As one of the Top 10 Agencies for Startups we’ve seen many growth-stage companies with the potential to become true disruptors in their industry. While our clients may have a unique offering, unlike any other in their target market, people may be left thinking, “That sounds like a great idea, but how does it work?” One way to make sure your audience fully understands your company’s solution is by creating a unique and engaging explainer video. These brief videos are the perfect way to distill your messaging and communicate your mission in a fun and accessible way.
Step 1: Define Your Message
Explainer videos should help concisely communicate your mission, so it’s important to know exactly what you want to say. Even if your business has an offering with countless applications, dissecting each service line at length is probably not the best idea. Focus on what you do differently than the competition and what your audience should know about your business.
Step 2: Develop a Script
An effective explainer video starts with a clear and concise script. The script for your video should serve as an outline or layout of sorts, mapping out each scene and forming the initial cadence of how your messaging will be delivered. Ask yourself how much text do you want in the video and where do you want it. These videos should ideally be less than two minutes long to retain the viewers’ attention, so keep an eye out for anything that may not be absolutely necessary. Think strategically and use your script to organize the flow of ideas within the video.
Step 3: Pick a Tool
Whether it’s a freelance animator, creative agency, or internal video production team, there are tons of options out there when it comes to making customized explainer videos. Think about how you want your video to look – animated or realistic? Playful or serious? Your concept should lead you to the best production option for the specific goals of your business. At Write2Market, we use a digital video creation platform called RawShorts which allows us to capture our clients vision and deliver engaging explainer videos regardless of the industry.
Step 4: Gather Your Graphics
Once you’ve chosen a tool, it’s time to gather your images, icons, and other graphic assets. Consult your script for the best visual aids that will help tell your story without getting in the way. Make sure your files are large enough to be resized without pixelation. If you already have existing video that fits the theme of your explainer video, this is a great time to put it back to use.
Step 5: Start Designing
This may seem like the hardest part of the process, but remember to have fun with it. Be open to in-the-moment changes that may not have been part of the original concept. Often times, as you combine your script and graphics, ideas will arise that you never even considered. The end product is completely up to you, so go with the flow! Don’t forget to add some music or other audio elements (i.e. voiceover, narration) in order to make your video engaging and interactive.
Step 6: Share
Adding the explainer video to your website and social media is just the tip of the iceberg. Videos like these are valuable assets in newsletters, email campaigns, and more. Effectively sharing your explainer video means going above and beyond to deliver your content to every available channel.
Step 7: Measure
Once your explainer video has been created and shared, there’s still work to do. Tracking and measuring its performance across platforms is key to ensuring your marketing efforts haven’t gone to waste. Whether it’s a form fill, phone call, or general email, set your goals and compare them with the right metrics in order to measure the success of your brand new explainer video!
Take a look at the video we made for our retail client SmartCommerce, an e-commerce technology solution enabling CPG brands to streamline their digital sales: