How to Hook New Customers with Your Explainer Video

Surf in any category on the Internet and you will find words, words, words, and more words.

But our brains are hardwired to detect motion. So it’s easy to understand why YouTube is the #2 search engine and the #3 social media site in the world.

Because our brains are wired for motion, we skim through pages and pages of information, our eyes overloaded with letters and numbers. Yet we will endure a drab video to its end because it’s visual.

For your business, the home page or landing page explainer video is the communication gold mine that you want to get just right. How do you do this? Well, let me explain…

1. Good Explainer Videos use Motion to Inform and to Entertain

Competition online is fierce. One germ of a concept may spawn hundreds of copy cats. What differentiates a good explainer video from a mediocre one?

It answers the 3 W’s through motion, information, and entertainment.

The creative use of moving objects in a visual format, followed by an entertaining overview of the WHO•WHAT•WHY of your business, separates a good explainer video from a trite one.

Take a good look at your landing page. Most likely, you have a “Welcome” blurb. That won’t cut it in a highly competitive market. In less than a minute, a well-made explainer video will show us what we need to know about your business:

•     Who you are
•     What you do
•     Why we should use your products or service

The three W’s are answered through motion, information, and entertainment:

•     Who – Web app for managing social networks and group communication
•     What – Easy to use and navigate software that boosts productivity
•     Why – Clean and beautiful, and very reasonably priced

Are you not compelled to try the Message app? Did your eyes not follow the action animation to its end? That’s the power of a good explainer video as our brains are wired to detect movement. And when it’s visually entertaining, then it’s even better.

2. Good Explainer Videos can Evoke or Provoke an Emotion

A very engaging method that makes a good explainer video is to build a thoughtful and meaningful visual story with characters to evoke an emotion in the viewer.

This charming explainer video feels more like a mini short film, yet it still informs on the WHO•WHAT•WHY of their business. It’s full of visual motion and loaded with information and heartfelt entertainment.

You understand Attentive.ly’s social media match service. What they do is help you connect with your clients’ social network preferences. Why you should use their service is they can help you promote events and campaigns and find out what your clients are saying on social media sites.

After seeing this creative style of storytelling explainer video, you’re intrigued to learn more about Attentive.ly to see how their services may promote traffic campaigns for your business.

3. Good Explainer Videos combine Live Action with Animation

Animation is fun and entertaining, but you may want to add a personal touch – a human connection. A good explainer video can couple graphics, animation, and illustrations with an actor who can personalize the WHO•WHAT•WHY of your business.

Notice how the scene continually changes, but the focus on the girl remains the same. There is constant motion instead of a static still shot.

You’re captivated. Signals fire in your brain to keep your eyes on the female actor and the little animations.

Suddenly, you’re inside all kinds of different homes. That’s the human personal factor. There is a home that feels warm and inviting. Then there is another one that’s entirely different, yet it also looks comfortable and welcoming.

Graphics continue as the female actor expresses the WHO of Airbnb as a company that helps you find an interesting place to stay, the WHAT of Airbnb with a variety of places available and easy searching for and/or listing a property, and WHY you should use Airbnb as there really aren’t any other companies doing something like this – it’s different.

Now that you’ve seen this explainer video, the next time you go on vacation, you may want to consider renting a room and/or listing your home through Airbnb.

4. Good Explainer Videos influence You to Buy or Use a Product or Service

The above three explainer videos were about services, but maybe your business sells products.

People may not have a need for your particular product, but after watching a visual presentation, people may impulse-buy your product because they will want it.

Human hands exhibit the product in this visual presentation, which is, again, a warm human connection. The headphones are given almost a lifelike appearance as they prop straight up. Vibrant colors change continuously throughout the video.

WHO they are is a company that manufactures headphones in Stockholm, Sweden. WHAT they do is connect you to your music with colorful headphones that pack a punch in a featherweight size. WHY you should buy the product is it’s an open headphone that allows you to listen to music and the outside world at the same time.

The constant change of vibrant colors and scenes happens so quickly that you’re bound to watch the video again.

