Have you ever tried creating explanation videos as part of your marketing strategy? If not, are you intimidated by the notion of creating an explainer video?
There’s no need to be — they just represent another excellent way to get your content out to your target audience.
In this article we have selected some of the best explainer video examples for you to study and learn from.
Compiling an explainer video isn’t much more complicated than putting together a slide deck in a Powerpoint presentation.
You decide what to say and find some relevant graphics to jazz things up.
More to learn: 13 Remarkable Visual Content Marketing Examples
The only differences this time are that you’ll be recording a voiceover from a written script instead of presenting it live. You’ll need to be concise and truly explain how something is done.
The biggest difference is the final step of putting all the pieces together into an easy-to-access, video file format.
Explainer videos should be 30-90 seconds in length which translates into a written script of around 200 words or less in most cases.
To get a good feel for crafting yours, just examine the work of others. You’re bound to find something that resonates with you as a good example for brainstorming your own.
Whether you have a new business, or one that’s been around for a while, marketing and branding is a never ending job.
You’ll always need to find the best ways to connect with customers, and convince them that your products and services will solve their problems. One of the most successful ways to do this is with explainer videos.
Here are 26 fabulous explainer videos. You can easily find something similar to your needs to serve as an example.
You should have no trouble getting inspired to make an explaination video part of your marketing strategy.
Lets get started with the examples.
Amazon Echo
Great example of how an explaination video is just the thing when your product is somewhat revolutionary.
This one is long as explaination videos go, but it is great at illustrating how show and tell can be the best route for explaining how a product works.
Hubspot
Hubspot is a leader in inbound marketing, so it goes without saying that their explainer video would be powerful and objective. This one does a great job explaining the consumer’s problem, and then showing how Hubspot can meet their needs.
The script doesn’t contain any fluff, and they’ve kept the video under three minutes (which is very important when it comes to viewer attention spans).
Crazy Egg
This explaination video for Crazy Egg, the heatmap tool that shows why your website visitors aren’t converting, was produced by the folks over at Demo Duck.
It’s a nice example of problem/solution animation, along with screen captures of the web app in action.
Mimecast
This video is simple, and clearly explains the benefits of utilizing Mimecast. It starts with outlining the risks of not securing your email, and then proceeds to show how their product can safely provide a viable solution.
It’s just over two minutes long, but is rich with content that helps the viewer understand the value of the service.
Explanation videos … Spotify
When Spotify “landed in the U.S.”, they released a great intro video to promote their music app.
Best of all, it has no voiceover, just a great soundtrack and fun visuals!
Basecamp
This is one of the best startup videos that we’ve seen so far. It’s simple, contains laser focused content, and answers one question.
The folks at Basecamp managed to paint a very clear picture of what they have to offer, all in 56 seconds.
It’s a teaser video that makes viewers want to learn more about what the company has to offer, and an awesome prototype of what you can produce in less than a minute.
Groupon
The Groupon animated explainer video comes from our fellow Chicagoan Brad Chmielewski. Brad proves that you can explain anything in 30-seconds.
Live Plan
Live plan comes out the gate identifying the customer and their needs in this animation. The company offers a service that helps entrepreneurs easily prepare their business plans online.
The video is short and sweet, but does an outstanding job convincing the viewer about the value of their service; another one marked as one of the best explainer videos so far.
Dollar Shave Club
You’ve probably seen it by now, but this edgy viral video came out in March and already has close to 5 million views, skyrocketing Dollar Shave Club to near-overnight startup stardom.
According to Michael Dubin, the founder and star of the video, the spot only cost $4,500 to produce.
Watching these videos, you may start to recognize some common traits that characterize each video.
Here are a few we noticed:
» A little bit of humor can be a great way to keep people engaged.
» Frame the problem and emphasize the pain point your potential customers experience.
» It never hurts to use interesting visuals to keep viewers focused.
» If you can, show your product or service in action. People like to see what you do.
