Creating High-Quality Explainer Videos: A Step-by-Step Guide
In an era of endless content, capturing your audience’s attention has never been more difficult. So, how do you cut through the noise and make sure your message sticks?
Explainer videos are one of the most powerful tools to help your audience quickly understand what your product or service is all about.
Explainer videos break down complex ideas into easily digestible visuals and concise messaging. Whether you’re promoting a product, explaining a service, or simply introducing your brand, a well-crafted explainer video can simplify communication and leave a lasting impact.
If you’ve been thinking about creating an explainer video for your business or project, this step-by-step guide will take you through the entire process—from brainstorming ideas to finalizing your video for distribution.
1. Start with a Clear Objective: Why Do You Need an Explainer Video?
Before diving into any production, the first step is always to ask:
What do I want to achieve with this video? Your explainer video should have a clear purpose, whether it’s to educate your audience, generate leads, increase brand awareness, or explain a new product.
A defined objective helps ensure that your video communicates exactly what you want it to, with a consistent message throughout.
2. Know Your Target Audience: Speak to Their Needs
You can’t create an effective explainer video without understanding who you’re talking to. Audience research is essential to tailor the content in a way that resonates with them. Think about their pain points, challenges, and goals.
An explainer video is only effective if it speaks to your target audience in a language they can understand. Whether you’re addressing tech-savvy professionals or everyday consumers, consider their background, expectations, and the type of content they typically consume.
3. Write a Compelling Script: Focus on the Core Message
The script is the key to your explainer video. A good script provides structure and ensures that your message is clear and impactful. The ideal explainer video script is short, straightforward, and engaging, typically lasting 60 to 90 seconds (around 150–200 words).
Here’s how to write a solid script:
Start with a Hook: Grab attention right away by highlighting a problem your audience faces. This creates a sense of urgency.
Introduce the Solution: Present your product or service as the solution to the problem. Focus on the benefits rather than the features.
Call to Action (CTA): Wrap up the video with a strong call to action—tell viewers exactly what they should do next.
4. Storyboarding: Visualize the Journey
After finalizing your script, the next step is to create a storyboard. A storyboard is a visual representation of how the video will unfold scene by scene. It doesn’t need to be an art masterpiece, simple sketches, notes, and instructions will do.
Why is a storyboard so important?
It allows you to plan the video’s visuals and animation.
It helps align the creative team (whether you’re doing it yourself or working with a production company).
It acts as a guide for the pacing and flow of the video.
At this stage, you can begin to think about what kind of imagery, animation, or live-action you’ll need. For example, if you’re explaining how a software product works, you’ll need screen captures or animations showing the software in action.
5. Choose the Right Style: Animation, Live Action, or Both?
Choosing the right style for your explainer video is crucial because it determines how your audience connects with your message. There are several popular styles to consider, each with its own benefits:
Animated Explainer Videos: These videos use dynamic, eye-catching visuals and animations to explain your message. They’re perfect for abstract concepts or products that are difficult to show in real life.
Live-Action Videos: If your brand is more personable or you’re showcasing a product in real life, live-action is a great choice. It builds trust by showing real people and real situations.
Whiteboard Animations: This style uses a hand-drawn approach to illustrate your message. It’s simple yet effective for explaining complicated ideas.
Motion Graphics: A blend of animation and graphic design, motion graphics is ideal for creating a high-energy, modern video.
Choosing a style that fits your brand’s personality and your audience’s preferences is key to creating an effective explainer video.
6. Focus on High-Quality Visuals and Audio
The visuals and audio in your explainer video should be high-quality and match the tone of your brand. A clean, professional look conveys trust, while an engaging, lively visual style can keep the viewer’s attention.
Here are a few things to consider:
Visuals: Make sure the images or animations are high-resolution, clean, and easy to follow. Poor visuals can make your video feel amateurish.
Audio: The voiceover should be clear and pleasant to listen to. If your video includes background music, it should be subtle and not overpower the voiceover.
The right visuals and sound enhance your message and keep the audience engaged, ensuring your video stands out.
7. Add Music and Sound Effects: Enhance the Viewing Experience
Background music and sound effects can significantly improve the overall quality of your explainer video. Music sets the mood, while sound effects bring the video to life. Choose music that complements the tone of your video. whether it’s upbeat for a fun brand or more subdued for a professional service.
For example, if you’re explaining a complex concept, you might want subtle background music that doesn’t distract from the content. On the other hand, if you’re telling a story, a lively soundtrack can help create a more engaging experience.
8. Edit and Refine Your Video: Perfect the Final Product
Once you have all the footage, animations, and voiceovers, it’s time for editing. This stage allows you to refine the pacing, ensure the video flows smoothly, and cut any unnecessary content. If you’re not a professional editor, you might want to hire someone with experience, as editing is crucial to the final product.[/caption]
Things to keep in mind:
Keep the video short and to the point. Aim for under 2 minutes.
Ensure that the call to action (CTA) is clear and visible at the end of the video.
Add subtitles to make the video more accessible to viewers who watch on mute.
When editing, balancing the visuals, audio, and pacing is crucial. A good explainer video should keep the audience engaged and leave them with a clear understanding of the message.
9. Optimize for Distribution: SEO and Social Sharing
Once your video is finalized, it’s time to present it to the world. Before uploading it to platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or your website, make sure it’s optimized for search engines. Use SEO-friendly keywords in the title, description, and tags to increase its visibility.
In addition to SEO, make sure your video is shareable across all social media platforms. Videos on social media are likely to be shared, increasing your reach. Customize your thumbnail, description, and format to suit each platform.
10. Measure and Improve: Keep Improving Your Explainer Video
After your explainer video is live, track its performance using analytics. Metrics such as views, engagement rates, and conversions will give you insight into how effective your video is. If the video isn’t achieving your goals, consider tweaking it. You might need to change the call to action, adjust the visuals, or even shorten the video.
Conclusion: The Power of Explainer Videos
Creating a high-quality explainer video is not as difficult as it might seem when broken down into steps. From defining your objective and audience to selecting the right style and optimizing your video for SEO, each stage of production helps make your message clear, engaging, and memorable.
A well-crafted explainer video can be the key to unlocking greater understanding, higher conversions, and stronger customer relationships. Keep refining your process and learning from feedback, and you’ll be on your way to creating explainer videos that not only explain—but also captivate.
