer explainer video, first we need to appreciate why explainer videos work so well and why they seem to be all over the place. In today’s world of fast paced content and social media, you only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention and the best way to do this is with video — especially explainer videos. They tell a story, keep you engaged and get you to take action. You can see some of the top digital based products on ClickBank and how they are using video to convert their audience into customers through the use of video in this post.

If you already know the importance of an explainer video and have always one to create one of your own, but still sitting on the sidelines for any of the reasons mentioned above, this will be a great article for you.

My Journey to Create the Perfect Explainer Video

I recently wanted to get an explainer video created for my site at Blogging.org. I had an idea in mind and looked at a few different options. I could have created the video myself with some of the whiteboard explainer video platforms out there, but many of them look cheesy, and when everyone is using the same concept, it’s even cheesier! The other option was to have a design team to create it for me, this was a good choice, but time and time again I was getting quotes in the several thousands range (which might be fine for huge agencies and mega businesses, but not something I wanted to shell out for a new project.)

Low and behold… one day while I was on Facebook, I saw an ad for video creation from a service called WizMotions. I looked through their site, watched their videos and then followed up with the team on how I could have a video created for my site. The quality was awesome, the creation experience was smooth and swift, and the price was very competitive as well — at just under $500.

Here’s the completed video for the site — then I will walk you through the process of how it was created.

How I Created My Explainer Video with WizMotions

First thing first, I got to talk with the WizMotions team and decide upon what type of video I would like to have created, and I also read up on the video creation process as well and how long it should take. Looking back at the project now, it was very seamless and tool little effort on my part besides coming up with the script idea and approving the ad copy and drawings.

Once placing my order with WizMotions, I was setup with a lead project manager (Carol) and another manager for my campaign progress as well (Christina). All of the interaction is done through Basecamp so everyone can interact and respond with each other in one area — which I thought was nice.

Video Creation and Concept

The first thing on my list was to fill out the creative brief, send over a copy of my site logo. The creative brief is all of your video ideas and details you would like the design team to know about. You can see a sample of this document below.

After completing the brief and having a better idea for myself of what I want my explainer to be about, I sent over the document and logo to the WizMotions team. During this process I also had to come up with a few lines for my script, what my video focus is about and the type of video I would like created. Once you send over the details for your write up / video idea, WizMotions will then send you a follow up script with suggested animation ideas as well. You can see a screenshot below of this as well.

For the video creation process, I had to choose the type of video and if it would be in black and white, or in color. You can see a portfolio of different design concepts from WizMotions in their portfolio or through the screenshot below. The different type of videos available are Whiteboard Videos, 2D Animation, Kinetic Typography or a mix of each.

In addition to choosing the video type, you also get to choose the character styles as well, which broken down into one of the follow.

“CARTOON STYLE” FOR WHITEBOARD VIDEO
“REALISTIC STYLE” FOR WHITEBOARD VIDEO
“STICK-FIGURE STYLE” FOR WHITEBOARD VIDEO

I went with the “Cartoon Style” for my video shown at the top of the page.

While going through the design process, WizMotions would send me draft mock ups of how the video was going to look. These were basically still shots of my video for approval. During this process I also requested they used a picture of my dog Foxy for their inspiration for the dog in the video. They happily obliged.

You can see Foxy throughout the video above, and in the screenshot below.

With the video design, concept, art work and detailed brief all completed, the next step of the process was to work on the actual script, voice and music for the video.

Video Script, Audio and Design Process

After working with the WizMotions teams and the data I pulled together for my creative brief, a 60 second script was drafted for my video.

It’s important to focus a lot of effort on the wording of your script to make sure you get your message across within the specified time for your video. Obviously my ending script was the one heard through the video at the top of the page… however that wasn’t the whole decision process. I also had to decide if I wanted to be the voice for the video, or if I should have someone from the WizMotions team bring my audio to life.

Even though I do my own podcasting and audio work for my own sites, I wanted to bring a fresh and new voice to this site. No matter what type of voice talent you are looking for, WizMotions has an awesome page full of different voice artists and examples for you to listen to right from their site. For my video I went with Male Voice #10 (WM-M10).

For my video I went with Male Voice #10 (WM-M10), and it was perfect in the first file received.

The last step in the process was for the WizMotions team to pull everything together, created the video, animated and color it, then send it on over!

The whole process was quick, easy and painless. After receiving my video (through Dropbox), the WizMotions team sent over a few questions about their service and the design process. Here are those questions along with my responses.

What was your biggest challenge/fear before hiring wizMotions?
– Making sure the quality of work and flow process was up to par — and it was!

What, specifically, was your favorite part of your video production experience, and why?
– The preview of the cartoon work was the most exciting. It gave a real glimpse of what to expect for the final outcome.

If you were to recommend us to your best friend, what would you say?
– If you want to get a professional video created, while working with a great team that understands how to fit your needs, wizmotions is a great option.

With all of that said… it was great to work with WizMotions and I love the turn out of the video.

Cost to Create a Custom Explainer Video

The final cost of my explainer video was about $500. I went with the wizDoodle video option, which included unlimited storyboard revisions, original artwork and 100% hand drawn and also added a voice over, which is an additional $99 per minute. The wizMotional package is available for anyone interested in Typography videos or the larger wizToon 2D package is for animation and cartoon videos in full color.

