Explainer videos, we’ve all seen them. They’re the cute, short videos that appear on websites explaining the product or service in about 60-90 seconds. Explainer videos are geared to enhance brand awareness, engage an audience and familiarize viewers with a product, and convert viewers to customers.
Basically, the explainer video is your chance to give visitors your website a powerful and effective first impression about your business and product. Remember, that your video will probably occupying some extremely valuable real estate on your homepage so it better deliver!
While every company needs to nail their explainer video, producing one doesn’t have to suck the company dry!
Here’s how we at Viewbix created a quality explainer video for under $100 and how you can do it to.
Disclaimer: Although you can create a great and effective video from under $100, if you have the budget, you should always consider hiring a professional video company who specializes in creating top-notch explainer videos.
Writing Your Script
The most important part of a video is the script! If the script isn’t good, the video won’t convert.
Here are 3 tips on writing a solid video script.
(Heads up… The script will be the most time consuming part of the process.)
1) Short and sweet - According to Unbounce, the maximum optimal length for an explainer video is about two minutes long. It’s short, sweet and to the point. YouTube research shows that the average viewer’s attention span is 63 seconds with the first 7 seconds being the most crucial! That’s all it takes to convince viewers to stick around and actually continue watching.
2) Solve a Problem - Make sure your explainer includes these 3 components
- Problem: What customer pain point does your product/service address?
- Solution: Introduce product as answer without any complicated jargon.
- How: How your product works or what it takes to get going
3) Call to Action - The key to a solid script is the call to action! Be super clear! Even after watching the explainer video, some viewers still may not know what to do next. Tell them exactly what the next step is! Sign up to a newsletter? Download an app? Call now? A crystal clear call-to-action will increase conversion rates. Unfortunately, too many companies fail by being too vague in their call-to-action (or by not including a CTA at all).
Important: Don’t outsource writing the script! Homegrown is always better. Keeping this part of the process in-house is critical. No outsider will ever be able to describe the product with a passion and drive, as well as any insider.
Voice Over
Once the script is complete, the voice over is next.
There are many options for choosing a narrator for an explainer video. However, if you’re trying to keep the price down, then I suggest finding someone on Fiverr.com. Yup, that’s right! We found a great voiceover artists for $5.
Here’s a link to the freelancer that we used in case you want to hire him too.
Creating the Video
After securing a solid script and finding a great voice over, it’s time to start the fun part.
Now, I’m not a video animation expert but, I probably could have made something nice myself using GoAnimate. However, I wanted my video to look amazing so I hired a freelancer on oDesk who specializes in creating videos with GoAnimate. The guy I hired created a great video for us for only $85 and the final result was much better than anything I could have done on my own.
Upload to YouTube
After creating my new animated explainer video, the final step is just to export the final mp4 video file from GoAnimate, upload it to YouTube ( or any other video host) and embed it on your website. (Pro Tip: Be sure to use a Viewbix custom video player on your site to increase your conversion rates.)
Share, Share, Share
Once it’s live, share it! Don’t be shy!
Explainer videos usually yield the best results when they leverage you company’s existing distribution channels like blogs, newsletters, social media, e-mail signatures, and other owned media.
Most companies like giving the video some serious attention on their homepage to quickly educate visitors about your company. Wherever it’s placed, make sure it is seamlessly integrated with other brand content.
That’s it!
By following these tips, you can produce a quality explainer video within a few weeks, and with a minimal investment just shy of $100!
Regardless of how much a company invests to create an explainer video, the final product should represent the brand, deliver a clear and effective message and, be interesting enough to captivate viewers.