Video Production
An explainer video production is the most effective tool for transferring information about your products and services to internet users. Whether you use 2D animation or live actors, delivering your message with a video explainer is at the forefront of current marketing tactics. It’s the best way to reach real customers in real time.
What is an explainer video?
When you roll out a new line of products, you want the industry buzz to nearly outdo its entrance. And when you get the merchandise into the marketplace you want to tell the world about its qualities and performance. That’s when you reach out to an explainer video company.
Animated Explainer Videos
The most popular form of explainer videos is those with animation, in part because they are easier to create than live-action videos. Simple artwork such as 2D animation provides direct information, which is a streamlined way to educate the public about your company’s policies, products, and achievements. But on top of the practical advantages, what has contributed to the wide use of animation is their entertainment value. They attract and engage more viewers because they are visually more interesting than the news-like style of talking heads.
There are various forms and purposes for explainer videos, and the style you choose depends largely on the industry you are trying to reach.
Whiteboard Explainer Video – Sometimes called a chalkboard video, this is one of the easiest to create and, thus, has been used by a huge variety of businesses in recent years.
Infographic – Using graphs and charts, the iconography used in an infographic video “explains” your key points with data.
Motion Graphics Video – Using 3D animation, your video production communicates your company’s purpose or introduces products using objects to inspire the imagination of viewers. You can reach across communities this way as well, for instance portraying the San Francisco Bay Area with an artwork of the Golden Gate Bridge or the Statue of Liberty to denote New York City.
Live-Action Explainer Videos
Because you communicate with your audience through actors or bona fide customers, live-action videos are more effective when they reflect the quality of a professional videographer. This type of video production is harder to master because it involves more physicality and it’s challenging to tell your story in a compelling manner. We are so familiar with live-action media that it doesn’t draw our attention as readily as something with the creative elements of drawings and artistry. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t effective.
Certain industries benefit greatly from video marketing involving live actors, especially when there’s storytelling involved. For instance, an airline’s flight instructions will usually include actors and a healthcare marketing video may walk patients through a typical office visit.
When your potential customers need affirmation from previous clients, they are more persuadable through the direct form of video testimonials than written text. Hearing and seeing an individual add veracity to your company’s claims with their own words is a valuable step to customer conversion.
What makes a good explainer video?
Every video production company has its own set of best practices, but there are elements that show a greater return-on-investment, in terms of meeting their desired outcomes. There are similarities in the features that successful video marketing professionals employ, such as length and tone.
The best explainer video companies include these features:
- Succinct – 90 seconds or less
- A strong call to action
- A problem solved
- Material aimed at the target audience
- The highest quality production possible
Where video content is concerned, it’s a good idea to put the meat of your message in the first half of the script, according to executives who study feedback from video productions that connect with customers. Speak directly to your audience, using “you” and “your” rather than a third-party discussion. And what’s of utmost importance is to match the tone to your target. If your products reach customers who are casual, be conversational. If you offer high-end products or services, keep it tight.
It’s easier to put into practice the groundwork that centers around the problem the public needs solved – it’s the way most marketing personnel are trained. But an explainer video production company will guide you to connect the dots between the problem and your company’s ability to solve it. People sometimes miss that aspect – doubling down on the great work or quality of products you offer.
You want your explainer video to answer these questions:
What problems do your prospective customers have that need solving?
What is your solution?
How do you stand out among competitors in your field?
The storyboard has to include the most valuable aspects of your message in order to work it into your voiceover script and other video content. This isn’t something you leave to amateurs and their illo sketchbooks. An animated explainer video company can pump up the quality of your messaging through their expertise and software products they use. The more layers of quality and sophistication, the better your brand looks to the public.
The business advantage to professional post-production is that the use of music and sound effects convey to the public a level of quality that an amateur effort would not. Both of these features – sound and music – have an immeasurable effect when they pull together the whole project, adding the emotional factor you need to motivate shoppers.
How do you make an animation on a whiteboard video?
