Videos are becoming an increasingly important component of a company’s branding efforts, but it has to be done right

Everyone loves a good video. In fact, it’s poised to become the dominant content type in just a few years. Cisco predicts that by 2019, video traffic will constitute 80 per cent of all consumer Internet traffic.

So how about leveraging this trend? Explainer videos, which are defined as short marketing videos, may not be the newest marketing trick. You probably know that a screencast video helped launch Dropbox. What you may not have considered yet is that explainer videos still remain a great “trick’ to grow your user base and convert more prospective clients.

A great copy still matters, but explainer videos are watched 2.7 minutes on average. Compare this to content that is text: on average, users only read 28 per cent of a typical webpage (593 words). People tend to retain 50 per cent more information through visuals and verbal learning cues. Explainer videos on landing/homepages also tend to increase conversions as multiple case studies have shown.

Yet, filming a quick screencast video today isn’t enough to reap the same benefits as Dropbox did back in the day.  While these videos don’t need to be full of features that could make them go viral, good production values are still key. Here are quick tips for creating killer explainer videos for your products.

Stay on point

Keep in mind that an explainer video is not intended to tell an entire story. Instead, it should focus on two or three points. The point is to create an introductory understanding of your products, and to get viewers to see how their lives could be positively impacted by using your services or buying your products.

Your explainer video shouldn’t be much longer than two minutes — possibly less. After all, most web users now have an attention span of around 9 seconds. Remember that you have a great website and sales team to take things over should they progress.

Use storyboards to keep things on track

If you aren’t experienced in video production, it can be easy to get disorganized. The result is often videos that aren’t clear and don’t serve their intended purpose.

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This is where storyboarding comes in handy. It’s a bit like writing an outline for an article. By using a storyboard template, you can lay out each ‘scene’ in your video. You can plan where your presenter and your product will be within the frame. Most importantly, you can create a logical sequence to follow. There are many sources online for free storyboard templates for prototyping your video.

Pay attention to small details during the production and post-production process

Lighting, sound, and other production elements are important. Invest as much time and resources as you can in these. Poor video quality could lead to people dropping out before they finish watching. Don’t rush the process. Start with a well-written script. Shoot multiple takes. Here are some great tips on how to record a video on PC:

  • Test your monitor before you go and adjust the setting if needed to avoid a flickering speed.
  • Record your entire desktop screen. It’s easy to make the video smaller later on, but doing the opposite and enlarging it will make it blurry.
  • If you aim for a warmer setting, adjust the white balance of your screen to avoid your screen appearing too dark.
  • Shoot in segments and combine all your screencast segments later on to avoid having ‘dull’ moment when the actor is switching tabs/looking for a specific feature.
  • If you are shooting with a pro camera, consider using a macro lens. It will help capture all the fine details.

Add annotations for clarity

Your video will be most impactful if people watch it through without interruption. If viewers have to pause to discern what they are looking at, that’s troublesome. If there are points where you need to point out specific items on a product, for example, or explain what a viewer is seeing in a screenshot use annotations. These can clearly explain what is being displayed without disrupting the viewing process.

Focus on the benefits

Leave explanations of features to your landing pages and sales team. Your job in an explainer video is to focus on the benefits. In other words, remember the famous quote, “people don’t want a quarter inch drill. They want a quarter inch hole”.

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In other words, don’t tell people that your vacuum cleaner has more suction power than any in the industry. Tell them their carpets will be 75 per cent cleaner. Don’t focus on the fact that your financial software does reconciliations, tax reporting, and AP. Show your audience that they’ll spend less than an hour a week dealing with financials.

After all, a lot of people are visual thinkers. By providing them with quality explainer videos you can help them to gain a clear understanding of how your products can benefit them and increase their chances for converting. The key is to keep videos short and two the point, to organize your thoughts, and to ensure production values are up to par.

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