So, you have this amazing explainer video sitting around on your computer. It is perfect in every sense: It is beautifully designed, it tells an engaging story about your business or product and it truly communicates what your brand is all about. But what happens now? What can you actually do with your explainer video other than uploading it to Facebook? Or more accurately, what can your explainer video do for you?
Use your explainer video for your pitch
Making a pitch can be nerve-wracking. It has to be short and to the point, interesting and memorable. With your explainer video, you can deliver a perfect pitch every time. You don’t have to worry anymore if your product is difficult to explain – your video has been optimised and will do it for you. Explainer videos are engaging and capture your audience’s attention much better than a conventional presentation could. The added visuals make them easier to remember. They’re also much more convenient if you want to spread the word: Your audience might tell others about your pitch if it was very good, but a video can be shared more easily and much faster. And finally, you can pitch your business even when you’re not there in person!
Clarify the objective or your product or service
Text can be difficult. Sometimes it takes long to express seemingly simple things. And there’s always the chance that people understand it in different ways, other than you intended. So, instead of writing long blocks of text, use your explainer video! According to Invisia, 90% of internet users say that watching a video is helpful in the decision process when buying a product. Videos make things easy to understand. You can point out the features and benefits of your product, show what your product or your service actually does, and explain why people should choose your business. All of this is much easier and faster to do in a video (rather than in a text format), because you can support words (written or spoken content) with visuals.
Our explainer video for US Vision describes the product and highlights its benefits. Pretty convincing, right?
Put it on your landing page
Do your website visitors bounce off your site because it is too boring or too confusing? Explainer video to the rescue! Put it on your landing page and see what happens.
Studies show that having a video on your landing page will keep people on your site longer. According to Forbes, the average internet user spends 88% more time on a website with a video than on a website with text and pictures only. A video grabs attention, makes people engage with your site and lets them learn about your brand. Videos on landing pages have increased conversion rates significantly (as explained below).
Use it for promotion on social media
As mentioned earlier, videos are very easy to share across social platforms. People are more likely to watch video content than read text, so using your explainer video on social media is a very effective way of promotion. According to a 2013 study from the UK, people are more likely to share (39%), comment (36%) and 'like' (56%) a video than text-only content. So put your video on Youtube, on Vimeo and share it on Facebook. Use the right keywords so people can find it. Unfortunately, there is no set formula for your video to go viral, but with a great video and a bit of luck – who knows!
This video we made for The Misprint Co. has been used for promotion on websites and social media. And it's great for a pitch!
Increase your conversion rate
Explainer videos can significantly increase conversion rates, and consequently, generate better leads and lower customer acquisition costs. Switch Video conducted a case study that explains how one of their explainer videos increased web conversion rates. Their video for Rypple focused on the customers’ needs and on connecting with them emotionally. It was placed on their home and landing pages and tested against a different version of the page (which only contained text and images). The results were clear: the pages with the video were performing much better, increasing the conversion rates by 20%. The numbers can climb even higher, though, as demonstrated in other case studies where explainer videos on home or landing pages lead to an increase by 34%, 64% and up to 80%.
Rank better on Google – improve your SEO
According to Spork Marketing, websites with video rank better on Google than websites without video. This is because a video is an indicator of quality: “Quality websites are more like to have a video than ‘spam’ websites.”
Also, have you ever noticed the little video thumbnail that sometimes shows up in Google search results? People will rather click on that than on text-only listings.
Plus, if you put your video on Youtube and link it back to your website (in the description below the video), you’ll create a great link that will further improve your Google rank.
Show your brand and personality
If you want your business to be truly successful, you’ll need to create a loyal customer base. A video is one of the best ways to connect with potential customers. You can demonstrate your creativity, your values and what your company culture is all about. After all, people don’t just buy the product you offer, but also your brand – why you’re doing whatever you do. A video is a great tool to create brand awareness and engagement. If done well, you’ll gain your audience’s trust and turn them into loyal followers and long-term customers.
Learn about your audience and improve your marketing strategy
Once people start watching your video, you can start learning about your audience. Track your video and look at the statistics: What part do people watch, rewatch, or skip? Where do they pause and where do they stop? Find out what worked well and what didn’t and learn for your next video. Also, have a look at where it works best – is it mainly shared on Facebook or do most people watch it on your Youtube? This will give you some valuable insights and help you improve your marketing strategy.
This project is a business explainer: it tells us what StoryShed does in simple words and engaging images.
An explainer video has many possible applications that will help you grow your brand. The production can be relatively cost-effective or it might be more expensive than you’ve expected. But in any case, if it is done well, it will be worth the effort (and your money): In this study, Revolution Productions invested in two 90-second explainer videos and calculated an overall return of nearly 8x the original investment. Not bad, right?
So, use these suggestions and get creative yourself: How else can you use your explainer video?
PS: If you have any great ideas, please let us know too!