You may not need headphones, but now that you know this company exists through the explainer video, you will recall this information the next time you want to buy a headphone for yourself or as a gift.

5. Good Explainer Videos let People Know You Exist

When someone uses Google or YouTube to search for a product or service, there is a chance they will find your video. If you put effort into developing a better explainer video, you create the chance for opportunities like these:

    Team members of organizations may share the video to discuss the possible benefits your service has for them.
    Prospects and potential customers will see your product or service in action. (That’s always a more visceral way to demonstrate usefulness.)
    Because video can be much more efficient at communicating, you can increase the number of sign ups and purchases – sometimes by factors of 2x, 3x and more.

Visual media generates interest for you in a way that words cannot by showcasing the WHO•WHAT•WHY of your business through motion, information, and entertainment.

A good explainer video will make any business unforgettable.

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How Much Does an Explainer Video Cost?

If you’re not familiar with explainer videos, they’re short, engaging, online videos that explain and promote a company, product, or service (you can find plenty of examples on our sample page, or head over to StartupVideos for more). So why invest in an explainer video you ask? There are oodles of statistics that show the positive effect video can have on conversion rates, sales, and information retention, but the bottom line is this - if you could learn about something by watching a quick, entertaining video, or read a page of text, which would you choose?

How much does an explainer video cost?

The number one question we hear from people is “how much does an explainer video cost?” For our purposes here, we’re talking about a 60-second animated explainer video, which is typically the most popular offering. As you’d probably expect, you can find a wide range of prices out there, anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000. However, if you’re working with a reputable producer, expect to spend between $5,000 and $10,000. The amount charged depends on a wide variety of factors, including quality of work, customization and detail, experience level, and how busy or “in demand” the producer is.

A lot of people are surprised, even shocked, when they first hear how much an explainer video can cost. But if you don't understand the amount of time and effort that go in to producing one, it's hard to wrap your head around just what your money is buying. So here's a quick run-down (including samples) of the explainer video production process and what happens at each stage.

What is the process for creating an explainer video?

The typical project takes 4-8 weeks to complete and involves 6 stages. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Stage 1: Research and scripting (week 1)

A well written script is the foundation of a great video. But it takes time for writers to fully understand your company, product, or service and synthesize it into 150 words. And don’t forget that each video requires a creative direction and storyline, something that can take time for all parties to agree upon.

Stage 2: Style and illustration (week 1)

In most cases, all of the characters and assets in a video are illustrated by hand, scanned into a computer, digitized, colored and so forth. Some illustrators like to do everything digitally with a tablet. During the style stage, the illustrator will create a few variations of characters and assets to show the client.

Stage 3: Storyboarding (week 2)

With a final script and style in place, the illustrator assembles a storyboard. The storyboard is a static scene-by-scene representation of the video in its final, animated form.

Stage 4: Voiceover (week 3)

Based on the script and storyboard, a professional voice artist will record an audio version of the script. Typically artists provide multiple takes so the sound engineer has options to work with.

Stage 5: Animation (weeks 4-5)

The most time consuming and work-intensive part of the process is the animation. At this point, an animator is taking all of the finished assets, like the illustrations and voiceover, and importing them into a piece of software like Adobe After Effects (AE). Once in AE, the animator spends hours assembling the assets and making each movement just right. There’s no “Auto-Animate” button...yet.

Stage 6: Music and Sound Effects (week 6)

Last but not least, a sound engineer mixes the sound together, including the music, voiceover, and sound effects. Nothing ruins a video like poor sound quality, so never underestimate the importance of a professionally mixed voiceover, music track, and sound effects.

Conclusion

So there you have it. If it seems like a lot of work, it is. And that doesn’t even include the many hours of meetings, calls, emails, revisions, renderings, uploads, and more.

For some other perspectives on explainer video pricing, make sure to check out the blog post from Miguel over at Grumo (includes an average hourly breakdown), along with these answers on Quora.

We want to hear what you think! Does the pricing and timeline surprise you? Have you had a different experience somewhere else? Let us know in the comment section.

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