What Is An Explainer Video And How Can It Benefit Your Business?

Frustrating, isn’t it. Now, imagine you’re a business trying to sell a product or service, and you’re in the same scenario. If the other person in this case is a potential customer, you’ve already lost them. Enter – THE EXPLAINER VIDEO!

What is an explainer video?

An explainer video is a short, engaging video designed to explain a product, service or concept in a clear, concise way. You’ll find most explainer videos last between 60 and 90 seconds, and cover all the key points clearly enough so that the viewer fully understands the message.

For an explainer video to work, the content needs to capture the viewer’s attention quickly and provide all the essential information in an easily-digestible way. Explainer videos will typically use animation content, text, voiceovers and maybe graphics too, to help articulate the idea.

Why do I need an explainer video?

You may not need an explainer video! But chances are, like the vast majority of businesses, there will be at least one aspect of your business, what it does or what it sells, that will need promoting and explaining in a way that most forms of marketing will struggle.

The benefit of video, of course, is that it’s multi-sensory, and viewers absorb video content far quicker than other forms of marketing. It’s the perfect tool for explaining something complex and making it seem simple.

How could I use an explainer video?

So we’ve established that an explainer video is one of the most effective forms of video marketing content there is. If you need something complex explaining – let a video do it.

But how do you use an explainer video? Well, consider a mindblowing stat we found from the results of a 2024 video marketing survey. 82% of consumers have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video.

That means that your explainer video needs to be right there at the point where it’s going to convince a potential customer that they should perform a certain action.

The great thing is that, often, an explainer video won’t always feel like a sales pitch – as long as you get it right. Instead, the potential customer will feel like they are being enlightened, that you are teaching them something. Talk about selling in stealth!

So, we’d suggest, for example, embedding an explainer video on a product page to explain the product. Or, if your business, its selling point or the product or service it is offering to the customer is a little more complex, maybe your website homepage. The video could direct website visitors to the area of the website best suited to them.

At WOWVI Video, we can, of course, advise on where and how best to use explainer videos. But more on that later. For now, let’s cover the benefits of explainer videos in a little more detail…

Benefits of explainer videos

What is an explainer video? We now know that an explainer video will, well, explain things, but let’s dive deeping into what their benefits are.

• Simplifies complex information. This is the primary benefit of an explainer video. It has the ability to break down complex concepts into easily-understandable content. That can be when you’re launching a new product, or explaining how your service works. You can use video content to distil intricate details into a simple and engaging narrative.
• Increases engagement. As we’ve already covered, video is great at engagement, and plays a crucial part in the buying process for a consumer. A video is a multi-sensory experience and the high level of engagement means your potential customers are more likely to retain lots of important information, compared to if they simply read the information on a web page.
• Boosts conversion rates. This higher level of engagement, and greater information retention inevitably leads to… Better conversion rates. By clearly explaining the benefits and features of your product or service, you can build trust and encourage viewers to take action. Remember that statistic we mentioned earlier about 82% of consumers being convinced to buy something after watching a video!

   

• And boosts your SEO, too! It’s a well-known fact now that Google loves video content. In fact, most businesses now prioritise business marketing in order to make their websites more visible in search results.

  By incorporating explainer videos on your website, you can improve your search engine rankings, so potential customers find you more easily. If you’re really lucky, your explainer videos will actually appear in search results – note how many more videos appear now when you perform a Google search.

   

• Builds trust in your business. Having your product or service explained, with visuals, a voice-over, maybe graphics and maybe even a presenter, is a great way to build a deeper connection with that potential customer. It helps to build greater trust in you as a business!
  
  
• Helps build brand awareness. Explainer videos are a great tool for building brand awareness. Get it right and you’ll convey your brand’s personality, values, and message in a memorable way. The best explainer videos can leave a lasting impression on your audience – just what you want your marketing to do!
  
  
• Explainers videos make highly shareable content! An explainer video doesn’t have to be a sales pitch, and it doesn’t have to go in with the hard-sell. In fact, the best explainer videos won’t go anywhere near that approach. Their shareable nature also makes it easy for viewers to spread the word about your business, extending your reach and attracting new customers.

   

• Finally… Explainer videos can be an extremely affordable form of video marketing. Creating an explainer video does not have to cost the earth. The main focus is explaining something in a clear and engaging way. So, while motion graphics, animation and 3D imagery might wow and work wonders, a simple, short, to-camera live action video might fit the bill perfectly.

How to use an explainer video

How you use your explainer video will vary depending on what it is you’re explaining. However, we’ve a few pointers if you’re considering an explainer video – or, if you already have one, and it’s ready to put out there into the world.

• Think about the customer journey. At what point do you need to explain your product, service or concept? Do you need to explain right at the very start, or do customers need explanation of a product or service on a more granular level – for example, on specific product/service pages on your website?

   

• What’s the call to action? While we don’t want explainer videos to be too selly, it is important to consider what you want the viewer to do after watching the video. Do you want them to explore more? Does the video take them to a point where they might be ready to buy? Or is the plan to tease them with enough information so that they are hooked, but need to call you?

  
  All this will help not only with the content of your video, but where you place it on your website.
  
  

• Are people looking for your solution? Maybe your product, service or concept is not one that people are actively looking for. In that case, you may need to use social media to upsell yourself to an audience. Consider advertising, such as YouTube ads, where your explainer video becomes a commercial for what you do.
  
  
• Do you need to make the information more ‘digestible’? Going back to our first point about the customer journey, think about how the potential customer will absorb the information. Is it easier to break down the information into shorter explainer videos in different areas of your website?
  
  

• Try to keep it simple. An explainer video does so much more than providing a clear and engaging explanation about your product or service. It conveys to the viewer a taste of what you are all about! It gives potential customers a hint of your company culture, your people and your brand.
  
  So make sure you keep it simple, keep it straightforward and make sure you provide the exact information the viewer needs! 

Let’s start planning your explainer video!

Speak to WOWVI about your explainer video ideas… We’re a passionate team of video marketing exports and we’ve years of experience in creating compelling, captivating video content – especially explainer videos.

We can help you with concepts, execution and promotion of your explainer video. Contact us today, and let’s start building a better connection with your potential customers through explainer videos. What is an explainer video? It’s the video marketing tool that’s going to take your business to the next level!