What Makes a Great Explainer Video? Strategy, Structure & Examples

Explainer videos seek to explain a concept to an audience, combining a clear strategy, solid structure, and compelling visuals to simply and effortlessly break down complex ideas. Their multiple uses mean explainers are one of the smartest video marketing investments a brand can make. 

To pull off a great explainer video, it’s important to understand the various elements that work together to teach concepts, drive engagement, and boost retention.

Why Use Explainer Videos?

These videos are a way for companies to teach people about a specific product, service, or overall concept. They're one of the top video marketing types, though they also have uses outside of marketing.

One of the best uses for explainer videos is to communicate complex information, like what a company does or how a product works. You can use them to break down info into easy-to-understand, bite-sized chunks. They're also a great way to demonstrate how to do something with your product.

Additionally, explainers can be used to increase engagement. When you post a video talking about your product or service, viewers can leave comments asking questions or sharing their thoughts. They may even share the video to pass the information on to others. These videos also increase retention, as they encourage your audience to stay on your page longer to learn more about whatever it is you’re offering.

Explainer videos are great for enhancing brand awareness as well. They provide an opportunity for someone who doesn’t know much about your company to learn more. On top of that, offering easy-to-access information about your company, product, or service builds trust that encourages consumers to choose your company over others.

Common Types of Explainer Videos

There are several types of explainer videos you can make, each with its own use cases. Depending on your company, you may make many explainers or focus on just one or two types. 

Product Demos

Product demos show the customer how to use the product. For example, if you sell software, you can use a video to walk the customer through its different features and tools.

Demo explainer videos aren’t meant to teach a customer every little thing about your product. Instead, they give enough of an overview for a customer to decide if they want to purchase. Product demos can be used in both B2C and B2B video marketing. 

Company Overviews

Company overviews are, in some ways, similar to product demos. However, instead of showcasing what a product can do, you instead show what your company does.

In a company overview video, you’ll talk about what your company does and what its goals are. You may highlight the company history, special projects it’s taken on, and awards it has won. 

Company overviews are a particularly great option for companies that sell a service rather than a specific product, as they allow clients to see what it's like to work with you.

Educational Content

Educational explainer videos are meant to teach the viewers something. For example, training videos teach new employees about different processes within the company or how to use certain tools.

While product demos just give viewers a taste of what a product or service can do, educational content videos are perfect for teaching step-by-step instructions. They’re meant to be more in depth, so viewers who watch the video walk away with a coherent understanding of the subject matter. 

Customer Testimonials

Customer testimonials can also be considered a type of explainer video. In these videos, your customers explain their (positive) experiences of working with your company or product.

Video testimonials are an effective option for video marketing, providing a great way for you to showcase your past accomplishments. They also help you build trust with your audience, making it more likely that they’ll choose your product or service. 

Animated Illustrations (2D and 3D)

Rather than a specific type of explainer video, animated illustrations are more of a format for these videos. You can use animated illustrations as an accent or for the video as a whole.

Animated elements such as arrows are commonly used in explainers to help the viewer follow what’s going on. They can identify people on screen or label parts of a diagram. You can also animate charts and graphs to make them more engaging. 

Fully animated videos can be used in select circumstances, such as with some how-to educational videos. However, you typically wouldn't completely animate product demos or customer testimonials, as you want the viewers to be able to see the real thing.

Key Elements of an Effective Explainer Video

While there are many types of explainer videos with many different use cases, effective explainers have a few key elements in common:

• Concise messaging: As much as possible, simplify your message to make it easier to understand. Concise messaging keeps your viewers’ attention, making it more likely they’ll remember your message and follow your call to action.
• Structured narrative: A clear and organized narrative helps the viewer follow your message. It also allows you to build an emotional connection and reinforce your key message, increasing your impact on the viewer.
• Visual appeal: A great-looking video stands out from the crowd. Strong visual elements can also provide clarity to complex topics and reinforce your messaging.
• Music and sound design: The background music and sound quality further help your video stand out. These elements work to set the emotional tone of the video, support pacing and transitions, highlight important elements, and keep viewers watching.
  

Best Practices for Explainer Video Production

To create a top-notch video that conquers your marketing goals, you need strong scriptwriting, storyboarding, and editing. 

Scriptwriting Tips

Your script is the first step in bringing your video to life. When creating your explainer video script:

• Consider your audience: Who are they? What do they care about? How does your product or service help them?
• Grab their attention: Open with a bold statement, question, or relatable scenario that keeps your viewers watching.
• Follow a simple structure: After you hook your viewers, present them with the problem they face, your solution, how that solution works, and its benefits. Conclude with a call to action.
• Keep it simple: Concise videos are easier to understand and remember. Cut out extra fluff and filler; each word should have a purpose.
• Use conversational language: No one wants to listen to a robot. Use a friendly tone and keep sentences short, and read your script aloud to check if it sounds natural.

When working on the script, don't get too hung up on fleshing out the visual elements; that’s what the storyboarding phase is for.

Storyboarding Essentials

Storyboarding takes the script and uses it to create a visual timeline of your video. Start by breaking down the script into chunks, with one idea per frame or panel. 

Next, define the key visual elements for each scene: what’s happening, who the characters are, what text is on screen, and motion cues like zoom or fade.

Once you have the outline, you can create a rough sketch of the visuals to block composition and movement. Plan out the flow and transitions between scenes and elements, and make sure everything aligns with the script.

Editing Techniques

After you've filmed your footage following the script and storyboard, editing is the final step to create a video before distribution. It ensures your video is cohesive and polished. Important techniques for editing explainer videos include:

• Trimming to enhance clarity and pacing
• Syncing audio with visual
• Creating smooth transitions
• Adding text and graphics
• Maintaining consistency with elements like colors, tone, and fonts
• Balancing sound
• Adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation

Distributing Your Explainer Video

Once you’ve finished producing your explainer video, it’s time to distribute it. Where you put your video will depend on its type and your goals.

For example, if your goal is to showcase your product and draw attention to your brand, you’ll likely want to post on social media or integrate the video into your current marketing campaign. If your video is for education or training, you may keep it in house or host it on your website. Look at key trends in video marketing to determine where your video may best fit.

Create an Explainer Video That Makes a Difference

Explainer videos have many uses, but at their core, they’re a way for you to deliver key information to your audience while marketing your product or service. A highly polished video can be hard to make on your own, but Charter & Co is here to help. 

Our award-winning services can work with you to script, storyboard, film, and edit the perfect explainer video for your next marketing campaign. Contact us today to get started!

Explainer Video FAQs

What is an explainer video?

Explainer videos, quite simply, are videos meant to explain a specific concept. They can showcase what your product or service does, tell viewers about your company, teach about a topic, or feature reviews of your company.

Can I make an explainer video myself?

It can be tricky to figure out how to make an explainer video, and even harder to properly execute video production. You may be able to find explainer video software or animation explainer video templates, but it’s important to consider whether the legwork is worth it. An experienced explainer video company has the know-how and tools to create a polished, professional video that effectively succeeds at your goals.

How much does an explainer video cost?

Video costs can vary significantly depending on the type of project and the length of the video. For a more concrete idea of costs, reach out to Charter & Co today.