» Most videos on this list are less than 2-minutes (one is only 30-seconds), so keep things short and sweet!
Zoho
Zoho is another company that you just expect to get it right, and yes, they nailed it. The explainer video introduces their website builder product.
The script is easy to follow, and includes some stats that viewers may find interesting. Custom graphics and fun narration help to make this one both interesting and convincing.
Airbnb
Produced by the talented and creative Adam Lisagor, this live action startup video is an inspiring combination of live video and motion graphics.
Make sure to check out the rest of work at Sandwich Video!
Freshdesk
Here’s another one that we would consider one of the best startup explainer videos.
Not only does the video explain how the company helps customers in need of accounting software, they inject a bit of humor in the process, which is always a hit with viewers.
Freshdesk managed to deliver a rock solid sales message- all in less than two minutes. Not bad.
PadMapper
PadMapper, is a great example of using humor to engage an audience.
This video is fun, engaging and effective. One great design.
Mailbox
A fun, quick preview of an email management application.
Boom Town
Here’s one more example of how to create an awesome explainer video without animation. In this production, real estate professionals are presented with a common problem, and Boom Town saves the day with their highly targeted service.
The video is short enough to not agitate the viewer, and just long enough to make the sale.
This is definitely one of the better explainer videos for startups, in our humble opinion.
ZenCash
This video for ZenCash, also produced by Demo Duck (the parent company behind Video Brewery) has a unique hand-sketched style which really seems to draw viewers in.
The client reported nearly 75% of visitors clicking play and watching a majority of the video, well above the industry average for a 90-second explainer video.
Wizzki
A platform for managing the hiring process. An interesting application.
Constant Contact
Explanation videos don’t always have to sell or explain a product or service.
With this production, Constant Contact uses fun graphics to give the viewer tips on email marketing.
It’s easy to follow, and the tips can be implemented by anyone regardless of what email service they’re using.
It’s a subtle way of coaxing the viewer to visit their website, which always has value.
Explanation videos … Mint
From my experience, this Mint.com overview video is one of the most referenced explainer videos of all-time. It was created by Nate Whitson and the talented crew at Picturelab.
InTouch CRM
Here’s another laser focused startup video with a flawless script. It does a great job of identifying the customers main problem, and presents the solution in a clear and concise manner.
The graphics are impeccable, and many business owners could definitely relate to the characters (even though they’re animated).
When a viewer watches a cartoon and sees himself in the storyline, it’s bound to be successful, isn’t it?
Student Hut
A tool for college students to review and discuss any college class before deciding on their course of study.
Olark
An interesting customer service tool. This one does a very good job of explaining what they offer and includes a special offer at the end.
Capital Media
If you aren’t convinced that Facebook marketing could help your business grow, you will be after watching this video.
Capital Media has produced an in depth startup explainer video on using Facebook to reach more customers.
The script queues up well with the visuals, and the storyline is simple.
The production clearly presents both the problem and the solution to the viewer, and it doesn’t hurt that the narrator has a cool European accent.
Tonx
Nice video that tells a story about why every coffee lover needs their freshly roasted coffee mail order service.
CashOut
This explanation video falls more in the lines of a demo and does a good job of illustrating the value of “easy” to the small business owner much more quickly than written content.
A unique point about it is it uses no voiceover.
Content Marketing Institute
Content Marketing Institute is another powerful leader in inbound marketing.
Their explainer video doesn’t have the catchy animations, but it does a great job of explaining who they are, and their position in the content marketing industry.
This video is a perfect example of how to produce a non-animated startup video.
The bottom line
Businesses use explainer videos to sell, educate and entertain their customers. That’s why it’s important to choose your explainer video production company wisely. You want someone that has experience, and a diverse, creative portfolio.
These are just a few examples of what you can create with the right team. If you plan to tackle this project on your own, do your research and take your time.
First impressions are lasting, and your startup video is your introduction to the world.