Save 10% WizMotions Coupon

If you would like to create an explainer video of your own, I highly recommend working with the team over at WizMotions. You will get to walk through the same simple and detailed process I did to create your video, and you also won’t have to break the bank in the process. As mentioned earlier, the WizMotions team will set you up with a Basecamp account to work directly with you to create the best video possible.

While talking with WizMotions, I was also able to negotiate a nice 10% discount for all of my blog readers — which can add up to some decent savings when creating your own custom explainer video. Click here to get started, and be sure to use coupon code ZACFANS.

5 Quick Tips to Create Amazing Explainer Videos that Increase Sales

Oct 7, 2020 | Seo, Social Media

Explainer videos are simply one of the best ways to convert an audience into a high-quality lead or sale. We all know the power of online video and how effective it is with not only audience engagement and grabbing attention, but also with an increase in conversions and ranking higher in the search results. The big question is… why are so many websites, bloggers, and brands still sitting on the sidelines when it comes to video content creation and usage?

If you take a look at any of the most popular services or products on the internet today, most of them have an explainer video on their main page. The reason why explainer videos work so well is that more audiences are choosing video over text and images than ever before. After all, wouldn’t you rather watch a short 30-second video on why or how something works, versus reading a 500-word article? Of course, you would… and at the same time, with attention spans now being lower than ever, video might just be the best way to connect with your audience and convert them on the first time around.

With all of that in mind, it’s important to continually stress the importance of online video and how easy it is to actually get started. Today we are going to be taking a look at this simple five-step process to get started with your own explainer video.

1 – Start with a Script

Before investing some time and money into an explainer video of your own, you’re going to have to think about what you want to explain to your audience, how you are going to address their problem and ultimately solve it in the process. This can all be done through the use of an explainer video, but you are going to want to write up a script before moving forward. Doing this beforehand will not only save you time, money and resources, it will also help with the overall value and creation process.

2 – Choose Your Video Creation Platform

While there are many ways to create online videos, explainer videos are slightly different in how they are made. In most cases, a great explainer video is either done through custom design or through the use of whiteboard animation. One of the best platforms out there for creating whiteboard animations is mysimpleshow. Not only does their platform have an easy-to-use drag-and-drop platform, it’s also one of the most cost-effective solutions out there. Create an account for free to benefit from what that video creation and storyline templates have to offer, or upgrade to one of their business plans to have complete customization and control of your video creation projects.

3 – Bring Your Content and Words to Life

How many times have you been to a website or blog and read their text content and simply weren’t impressed? Now think about the times you went to a website selling a service or product and they had an explainer video to demonstrate or walk you through the process. This was probably a lot more convincing. More often than not, explainer videos will increase the likelihood of your audience acting on an offer and purchasing right away. That’s because video and audio connect with an audience like never before. In addition to a script, it’s important for you to map out how your explainer video is going to visualize what you have to offer while also making it easy for your audience to understand and getting them to want to act right now.

4 – Record a Great Voice Over

Many businesses and brands will create an explainer video but simply stop at the animation and script part. If you want to have an effective explainer video, you need to add a voiceover. This can be done through anyone on your team, yourself, or even a professional. Platforms like mysimpleshow also offer the ability to transcribe text to audio, which is a great option for anyone that doesn’t want to create a video using their own voice or might not speak English. No matter what route you go with on the on the voiceover, make sure it’s professional, high quality and gains trust from your audience while also being welcoming in the process.

Explainer videos have also been noted as one of the best ways to create online video without being on camera. In this article from Entrepreneur, you can see some of the many benefits to going with an explainer video over a ‘talking heads’ video, such as the ability to capture the viewer’s attention and increase click-through rate. However, one of the biggest draws to explainer videos is that you won’t need to put on the makeup, make sure your room is clean and have a professional photographer or camera equipment in the process.

5 – Effectively Market and Promote Your Explainer Video

Once you’ve had an explainer video created for your site, it’s time to put it to good use. If you want to get the most out of your explainer video, you are going to need to know how to effectively promote it in the right places and get it in front of your target audience. The first thing you are going to want to do is to place this explainer video on your main site or sales page. However, that is only part of the process. Thanks to the power of social media, you can start answering relevant questions that might apply to your business, while redirecting users back to your site and explainer video. The option is also there to create original content on your blog, thus incorporating your explainer video to complement the content. At the same time, you don’t want to stop with just one explainer video. If you have a high-end ticket item or something that provides a lot more value to people, you can create new explainer videos to target different audiences and then use those videos to market your product as well.

Increase Conversions and Engagement with Explainer Videos

As you can see, with only five simple steps you can get started with an online explainer video of your own. If you aren’t currently using online video to grow your brand reach and increase conversions, I highly recommend you get started today. With more people now using their mobile devices and tablet to browse the internet and find engaging content, this means ‘text content’ is on the way out and video is here to stay.

It’s now more important than ever to incorporate explainer videos and video marketing into your online business strategy. Follow the quick tips and working methods mentioned above, while also keeping an eye on your competition and seeing how they are currently using online video and explainer videos to improve their businesses and customer acquisitions.