An explainer video is a short video, often animated, that tells your brand’s story, explains what you do, and/or lets people know how to use your website.
Normally, you’ll publish explainer videos on your website itself, though you might also post them to a site like YouTube.
Is it Worth Creating an Explainer Video?
In a word… yes! Here are just three great reasons why:
- Including a video on a landing page can increase conversions – especially if your product is one that potential customers might not understand immediately. One study by Eye View Digital found that using videos increased conversions by up to 86%.
- Many people would rather watch than read. Given the choice between reading your sales page and watching a video, a lot of potential customers will opt for the video. If you don’t have one, a wall of text might well put them off.
- Video is more memorable. As wishpond explains, video can be a great way to get your brand remembered: “A remarkable video on your landing page – one that resonates with your demographic and gets your business message communicated – can create a memorable experience.”
Of course, a poorly done explainer video – one that looks amateur, takes ages to get to the point, or that leaves prospective customers more confused than before they began – won’t do much for your conversion rate.
That’s why we’re going to take a look at seven examples of great explainer videos… and dig into why they work so well.
Seven Great Explainer Videos… and Why They Work
#1: DollarShaveClub
Length: 1 min 33
Why it works:
This video from DollarShaveClub makes great use of humor – both spoken (“our blades are f***ing great”) and visual (the toddler shaving her father). The man featured is the founder of the company, Mike Dubin, creating a much more personal connection than people would normally have with the company selling them a razor. The focus is clear: cheap, great razors that do their job without having a lot of unnecessary extras – and the brand’s irreverent nature is on full display.
#2: Unroll.me
Length: 1 min 0
Why it works:
Unroll.me keeps it short and focuses on one very simple message – “email doesn’t have to suck.” It shows a bunch of different people sharing their frustrations about email subscriptions, then shows them plus others using the app, with a firm focus throughout on how easy it is to unsubscribe from things with unroll.me.
#3: Project Permit
Length: 1 min 33
Why it works:
The animation is well done – and keep in mind that production values are crucial, as your video will often be the first impression a potential customer (or in this case, supporter) gets. This video shows the pain of what you want to avoid (“bad permitting practices”) and promotes what Vote Solar wants to do: “shine light on solar permitting practices nationwide and empower people like you to make them better.”
#4: Spotify
Length: 1 min 04
Why it works:
This animated video has a low-key, hand-drawn style. It matches up really well with Spotify’s color scheme, and explains what Spotify is through words and images on the screen. Having the words in the video, rather than spoken, means the soundtrack can really shine through – helping to demonstrate what Spotify is great at. It’s clear and simple, and engaging and fun to watch.
#5: PrescribeWellness
Length: 30 seconds
Why it works:
With a clear, authoritative voice-over and high-quality animation, this very short video from PrescribeWellness clearly explains what your local pharmacy can do, showing animated figures getting treatment and telling the viewer that “local community pharmacies are building better healthcare.” It’s part of a series of short videos that explain what PrescribeWellness does (this video makes the relationship between PrescribeWellness and community pharmacies clearer).
#6: PooPourri
Length: 2 mins 15
Why it works:
PooPourri has not just one explainer video, but a whole series of them. The humor tends toward the outrageous (you’ll find a bunch of YouTube commenters who absolutely love them, and some who are horrified!) – and each video includes a clear explanation of how it works. There’s a consistency between the videos (most of them have the same, red-haired British narrator) that helps create hugely memorable branding. As the narrator puts it, “Our business is to make it smell like your business never even happened.” (The “Imagine Where You Can GO” and “Even Santa Poops” videos are also well worth watching.)
#7: CrazyEgg
Length: 2 mins 38
Why it works:
This explainer video is longer than the others we’ve looked at – but it remains engaging throughout, with great animations and a clear understanding of the problem facing CrazyEgg’s potential customers. It shows the product in action in detail – necessary as potential customers may never have come across a heatmapping tool before – and clearly sells the benefits – being able to increase your conversion rates.
Keep your explainer video short, clearly explain what your product or service offers, and make sure the production values are high. You should see a dramatic increase in your conversion rate.
You’re putting a lot of effort into creating engaging, entertaining, and informative explainer videos, so why not make it easy for your visitors to follow you on YouTube for more great video content? Install the YouTube follow button today – it’s simple to install and free to use – so your visitors can follow you on YouTube with a single click!
