With their short duration and engaging format, explainer videos have become a go-to type of video marketing. From animated to typography style, this type of video is versatile and shareable across different digital platforms— however, mediocre and overused explainer videos tend to bore the viewer. Those talking heads, salesy or advertisement-style, no longer captivate today’s internet users.
This is where marketers’ creativity is challenged. Internet users’ attention spans are only getting shorter, but the message marketers must convey through explainer videos is getting more complex. In this case, coming up with fresh explainer video ideas is key to grabbing more viewers’ attention.
In this article, we will break down some explainer video ideas to keep your creative juices flowing.
Explainer Video Ideas to Engage More Audiences
Your customer’s attention is being pulled from pillar to post. And in this digital world that we’re living in, it’s a battle for eyeballs out there.
The good news is that you can stand out in the busiest of spaces. It just takes a little more creativity. Here are some ideas you can use for your next explainer video projects:
Product Demonstration
Create a video showcasing your product or service in action so your audiences can visualize their experience with the actual product. Highlight its key features and benefits, and demonstrate how it solves a specific problem or meets a customer’s needs.
This type of video doesn’t only helps potential customers visualize how your product works and why they should choose it over competitors but also generates their trust so that you can boost your reputation.
As the name suggests, the whole point of a product demonstration is to give your audience a glimpse of what your product can do. It’s to walk your customer through all your awesome features and give them reasons why they should invest in your product.
Customer Testimonials
Gather testimonials from satisfied customers and create a video that features their experiences. When you’re a new business owner trying to build your online presence and reputation, this explainer video idea can help you.
Let your customers share how your product or service has helped them, improved their lives, or solved their challenges. This builds trust and credibility, as potential customers can relate to real people who have already benefited from your offering.
One thing to bear in mind is to make sure that the video appears as genuine as possible. Relying too heavily on the script signals to the customer that the person they’re speaking with isn’t confident in their ability to review your product positively or even isn’t qualified to do so. This can be a red flag and start a service interaction on the wrong foot.
Animated Explainer
Explainer videos are identical to short animated marketing videos. If you have complex messages to convey, but you don’t want to overwhelm your audience, this idea can be your go-to.
The animated explainer video is well-known for its conciseness. This type of explainer video is commonly used by businesses in hard-to-explain and complex industries, from technology to healthcare– to make them more accessible and interesting to the target audience. You can utilize animation to explain complex concepts, processes, or abstract ideas in a visually engaging and easy-to-understand manner.
Animated explainer videos can effectively educate potential customers and demonstrate the value of your product or service. This explainer video idea can also make your content more shareable across digital platforms, as animation is pretty much versatile and engaging marketing tool that helps businesses reach and convert more of their target customers.
How-to Guides
At least 83% of people prefer watching videos to accessing instructional or informational content via text or audio. Creating a how-to guide video allows you to develop instructional videos that guide viewers through specific tasks or processes related to your product or service.
These videos provide step-by-step instructions and helpful tips, whether it’s assembling a product, setting up software, or using a particular feature. By offering practical guidance, you demonstrate your expertise and establish a deeper connection with your audience.
This explainer video idea might also feature a number of animations, graphics, and on-screen annotations to highlight key points and make the information more focused and digestible.
Case Studies
Create video case studies that highlight successful implementations of your product or service. Showcasing real-life examples of how your offering has delivered results for your clients can be a powerful marketing tool.
These videos can illustrate the specific challenges your customers faced, the solutions you provided, and the measurable outcomes they achieved. They demonstrate the value of your product or service and inspire potential customers to take action.
It’s pretty similar to customer testimonials. But, case study videos offer more in-depth and data-driven insights. It doesn’t not only convince new audiences to try out your product but also inspires them to reach a next-level marketing result.
Hero’s Journey
The “Hero’s Journey” explainer video idea revolves around storytelling and takes inspiration from the narrative structure often found in myths and heroic tales.
In this engaging explainer video idea, you present your product or service as the hero embarking on a transformative journey to overcome challenges and achieve a desirable outcome for your customers.
The structure of the Hero’s Journey typically involves the following stages:
- Call to Adventure: Introduce the problem or challenge your target audience faces, establishing the need for a solution.
- Departure: Highlight how your product or service equips customers with the necessary tools, knowledge, or resources to embark on their journey toward resolving the problem.
- Challenges: Illustrate the hurdles and obstacles your customers might encounter along their journey. Show how your product or service helps them overcome these challenges, acting as a guiding force or providing essential support.
- Guide: Introduce your brand as the mentor or guide that supports customers throughout their journey. Showcase how your expertise, customer support, or additional resources assist them in navigating the difficulties they face.
- Transformation: Highlight the transformation your customers undergo as a result of using your product or service. Emphasize the positive outcomes they achieve, such as increased productivity, improved efficiency, or enhanced quality of life.
- Return: Showcase how your customers, armed with the benefits and transformation they have experienced, return to their ordinary lives with newfound success and satisfaction. Demonstrate how your product or service has empowered them to overcome their initial problem or challenge.
- Call to Action: Conclude the video by providing a clear call to action, inviting viewers to embark on their own Hero’s Journey by engaging with your product or service. Encourage them to take the next step, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a trial, or contacting your sales team.
How to Squeeze More Creative Juice out of Your Explainer Videos
Coming up with fresh explainer video ideas for every campaign isn’t a walk in the park. It requires time, effort, and creative thinking. This is why getting the most out of one idea is essential to save time and energy. Here are some actionable tips on how you can use a single explainer video to its full potential.
Repurpose
Instead of starting from scratch every time, consider repurposing your existing explainer videos. You can modify the script, change the visuals, or add new animations to create a fresh version.
Repurposing allows you to leverage the content you’ve already created and extend its lifespan. Additionally, you can tailor the video for different target audiences, platforms, or languages, maximizing its reach.
Experiment with Different Formats and Platforms
Don’t limit yourself to a single format or platform. Explore various video formats using video tools, such as animated videos, live-action videos, whiteboard animations, or motion graphics. Each format has its unique appeal and can resonate differently with your audience.
Also, consider distributing your video across different platforms, including social media, your website, email marketing campaigns, and video-sharing platforms. This multi-channel approach increases the visibility of your explainer video and reaches a wider audience.
Incorporate Branding Elements
Make your explainer video a reflection of your brand by incorporating branding elements. Use your brand colours, typography, and logo in the video design to create a cohesive visual identity.
This reinforces brand recognition and builds trust and consistency with your audience. Align your video’s tone, voice, and style with your brand’s overall messaging to create a seamless experience for viewers.
Keep an Eye on the Competition
Stay updated with what your competitors are doing in terms of explainer videos. Analyze their strategies, storytelling techniques, and visual elements. This doesn’t mean copying their ideas but rather gaining inspiration and identifying gaps in the market.
You can find new angles or approaches to make your explainer videos stand out by understanding what works and what doesn’t.
Jump into the Recent Trends
Stay abreast of the latest trends in video marketing and incorporate them into your explainer videos. For example, TikTok-style vertical videos, 360-degree videos, or virtual reality experiences can provide an immersive and engaging user experience.
By leveraging emerging trends, you can capture your audience’s attention and differentiate your explainer videos from the competition.
Wrapping Up
Explainer videos are versatile marketing videos that can help businesses of all sizes get their message across to their audiences. However, if you only focus on a single explainer video style, whether it’s a talking head or simple text video, you’ll miss out on the opportunity to capture more audience attention and engage them.
With some popular yet applicable ideas above, now you understand what you should bring to the table to spice up your overall video marketing strategy using compelling explainer videos.
Author’s Bio: Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).
