How To Make Sales And Influence People With A Great Explainer Video

There’s a world of words out there, guys. In each and every place you look fountains of fizzy over-descriptive copy froth. (Ahem).

How often have you scanned a page of text, noting only the headlines? Yet you will watch a tedious video to its end simply because it entertained your eyes and provoked a reaction!

That’s because our brains are a factory of information processing; rich data is fed in and dealt with at high speed. It’s no wonder studies show that we’re programmed to detect motion, and react to it.

So let’s explore how this works in a business sense.

YouTube has proven the effectiveness of visual media and now takes 3rd place in the social media site ratings and a lofty 2nd in the search engine race.

So how do we capitalise on this media?

By setting up a great Explainer Video for your home page or landing site you can fast track your message to potential and existing customers. Whether it results in a direct sale or a boost to your Google ratings, it is worth the venture.

Follow these 5 steps to reach your visual enlightenment.

Step 1 – Motion, movement and information

You really have to make your Explainer Video stand out from the rest and make it meaningful. A good idea will spread like wildfire but it must be valuable and answer the 3 W’s… Who; What; Why?

Who are you?

What does your company do?

Why should we choose you over your competitors?

Like a good whodunit, you must answer these questions and entertain your audience. You must communicate succinctly – you don’t have long to grab their attention! If you can get to the nitty gritty whilst being creative and warm, you are well on your way to Explainer Video heaven.

This is a fantastic example of ‘Message’ getting it right:

Check out the video here.

They answer the customers’ questions using information, movement and creative ideas that hold your attention.

1. Who – you are told about Message being a web application for social networking and group communication.
2. What – it visually describes easy-to-use software and explains its benefits for productivity and networking.
3. Why – it is a clean and attractive bit of kit that is also affordable.

How do you feel about the product at the end of the video? Do you want to try it out? Were your eyes entertained until the last animation? My responses were positive and I feel that any questions were answered, in a beautiful way.

Step 2 – Move people

Emotions are a powerful thing; a strong positive reaction can result in the sharing of your message and a negative one can impact pretty gravely on your business. Try to engage with your audience and lead them through a story.

Imagine you have 2 minutes to evoke or provoke emotion; story boarding will be an essential process here. Spend a couple of minutes watching Attentive.ly’s video about their service:

At the beginning you know nothing of the story or the characters, but by the end you have been taken along their journey and empathise with the emotions they went through. It conveys the altruistic side of social media whilst clearly explaining the benefits to the business. You can start to imagine how Attentive.ly could work to promote traffic to your campaign. You now know the ‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘why’ of their social media match service and they did this by tugging on your heartstrings and keeping the visual movement stimulating.

Step 3 – Animation vs. Real Life: the personal connection

The use of graphic devices is a good idea but it is also important to remember the personal touch because you need your audience to identify with you as a company. So whilst your animated character can do things its human counterpart can’t, it might not be as effective at personalising the Who/What/Why of your business. Review the video below from Airbnb, which includes real scenes and people with a touch of animation.

Check out the Airbnb video here.

The same woman is shown throughout and you are taken through a series of peoples’ gorgeous homes. Whilst the scene is ever changing and evolving, the woman is a constant and holds your focus. The layered graphics keep the visuals fresh and informative, creating a motif that is memorable. Your brain forces you to keep your eyes focused on the woman presenting the message. Each of the changes of scene brings something different to the viewer; whether the home is cosy and warm or big, bright and modern, you stay interested in what Airbnb are about.

The WHO is the actor, representing the warm and friendly face of a company that excels in finding places to stay whilst travelling or holidaying.
The WHAT is explained by showing you the kind of places you could find yourself in and describes the ease at which you can search for available accommodation. It also explains the benefits of listing your home through Airbnb.
The WHY is demonstrated by Airbnb showing that there aren’t other companies doing this, through a really snappy and visually attractive Explainer Video.

Even if you aren’t going away in the near future, Airbnb will be in your mind for your next trip.

Step 4 – Influencing people and sales

Explainer Videos aren’t just for showcasing services; when used effectively they are superb at selling stuff! So whilst you may not be on the lookout for the product, the company now has its own little place in your memory bank. So if/when you do want to buy a product like that, you will think of them.

Look at the product video by Urbaneaers, above, where they explain their Tanto Headphones.

The personal touch comes from the use of human hands throughout, being tactile with the headphones. The product has a lifelike appearance due to clever placement and interaction with both the hands and the surroundings. The bright colours form part of their USP and constantly change, keeping the brain visually invested in seeing the video through.

The WHO is explained and you learn that they are a Stockholm based company that manufacture high end headphones.
The WHAT is described clearly and you understand that they want to connect people with their music, with fashionable colours that make an impact.
The WHY is backed up by information telling you that they are open headphones, so you can listen to your music without being shut off to the outside world.

Much like the Airbnb vid, whilst you don’t necessarily need this product, it will be in your mind the next time you think of a gift for someone or your favourite pair of ‘phones break.

Step 5 – Successful Explainer Video = Public Awareness

We have touched upon the science bits: the brain is hardwired to enjoy moving media and respond to it.

We explored some great example of successful videos and the tips that should be used when you are planning yours.

Now let’s think about why we’re doing all of this.

Every time a person performs a search on Google or YouTube for a certain service or product, you will stand a much greater chance of coming up in the results in you have an explainer video on your website. Each time someone sees your video, the potential for opportunity goes up exponentially.

• If someone likes what you have done, they will share with their colleagues and peers. It also is evidence to support the decision to choose you, over your competitor.
• Existing and potential customers will see live action of your product or service. How cool is that?! Rather than having to sell a hypothetical dream, you can actually show that it works! This is going to go down a lot better than dry facts and figures.
• In this day and age, people simply don’t have the time or patience to scroll through lots of words. They want impact and they want it now! So an Explainer Video answers all their questions within a short amount of time. This is a really powerful tool and it has shown to increase sales and sign-ups by 2 or 3 times.

Our visual memory is a complex and wonderful thing. You can have a piece of that, with the right video. Don’t let people forget your name – make them remember your brand.