What Is an Explainer Video?

Do you need an explainer video for your business but not sure where to start? Read on and find out what an explainer video is, explainer video meaning, what structure it should have, and what benefits you will get as a result. 

Only in the US, the number of digital video viewers reached 239 million in 2022.

I see video as a megatrend, same order as mobile.

Mark Zuckerberg

Video content is no longer gaining popularity. It’s already hot enough. These days, explainer video content keeps expanding the Internet and replacing texts and static images. Marketers no longer think about what to write to demonstrate the benefits of the product. They would rather google ‘what is an explainer video’ to create a video that will sell their products better than any words. 

93% of marketers say that they use videos because it is an important part of their business strategy. 87% of them confess that video gives them a great ROI. Videos can vary in style, length, and narration, but everyone wants to create an explainer video. There is a clue: these videos are extremely popular today.

An overwhelming majority of people (94%) report watching explainer videos to learn more about a product, with 84% being swayed to make a purchase.

Hubspot

So let us get to the deal. What is an explainer video? Read below to find out.

What are explainer videos? According to 99design, explainer videos “showcase the details of your product or service don’t have to be dry and boring.” Indeed, this type of video is generally used to highlight the benefits of a product, service, or idea. Therefore, many companies frequently use explainer video for business on the main pages of their websites, landing pages, and even as a business card. Also, these videos are used in social media like Facebook and Instagram for advertisement.

The structure of explainer videos

You may ask why explainer video is better than any other type of video? The answer is simple – it’s length. The matter is that explainer videos are rather short, but at the same time, they are informational enough to demonstrate the value of the product, service, or idea. Explainer video uses a narrative to compile the story and explain the things correctly, not to mislead customers with information.

There are three basic steps you are to include in the narration if you want to create a good video.

The problem

It is an emotional part of the video. Every person has some acute problems. If they feel the pain from the problem – they are likely to watch the video till the end.

The solution

So we have a problem. Perhaps, we even know how to live with it. But to be honest, we just want to deal with it! In the explainer video, you need to present ideas on how the problem can be fixed.

The product, service, or idea.

When you provide the solutions to fixing a problem, keep in mind that the best one will be your product, service, or idea. If you do not present it in your video, what’s the point in creating it? As you know, actions speak louder than words. Thus, demonstrate the benefits in the video!

Now we have the answers to the question: what is an explainer video structure. Let’s move to the next point!

The benefits of explainer videos

Why explainer videos? Did you know that 8 out of 10 customers confessed that they’d been convinced to purchase an app because of a mobile app explainer video they’ve watched on Youtube? The impact that videos have on the customers cannot be overestimated.

Pandemic affected the consummation of videos as well. 96% of customers say that their time watching videos online increased significantly. And we tend to believe them, as we also started to watch videos more frequently than ever. But what are the actual benefits of explainer videos for a business? Here are the three most essential points that you should ever ignore.

Saving time

You can spend hours talking about your business. But are customers ready to spend time in this way? It’s more likely that they choose to watch a two-minute-long video than reading texts.

If you ask, ‘What is an animated explainer video for a business?’, we will answer — this is a bridge between the company and the customers.

For example, you are working in a complicated B2B segment and want to present your products to prospective clients. You can give a task to your sales team to make calls and explain all the benefits in words. And you can create one video and send it via email—no need to spend hours on phone calls. You simplify the process of introduction and, in some cases, in decision-making as well.

By creating a video, you also cover a segment of prospective clients who know exactly what they are looking for. By watching a video, they get acquainted with the product, service, or idea and decide whether it’s the best option for them. 94% of marketers said that video content helped them to increase user understanding of their product or service. 43% reported that video reduced the number of support calls they received. 

Sharing Across Multiple Mediums

What are the explainer videos for marketing? It’s an effective tool that marketers can use for promotion. 84% of video marketers say video has been effective for generating leads.

Imagine that you use only one explainer video with awesome explainer video ideas for all social media, including Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Youtube. Also, you use it for content marketing as you can share it via Quora, Reddit, and even publish in the media. You can share it on the websites related to your business and send your partners for further promotion.

Brand Recognition

86% of customers say that brand recognition is a key factor in choosing the company to use a service or brand. How does the video affect brand recognition? Greatly!

An explainer video is a reflection of your company. It must be personalized, and, in this case, people will finally understand how your business is different from other businesses.

Different Kinds of Explainer Videos

What are the explainer videos kinds and types? Let’s define three basic kinds of videos that are used more frequently than others: 

• animated explainer video
• live-action explainer video
• crowdfunding explainer video

Animated explainer video

Probably the most popular option. The production is rather fast, it is not very expensive, and it always looks great. Here are just some types of animated videos: infographic, chalkboard, product simulation, character-driven, motion. Their main distinctive feature is that they use animation to demonstrate the benefits of your company.

Live-action explainer video

This type of video helps create perfect visual journeys. And they look real! Of course, it requires some extra effort to create such a short movie. As the name suggests, the live-action explainer video definition outlines that this video uses live people and objects.

Crowdfunding explainer video

They look like movies. Generally speaking, they use a combination of live-action and animation videos. For example, a CEO of the company tells some key facts about their business, and at the same time, the supportive infographic is used.

What Makes a Good Explainer Video?

If we talk about an explainer video meaning, it’s to capture customers’ attention and demonstrate the best features of a company, product, or idea. All in all, a good explainer video definition has the following features:

• It is short. Keep it between 2 and 3 minutes!
• It has a clear CTA. Remember that your customers are intended to do something. What exactly? 
• It should solve a problem. Give your customer a solution right in the video!
• It’s your brand representation. So remember about the style and tone of the company. 
• It’s high-quality: Do not try to save money on quality. Just imagine what happens if your audience watches a low-quality video about your company.

Producing the Perfect Explainer Video for Your Business 

A good video does not appear by magic. Traditionally, it takes one skilled team (and here we are, Explain Ninja) and three steps to create an outstanding video.

• Pre-production.
  Everything starts with the idea and your video as well. We at Explain Ninja start with a brief to outline the requirements, write a script that creates a beautiful story, and design a storyboard to represent the future video.
• Production.
  Here, we actually create a video. We produce illustrations (remembering your visual style, so everything looks like one story) and bring a story to action with animation and voice-over.
• Post-production.
  We picture-polish a video to make sure it looks and feels perfect for your clients!

Making an explainer video requires some time and effort. However, when it’s done properly, the results are fantastic. If you have decided to try video content, be sure we at Explain Ninja are ready to help you. 

We create explainer videos for companies that want to improve their users’ experience, delight customers and prospective clients with up-to-date content. Our team of creators is ready to work for you. Directors, animators, producers, screenwriters, professional voiceover groups – Explain Ninja cover every step of the video creation process. We believe that every explainer video is not just another piece of content. It’s an accumulation of storytelling art, limitless creativity, award-winning content, and excellent project management.