When it comes to marketing, there are many ways that companies can try to attract customers, including traditional channels and digital marketing channels such as blogs, social media, and email messaging. One of the most effective ways is to do marketing with explainer videos. This type of video is typically short and uses animation or graphics to quickly explain a product or service in an engaging way. The benefits of explainer videos seem obvious, as they help prospective buyers discover ways your products help them solve the problems they face as well as get the most from their purchases.
Companies across a variety of industries use explainer videos: from healthcare and technology to food and beverage, as well as businesses that are just starting out and want a low-cost way to get their message out there quickly. In fact, some experts say that explainer videos should be part of every company’s marketing strategy because they have such a high ROI (return on investment) rate when compared with other types of content like blog posts or articles about your brand. As you can see in the image above, nearly 90% of marketers agree that video has increased sales.
The power of visual communication
In the realm of visual communication, the effectiveness of visuals surpasses that of text. Visuals are quicker, more digestible, and leave a lasting impression compared to words. Their ability to convey both intricate ideas and emotional nuances is unparalleled. Recent research even highlights that visual content enjoys a staggering 94% higher engagement rate on social media posts compared to text-only content.
The swiftness and ease with which our brains process images play a pivotal role in this phenomenon. The brain’s right hemisphere, responsible for emotions, processes images a remarkable 60,000 times faster than text. This rapid processing capability makes visuals particularly adept at communicating complex ideas and eliciting emotional responses and emotions are frequently the drivers of purchase decisions.
The advantage of images and video over text alone becomes especially evident when tackling intricate subjects like scientific or engineering concepts, assembling and installing purchased products, demonstrating how to effectively use a product, and showing the effectiveness of a product to motivate purchase. In these situations, visuals provide essential context that words alone might struggle to convey. Harnessing the power of visuals, such as through an app explainer video, proves invaluable in breaking down complexity and ensuring better understanding and retention.
As you can see in this image, a staggering number of consumers prefer images plus text to text alone when following directions. The same is true for other uses of images and video.
That’s because 90% of the information transmitted to our brains is visual.
What are explainer videos?
Explainer videos are short, visually appealing videos that explain a product or service, show how to use the product, or demonstrate how to assemble and/or install the product. They are usually less than 2 minutes in length and use text and graphics to communicate the message. Explainer videos can be animated or live-action, but they’re all meant to be entertaining and easy to understand, as well as to remove frustration and make decisions easier.
Explainer videos are popular with marketers because they effectively engage viewers’ attention, helping you communicate complex ideas simply by using visuals instead of words (or both).
The term “explainer video” can be confusing because there are many different types of videos that use this name. There’s the animated explainer, which is what most people think of when they hear the phrase “explainer video.” But there are also live-action explainer videos, which are short films that show real-life actors and situations instead of cartoons.
Types of explainer videos
Explainer videos are short and to the point. They’re designed to explain a concept in an engaging way, but they don’t have time for fluff or filler. The best explainer videos use humor and storytelling elements that make it easy for your audience to understand what you offer.
Explainer videos can be used for a wide range of purposes, including sales, marketing, training, and more. They’re especially useful for products or services that have complex concepts (like financial services) since these types of businesses often have difficulty communicating complicated ideas in print ads or brochures alone.
Explainer videos are often used to help you better understand your target audience. They can also create brand awareness and build trust with new customers by showing them how your product or service works.
Benefits of marketing with explainer videos
Explainer videos stand out as a potent tool when it comes to conveying intricate concepts. Their versatility extends to various contexts, whether elucidating the advantages of a product or service or offering guidance on its utilization. Integrating explainer videos into an overarching marketing strategy proves beneficial in several ways:
- Product or Service Explanation: Clearly articulate the features and benefits of your product or service.
- Demonstration of Features: Showcase how the product or service functions and the value it brings.
- Highlighting Results: Emphasize the positive outcomes, such as increased sales or other notable achievements.
Explainer videos surpass text-only content in engagement by presenting information in an easily digestible format, complemented by visuals that enhance viewer comprehension and retention. In addition, explainer videos benefit from the general preference for video marketing over static images and text. Video outperforms other forms of content as [source]:
- video content is shared 4X more on social media than other forms of content
- visual content is processed 60,000X faster which is critical on social media platforms where users scroll quickly down their feeds
- images shared on social media get 94% more views than content without images
- Tweets with a video attached get 10X more engagement than Tweets without
Their brevity not only encourages viewership but also promotes sharing, expanding your reach to potential customers. If you’re considering incorporating explainer videos into your strategy, exploring reputable explainer video companies can further enhance the impact of your visual communication.
Distribution channels for explainer videos
There are many distribution channels for explainer videos and more platforms transform their offerings to include video all the time as these posts are popular with users and bring them back to the platform over time. The most popular ones include:
- YouTube, has more than a billion users and is owned by Google, the world’s largest search engine.
- Facebook, has more than 2 billion monthly active users and is arguably the most popular social network in the world.
- Twitter with 330 million monthly active users (MAU).
- Instagram with over 800 million MAU – not as big as Facebook but still an impressive user base! Instagram Reels was created for the sole purpose of sharing video content and much of this content is shared with Facebook users based on the relationship between the two platforms (both are owned by parent company, Meta).
- TikTok is a rapidly growing video platform for sharing short reels (generally around 30 seconds) and is very popular among younger consumers.
You can also distribute your video on other platforms like LinkedIn or Pinterest if you want to reach specific audiences like professionals working in business-related fields or people who enjoy browsing through images of food or fashion products respectively!
DIY vs. professional production
There are two main ways to create an explainer video: DIY or professional production.
DIY stands for “do it yourself.” This option is great if you have the time and resources, including a creative streak. You can learn how to make your own explainer videos by following our step-by-step guide here. All you need is a modern smartphone, some lighting (even a ring light works well), a microphone (or just use the one on your smartphone), editing software (although some platforms allow for editing within the platform), a script, and a storyboard.
Professional production involves hiring a company that specializes in creating explainer videos for businesses like yours. The company will work with you every step of the way, from conception through post-production, ensuring that everything goes smoothly from start to finish and saving you a lot of hassle along the way!
There are many benefits to hiring a company that specializes in explainer video production. For example, they have access to the latest technology and software that can make your video look even better than it would if you were doing it yourself. They are also able to provide animations or illustrations for your video as well as voiceover talent. Plus, their experience goes a long way toward making a high-quality product.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you understand the benefits of using explainer videos in marketing. These videos can be used to explain complex ideas, promote products and services, and tell compelling stories through the use of animation. If you have any other questions about how to create an explainer video for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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Hausman and Associates, the publisher of MKT Maven, is a full-service marketing agency operating at the intersection of marketing and digital media. Check out our full range of services.
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