How to make an explainer video
Table of Contents
The internet gets flooded with hundreds of videos every second. However, many of those videos are of no value. Though, one thing we can not deny is the rising demand for videos.
A study predicts 80% of the total internet traffic to be videos by 2022.Nowadays, tiktok voice over is more and more popular. You are missing out on a massive opportunity if you’re not harnessing the power of videos. There are many types of explainer videos that can help you achieve your goal.
What is an explainer video?
Explainer videos are short online marketing videos used to explain your company’s product or service. Explainer videos are often placed on a landing page, your website’s home page, or a prominent product page. These types of videos have become extremely popular – some sites boast of conversion rates increasing by as much as 144% after including an explainer video on their website.
How to make an explainer video
We’re going to take you through the steps of how to make your own explainer video! It’s no easy task, requiring a ton of focus and effort, but we can guarantee it’s worth the work.
Step 1: Write the video script
The script is the most important element in creating a good explainer video. Your explainer video could have the coolest graphics and most Morgan Freeman-Esque voiceover in the world, and it wouldn’t mean a thing without a solid script to get behind.
The script is where you’ll need to spend the majority of your focus. It’s best if you write your explainer video script yourself (even if you choose to hire a production company). You know your target customer’s concerns and pain points better than anyone else, and the video is where those concerns need to be addressed. What freaks out your potential customers? What confuses them about your product or offering? If you haven’t already done some research to answer these questions, now is the time to consider surveying your audience and figuring this out.
It is recommended that your explainer video script follow this general outline…
- Quick overview of your product and what it does
- Introduce the problem
- Answer the problem with your solution (via product or service)
- Call to action (e.g. sign up for our free trial by clicking here!)
- Broadcast your trust signals (such as well-known clients, awards, write-ups, etc.)
Explainer video script best practices
- Keep it short – 90 seconds or less is ideal.
- Your key message and value proposition should be in the first 30 seconds. Don’t keep folks wondering.
- Speak in 2nd person, using words like “You” and “Your.”
- Use simple language – don’t alienate viewers with technical terms they won’t understand.
- Keep in mind the tone you want for your explainer video. Most videos opt for a casual, conversational tone.
- Try a touch of humor – videos with some subtle laughs tend to be more enjoyable.
Step 2: Recording the voiceovers
Once you have a script, you’ll need a voiceover. You should find voice actors to record your project.Some options are:
Voices.com: This site has a large network of professional voice actors to choose from.
Craigslist: Ah yes, old reliable. You can find just about anything on crazy Craigslist, including voiceovers.
Fiverr: Yup, you can get a decent voiceover for your explainer video for just $5 on Fiverr! You’ll probably have to pay a bit more than that ($5 is usually the starting price – some charge by the second, others by the word. Chances are you won’t be in the lowest price bracket). Still, you aren’t likely to find a voiceover anywhere for cheaper.
Step 3: Explainer video production
There are a number of different paths you can take when it comes down to the actual creation and production of your explainer video. Options include…
Bring Out the Pros: There are some very talented professional video production companies out there that can help you make a killer promotional video. You’ll have some high explainer video costs if you go this route – be prepared to shell out anywhere from $5,000 – $20,000 for a service like this. The advantage is that you’ll have video experts helping you every step of the way, and you’re video is guaranteed to look great. Demo Duck, Wyzowl, LessFilms, Flikli, Explainly, Yum Yum Videos, and Studio Pigeon are a few explainer video companies to consider.
Pow Toon: if you’re making animated explainer videos, have no animation experience, but want to do it yourself on a budget, Pow Toon is the way to go. Anyone with some basic computer skills can use this animated explainer video software. It likely won’t be a masterpiece, but it’s easy to create and free (to start at least). They even have a tutorial series to walk you through building your creation.
DIY Explainer Video with iPhone: That’s right, you can film your own explainer video on your iPhone! This awesome post from Wistia will show you how. DIY filming is a great way to create cheap explainer videos. For the editing, iMovie or Camtasia are good choices. If you want to take on a DIY animated explainer video, this animation toolkit from Salsify can provide you with a ton of great animation tools and resources.
Hire a Freelancer: Experienced freelancers can provide high-quality explainer video production assistance at a much lower cost than a large production company. You should be able to find one easily enough on craigslist or other freelance sites.
Step 4: Music & sound effects
Chances are your animated explainer video or even your live action explainer video needs some sweet sound effects and music. Some places to score tracks include…
MusOpen: Offering free music resources such as recordings, sheet music, etc.
Free Sound: A database of Creative Commons licensed audio samples and recordings.
YouTube: The king of video itself offers some free background music to use in video creations.
Audio Jungle: Royalty free audio files including loops, sound effects, and more.
Audacity: This free tool isn’t a source of audio files, but instead helps you create your own.
Remember to read the fine print carefully on these sites with regards to what is or is not permitted under the sound file’s licensing agreement. Some are a cheap one-time purchase and royalty free, others require attribution, etc. Use our handy guide on how to use music in ads (without getting sued!) for help with this.
Step 5: Measure the performance of your explainer video
Measure video engagement and be ready to tweak the heck out of your video. You’ll be able to see some solid data with YouTube Insight, but Google Analytics can take you even deeper down the rabbit hole, so long as you’re game for setting up nifty custom event tracking.
Imagine seeing plays, pauses, how many viewers hit the 30 sec. mark vs. 60 sec. mark, etc. Wistia has some nice analytic tracking options too, and also makes it easy to sync up Wistia and Google Analytics.
Thank you for your reading.Good Luck!