Since Walt Disney designed “Mickey” in the 1920s, animation has been hard to resist. There is virtually no one alive who didn’t grow up with cartoon animation.
A couple of years ago, Statista released data about the thousands of Americans who view various cartoons. They noted the number of average viewers in the United States for some of the biggest shows such as “Teen Titans Go!” with an average of 758,000 viewers and “The Amazing World of Gumball,” with 735,000 average viewers. They expect that global advertising for cartoons will total $177.7 billion in the year 2023.
How can animation help your business thrive?
Animation is an easy way to introduce a business that has harder edges, such as something very technical. When you carry computer products, for instance, but your audience is made up of individuals with little technical expertise, you need a softer way to communicate. Whiteboard animation is the answer.
If you run a corporation in the healthcare industry, you probably need to reach the average individual with no background in the sciences. To reach patients with your medical insurance services or if you represent a clinic, speaking to your target clients in a language they understand is imperative.
You can use a tried-and-true template for your animation style or you can reach out to an explainer video company that can create a customized whiteboard video that reflects the personality of your company. You have a bigger shot at expanding your customer base when you seek out an animated explainer video company with a team of creative artists. You need illustrators who can create the style of characters that fit your particular industry and a flexible team of industry professionals who can make revisions to customize your needs.
A seasoned team will help you design a whiteboard explainer video that gains the attention of your potential customers and maintains professionalism. Not all whiteboard productions utilize humor or exaggerated characterizations. Think of PayPal or American Express, which both use animated explainers successfully.
Some of the industries served well by animated explainer videos are:
- Transportation companies
- Telecommunications
- Financial services
- Data collection/storage
- Employee benefits
- Headhunters/recruitment
- Waste management
When do you need a live-action explainer video?
If your corporate message involves more complex ideas, you are likely to choose a live-action video explainer over an animated video. You don’t need illustrators for live-action videos, but you can still add voiceover narration and even consider a hybrid video. A video production company with a creative services team can offer you the pros and cons of both styles. You can switch video strategies or incorporate both, depending on the trajectory you choose.
When you have a tight deadline, a live-action explainer may be harder to pull off, but reputable companies can be well served through this method of marketing. The conversion rate advantage from live-action videos depend on the business and the purpose for your production. If you are a vendor needing a convention video to capture the attention of conferencegoers, a live-action video can take them from browser to buyer.
A video that offers a form of training to already existing customers or even in-house staff members will obviously not serve the purpose of sales. But an explainer video that offers guidance to end users can also be helpful in attracting more customers, especially when it becomes accessible to the wider public through social media.
Who can help me create an explainer video?
When you decide you need new strategies in your arsenal of sales and marketing, you need to reach out to an experienced team of creative artists who can design a customized package for your purposes. Whether you have a large corporation steeped in tradition or you are a startup in the business idea stage, leaving the task of creating an effective visual piece to your marketing department is a tall order. It’s time to bring in a pro.
COLDEA Productions works with you to plan and execute an effective video that conveys information with precision. Our process begins with a meeting to get to know your team and get on the same page with you, so we deliver the most effective educational tool possible. Your success is the central focus of the project.
A live-action or animated explainer video can both entertain and engage your customers, but also bring you into contact with a broader base. Our team of experts will design and deliver a final product that aims squarely at your target audience. We become part of your marketing team, keeping your goals at the forefront.
Our creative services team can also help you promote your products and services through social media sharing and marketing management. We seek to increase viewer understanding and with our background in multiple aspects of the business, you don’t end up in the unlimited revision process you may find with other video production companies.
We deliver creative solutions to our clients, always aligning our steps in the production process with your goals. If it’s the first time you’ve broached the world of video marketing, there’s no worries – we are with you every step of the way. We meet your deadline so your new video project hits the public in a matter of business days, not months.
What you get with COLDEA Productions is a solid team of professionals with the skills in explainer video production that offers you a performance that exceeds your expectations.
