Most people will already know that to make a great animated explainer video you need:
- A solid script
- Some cool graphics
- And crazy animation
But, what if you want to creating a winning animated explainer video?
Well, for that you need a couple of extra special ingredients.
In this article, we're going to list the 5 crucial ingredients of a winning animated explainer video.
An Emotional Response
Think about the last video you shared online.
Why did you share it?
Most likely, you shared it because of the way it made you feel. Videos that trigger an emotional response with viewers, whether that's inspiration, laughter, or even sadness, are more likely to encourage viewers to take meaningful actions. Take this video by Chipotle as an example:
It's heartbreaking to see the animals being mistreated (particularly the cow at 1:35!) and this triggers the emotions that Chipotle wants us to feel – upset and ready to make a change about the welfare of the animals we eat.
Similarly, this video by Metro Trains does a great job at making us laugh and then bringing us down to earth with the chilling truth about deaths caused by trains:
But it doesn't all have to be doom and gloom! In an analysis of the top 10,000 shared content pieces on the web, researchers from BuzzSumo assigned a specific emotion to each piece of content. Awe was the most shared emotion at 25%, followed by laughter (17%), amusement (15%), and joy (14%).
A High-Quality Voiceover
It can be easy to consider the voiceover as one of the lesser parts of your video. However, scrimping and saving when it comes to your voiceover could be the difference between a winning video, and a downright average one.
The right voiceover will make your audience feel represented and can even guide viewers towards making the decision you want them to. A great voiceover will also add personality to your video, making it more interesting to watch. Take this video by Epipheo as a perfect example:
If you need to instil trust in your customers and prove your credibility, then a good voiceover can help you do this, too. This video by AliveStudios is a great example because before sending your family films to a company, you need to know you can trust them. The clear and familiar tone of the voiceover artist helps to establish this trust.
So, if you want to create a winning animated explainer video, you need to think seriously about your voiceover. Choose a high-quality artist that can represent your brand in the right way. And never ever use an artificial voiceover!
A Great Call-to-Action
Your call-to-action is what you want viewers to do after watching your video – it's basically why you made the video in the first place!
There are a variety of different approaches you can take with your call-to-action. You can go for the friendly, no pressure approach:
Or, you can offer the customer an incentive:
There are so many angles you can take with your CTA to make it great! Here are just a few more examples:
Urgency: Sign up now to get 10% off!
Social: Share with your friends (be sure to include clickable social icons here)
Straightforward: Contact us/Visit our website
Your call-to-action is one of the key elements used for generating sales, so a great CTA is a vital ingredient of a winning animated explainer video.
A great call-to-action is short, snappy, and most importantly, clear. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and make sure that your CTA explains, in a no-nonsense way, exactly what you want them to do next.
Keep it Short, Keep it Clear
Your CTA isn't the only thing that needs to be short and clear. In fact, your entire video should be.
I guess you could say that 'keep it short, keep it clear' actually refers to two separate
ingredients – whoops!
So, let's break it down:
Keep it Short
Keeping your video short, preferably under two minutes, will ensure that more people watch it until the end and see that all-important call-to-action.
Shorter videos are more successful because most people are now watching things on portable devices. When out and about on a smartphone, viewers don't want to watch a 2 minute video, they want 30 second bites – or even shorter if possible!
Our attention spans are also decreasing. In a study on viewer abandonment by the New York Times, almost a fifth of viewers clicked out of a video within the first ten seconds.
Keep it Clear
If there's one surefire way to make people click off your your video, it's jargon.
Although buzzwords may sound fancy and professional to you, to your audience, with that ever-shrinking attention span, it's all just nonsense that they don't have time for.
Show your customers that you value their time by creating a video that speaks to them in a clear, straightforward manner. This will not only help you keep their attention, but also help you to gain their trust.
A Winning Marketing Plan
What's the point of creating a winning explainer video if you don't have a clue what to do with it afterwards?
A winning marketing plan is vital to the success of your video. Once your video is ready, you need to make sure it gets as much exposure as possible. Start by uploading it to YouTube and tagging it with relevant keywords. Like so:
This will increase your chances of being found through search. You can also further improve your SEO through a paid AdWords campaign. Or, you can advertise on YouTube,
Facebook, Twitter – there are so many ways to reach your ideal customer!
Creating an explainer video is harder than you may think. You need a clear vision, determination, and a lot of patience. But now that you know the 5 ingredients that make a winning animated explainer video it should be a little bit easier!
By Matt Byrom, Managing Director of Wyzowl.
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