If you’ve spent any time on the internet, you’ve seen your share of explainer videos on homepages – those short 1-3 minute videos that explain what a company does, who they do it for and the results they get.

Explainer videos are a powerful tool for translating complex value propositions into a clear, compelling story.

What many brands don’t realize is that explainer videos aren’t just for home pages – they can help you build more effective ads and better high impact creative for your online display campaigns.

The case for explainer videos

Custom banners designs

Custom banners designs

People love video. That’s one reason video marketing has such great ROI. Consider these stats:

  • Using video grows revenue 49% faster
  • Video marketing results in 27% higher CTR and 34% higher web conversion rates
  • The average explainer video viewing time is 2.7 minutes

An average viewing time of 2.7 minutes means the viewer is highly engaged in the video. And the more engaged the viewer, the more likely they are to remember your brand or continue down your campaign funnel.

So, why explainer videos?

For some brands, it’s hard to convey the value of their offerings without overwhelming the viewer. For others, it’s hard to differentiate their offering from the competition.

Explainer videos are a great way to convey the value of a brand’s services or offerings in a clear, memorable way. Video enables you to show and tell, creating a story about your brand.

Humans are hardwired to connect with stories. It’s the original word-of-mouth marketing tactic. Stories translate complex ideas and concepts into relatable, easy-to-understand concepts.

So, whether your value proposition is clear and straightforward or complex and multifaceted, you can use explainer videos to:

  • Get and keep attention
  • Boost conversion rates
  • Increase brand awareness
  • Drive longer engagement times

And the benefits don’t stop there. Explainer videos are the ultimate multi-tool, making them one of your most effective ads.

Drive engagement across multiple channels

HTML5 development

HTML5 development

Want to boost brand awareness? Reaching users at multiple touch points is the way to go. Explainer videos can be repurposed across multiple channels for maximum impact.

  • Prospecting

Need to impress or convert a lead? High impact creative like explainer videos are an easy, powerful way to convey your value proposition. Bonus: they make your brand look authoritative. And the combination of visual and audio messaging helps you stand out from the competition.

  • Social platforms

Explainer videos are perfect for social because they’re shareable and at 1-3 minutes, are the perfect snackable content. They feel like entertainment, not marketing, which is what makes them such effective ads.

  • Retargeting

Trying to entice a previous site visitor to return? Incorporating explainer videos into your retargeting banner ads results in more effective ads. High impact creative, like video, snags (and holds) attention better than static ads.

  • Email marketing

Your email list is one of your most valuable assets. And by using high impact creative, like explainer videos, you can make the most of it. When the word ‘video’ appears in email subject lines, open rates jump by 19%. Using In-stream video ads in emails also increases click-through rates by 65% and decreases unsubscribes by 26%.

  • Website

After someone is exposed to your brand, they may bypass your funnel and go directly to your site to learn more. Explainer videos are perceived as informational and entertaining and that’s what makes them such effective ads.

  • Landing pages

Consumers are busy and many of them prefer watching videos over reading text. By adding high impact creative, like explainer videos, to your landing page, you can increase conversions by 80% or more.  We recommend keeping the text for your visitors who prefer reading.

  • Banner ads

Consumers like to be entertained. That’s one reason online Micro-videos consumption is growing at such an impressive rate. Punch up your banner ads by incorporating your explainer videos directly into the ad.

Getting started with explainer videos

HTML5 Ads

HTML5 Ads

Not sure where to start with explainer videos? Don’t try to DIY it, especially if you want to repurpose your video across multiple channels. (If the creative isn’t coded properly, it could lead to slow load times and that will cost you views.)

Look for a digital production agency that provides an all-inclusive video productions services, that way you’re working with one vendor.

What should be included:

  • Script development
  • Storyboarding
  • Voiceover
  • Music
  • Animation

Pro tip: consider pairing your voiceover narration with on screen text.

First, not all your viewers will have their audio on or available. On-screen text ensures they’re still able to engage with your Personalized video ads.

And second, viewer engagement and retention of brand messaging is higher when you combine 360 Interactive Video with on-screen text. The combination of audio, video and reading enables your viewers to engage on three levels: reading, listening and watching.

Digital Creative Production – Ready to add explainer videos to your marketing toolkit? Get in touch.