Getting all excited about telling your story to the world through an explainer video? Well, here’s the good news! Your marketing strategy is just going in the right direction. It’s all the rage these days.
However, if you think making an explainer is as easy as duck soup, you’re wrong. On the other hand, making a bunch of poor-performing videos can make you destitute in no time. It’s by no means a small investment!
Keeping this into check, we have compiled a list of 5 things you must avoid when making a video. Guess what, there’s very little room for mistakes here!
So let’s jump in…
1. Lengthy Script
Unless you find peace in putting tired people to sleep, making a lengthy script is a straight no-no. Your audience is bored and in a hurry. This means you must provide them value in a short and entertaining piece. Even a joke pushed too long loses its taste. Not to mention a marketing video.
A rule of thumb is to make your message as concise as possible. It shouldn’t exceed the 120 seconds mark at any cost, with around 150 words per minute. According to statistics, the average viewership of explainer videos drops from 77% to 57% after the video crosses 2 minutes, with those shorter than 60 seconds having the highest audience retention rate.
2. Ignoring competitor’s videos
Studying your competitor’s approach is one of the best strategies you can follow to make an effective explainer video. It can be from two angles. First, to see what’s working for your competitor if the video is doing great.
Second, to see the flaws in your competitor’s video that you might improve upon. Besides, in a market as competitive as now, it’s nearly impossible to make your mark without knowing who you are competing against. So if you haven’t studied your competitor’s content yet, maybe it’s time you do.
3. Not listening to creative producers
A creative producer is a mastermind behind a project. He knows what the audience wants and how to present it. Needless to say, he is highly experienced and competent in his area of work. Plus, there’s a good chance that he must have handled projects of your nature before.
This means you must listen to his suggestions closely as the explainer video company works on your project. Of course, your ideas will play a crucial role in shaping the tone and structure of the video. But as far as execution is concerned, you should interfere as little as possible.
4. Not focusing on your target audience.
One of the facts you must remember while making an explainer video is that you aren’t Santa Clause distributing gifts. That being said, you have to be really specific about your audience, their pain points, and your message based upon it. Using demographics like age, sex, location, etc., will help. A rule of thumb is to ask yourself questions like:
- What product am I selling?
- What sort of problems can it solve?
- What language does my audience better understand?
More, choosing the right platform is also crucial. A video made for Youtube might not work as good on Facebook. The same goes for other platforms, as users’ watching habits differ from place to place.
5. Rushing the explainer video production
Rushing the explainer video production means cramming a lot of work in very little time. This means there’s a chance that you are likely going to leave a lot of boxes unchecked. The result will be a low-quality video with poor results. So either don’t rush it or at least reach out to a video production company that is experienced in handling rushed projects. Just expect a little more charges for the second option. Good things don’t come cheap 😉
Getting the best out of explainers:
Now that you know what to avoid while making an explainer, here are some tips on making the most out of it:
1. Choose quality over quantity:
A single well-made explainer will do more for your marketing campaign than a hundred poorly made explainers. That being said, always go for quality over quantity, and don’t be shy of investing time and money in making your video. Remember, it’s your story. And you want to present it the best way possible. What’s the point of an explainer if it isn’t heard or watched.
2. Check the trends, or ask the directors about them:
Corroborating with the trends is one of the key factors in grabbing your explainer video audience’s attention and increasing engagement. So as you plan your video, carry out a bit of research and see what sort of videos are doing great these days? Plus, what your target audience is currently into? If you’re too busy to do that, perhaps you should consult your creative director. He is the Yoda of the company.
3. Do it when your budget is right:
Earlier, we talked about quality over quantity. But guess what, quality comes at a cost. Yup! Some companies make explainers for quite a low cost, but that doesn’t always ensure the best quality. So as you do your research, find options that provide the best value, and then figure out if it fits in your budget. If not, better wait instead of making an explainer for just the sake of it.
Wrapping Up
About 85% of modern businesses opt for explainers these days to get their message across. Among them, 92% consider it an integral part of their strategy. And as videos are getting popular day by day, we will see more businesses leveraging them to generate conversions. Needless to say, they have been quite effective.
However, to reap the full benefits of an explainer, it’s necessary to make it the right way first. To help you with that, we tried to shed light on some of the biggest mistakes you should avoid when making an explainer video. Plus, some tips on making your videos even better. We hope this article has been helpful. See you in the next one!