The Explainer Video Update and Trends.

 

The explainer video industry is still going strong and I wanted to update everyone and show how we can make it a little bit better. More and more companies are realizing that people are tired of the same old thing, but we are still missing a couple of key points.  Meetings are too long, videos are too complicated, and our delivered messages are not being heard.  Why is that?  Because we are still trying to be overly sophisticated when simplicity is the key. Blah Blah Blah by Dan Roam says:

“In order to stand out in this crowd, one of us starts talking a little louder and a little faster.  That works for a moment, but to compensate, all the rest of us start talking louder and faster, too.  Things ratchet up until a new blah-blah-blah equilibrium is reached, at a volume, velocity, and quantity that make it difficult to know what’s worth listening to.  And that’s the real danger here:  With all our clamoring words, it’s not long before we’re so busy keeping up that we not only stop listening to anyone else-we stop listening to ourselves.  Pretty soon we don’t remember what our own idea was-or whether we even had one.  All that matters is being heard.”

All of us are trying to communicate a message and do so effectively but we have missed the mark a bit and need to adjust the scopes.  But first a quick commercial break. Ydraw creates whiteboard explainer videos and we are actually pretty good. The video below was produced for Oxford Properties.  It communicates effectively and delivers a message in 2 minutes. It has been one of my favorites due to the fact that it is simple, well written,  has a story, and delivers the message.  Check it out.

So what makes a good explainer video?  One that is effective, short, simple, and will cut through the noise, change minds and move others to take action.  It is not simple, but doable.  It all starts with a script and ends with the music selection.  You can mess up your video on each phase so you will want to put in the effort all throughout the process.  A great script produces a great video so make sure you pay to have it done right or at least take the time to do it right.  Heck, if you are desperate, find a video that you like then adjust the script to fit your business.

1.  Explainer Video Script

Since we are talking about simplicity I am going to keep this simple.  A script should have 5 things:

  • Headline (a headline that grabs attention)
  • Story (a simple story with characters, to show your product in action)
  • Problem (let the audience know how bad their life is without your product.  What problems are they facing)
  • Solution (show how your product can solve the problem)
  • Call to Action (tell the audience exactly what they need to do to take advantage of your product)

Pitfalls of Scripting

  • Too Long (No blabbering. Deliver the message and be done. If it takes 10 minutes that is fine)
  • Too Complicated (at the end of the day products or services provide a solution to a problem.  If you can’t identify the problem and solutions in a couple of sentence, go back to the drawing board)
  • Too boring (Explainer videos should be educational, but at the same time they need to be entertaining)

2. Pictures and Visuals

We all know the power of pictures or at least we did back in kindergarten.  I will never forget a picture I drew when I was 5 years old.  It was a turtle and I colored it every single color I could fine.  To me it was amazing, but my crush Andrea had the nerve to make fun of it.  I will never forget that picture; and Andrea if you are reading this you are forgiven and we love you.  Some where between childhood and adulthood the pictures stopped and words became our primary tool.

Pictures are a part of thinking that provides us with guidance and direction.  It’s the “big picture” that lets us see where we’re going.  Pictures aren’t training wheels; pictures are the front wheel.

3. Voice Over

Here’s a secret. Crapy voiceover equals a poor explainer video.  Pay the extra money to get a good voiceover.  A great place to search for one is on voices.com or you can find someone on fiverr.com for 5 dollars.

4. Music and Sound Effects

Some videos have music others have sound effects.  Either one works, but I tend to lean more toward both.  Check out the the video below and you will see what I am talking about.

 

So there you have it.  The Explainer Video Update

 

+Jace Vernon