Simplify the world with an explainer video

Explainer videos are simple clips or videos used to present facts in a target group-orientated and appealing way. Explainer videos have many names: Explainer video, explainer film, explainer film or explainer video. The length and style of an explainer video can vary greatly depending on the target group and the channel. You've probably seen an explainer video before: They are used, among other things, to explain products or to convey educational content in an appealing way.

The first explainer videos were how-to videos that companies recorded to explain individual work processes. They were able to show these videos to their new employees to speed up the learning process and enable them to use them straight away. The first digital elements such as text or perhaps a graphic were also used with these benefit-orientated films. As real films are not always as clear and easy to follow, the first animated explanatory videos appeared with whiteboard animations. In the meantime, how-to videos have joined the other sub-categories such as image films and product videos.

As already mentioned, there are several sub-categories of explainer videos. This also explains why there are so many possible applications. Another argument in favour of explainer videos is the medium of video itself. Thanks to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other social media, video is an absolute trend. Video marketing, especially on social media, is almost a must. But internal company topics such as employee inductions, new processes or a new time recording system are also perfect for the use of explanatory videos.

Image films are also often produced in the form of an explanatory video. An image film aims to show the values, the vision or simply the character of a company. There is sometimes a smooth transition between an explanatory video and a short film, as an image film can also indirectly say something about a company or organisation. In a Christmas story, for example, no values are addressed directly, they are shown to the audience by means of gestures. If a company logo then appears at the end of the story, we immediately associate the emotional character of the explanatory video with the company and find it more likeable or closer to people, for example.

The possibilities do not end with companies; explanatory videos are also interesting for schools, especially in connection with e-learning and blended learning. The aim is to use a combination of digital and analogue media in lessons in order to achieve the greatest possible learning effect. With eLearning videos, teachers can usefully supplement other teaching materials and show certain contexts in a different light.

An explainer video consists of three levels: Image, text and sound. The image describes everything the audience sees. This also includes written words or sentences. The text refers to the voice over, i.e. the spoken text. And for the sound, the video is accompanied by an audio track that includes background music and individual sound effects.

An explainer video is normally used to explain a complicated or complex issue. The most powerful weapon for this task? Storytelling. Storytelling has been around since the time of the first campfires. Stories are told and supported with gestures, facial expressions and other aids. Today, storytelling is still a way of telling stories, but now supported by digital elements. In the production of an explainer video, storytelling is used on all three levels to get the message of the video across to the target group. If we work with jungle elements on the image level, then the sound and text level must be equipped with jungle elements in exactly the same way. This is the only way to make the storytelling work and keep the audience attentive.

As explainer videos are used in a wide variety of industries and on a wide variety of topics, there are also many types of explainer video.

Whiteboard animation

The absolute classic among explainer videos. A hand draws on a whiteboard with a pen, while the voiceover reproduces the content and a jingle often plays in the background.

Of course, nowadays this is realised digitally: The drawing hand doesn't really draw at all. Our visual artists add the hand in the appropriate places. The whiteboard doesn't exist in this form either, because there would be a lot of unnecessary lighting problems - a white background is perfectly adequate and can also be better adapted. These are therefore purely animated explanatory videos.

2D character animation

Characters and protagonists are very popular in emotional videos. We tend to empathise when we see a person, animal or other living creature facing a challenge. This is precisely why 2D character animations are so popular. But emotions are only one aspect - a suitable mascot also creates a great recognition value. The 2D character animation is also an animated video.

2D motion graphics

2D motion graphics are a safe bet, especially for abstract videos and for that certain wow effect. Here you concentrate on 2D elements, their flow and their interplay. This type of explainer video is made for complex topics and icon-based content. These are also purely animated explanatory videos.

3D animation

Nowadays, we are being pursued by 3D elements in all media. This is mainly due to the technological advances of our time. A 3D animation is an animation in which we work with 3D elements. It can happen that we combine 2D and 3D elements to reduce the animation complexity, but then we speak of 2.5D animations. 3D animations are impressive, but also bring with them completely new challenges. The time required for the creative team is far greater than for 2D animations with the same requirements - and this is reflected in the costs.

Real film

Real people give us a feeling of closeness. That's why real film is still very popular for image videos or product videos. The human character engages the viewer. But real film does not necessarily need people on the screen, real film only means that the real film comes from the real world. Shots of forests, mountains or animals are also real images.

However, this does not mean that we can only work with real film. We often use a combination of real film with digital elements to support the spoken word. These can be simple icons or snippets of text, but animations help to understand what is being said. The important thing is not to lose focus.

You can take the whole thing to the extreme and work with live videos and support them with digital elements if necessary. Various video sequences can be used, depending on your own preferences.

Stop-motion animation

Stop-motion animation is one of the oldest types of video - everyone remembers flip-books from their childhood. What makes this type of explanatory video stand out is its character. Stop-motion animations are not fluid and this is exactly what gives them a certain impact. They are not an option for all projects, because the character of the video must resemble the stop-motion character for a satisfactory realisation.

As the name suggests, the aim of an explainer video is to explain something. Explaining here means conveying a message to a clearly defined target group. You want to convince your desired audience. It doesn't matter whether you're presenting a new marketing strategy to management or introducing your pension fund to potential customers.

The aim of an explainer video must therefore always be to ensure that the target group does exactly what was conveyed in the message after watching it. Do you want to bring more people to your website? Then the video should arouse curiosity and present the website clearly. Do you want to strengthen your company's image? Then you should communicate your values and vision in a tangible way.

In the end, it's about a certain action or train of thought that should happen after watching the video. If the thought or action takes place, then the goal has been achieved. Otherwise, the goal has not been achieved and something has been overlooked somewhere in the production process.

Explainer videos have an infinite range of possible uses. They can be used for any target group and any subject matter. They can even be adapted to the channel used, such as email, website or social media. A classic categorisation can help with the question:

• Advertising film

• corporate film

• product video

• image film

• instructional video

All of these formats fall under the term explanatory video. So you can see that an explainer video can inform, educate or entertain. And if we try really hard, we can even do everything at once.

Whether you're a teacher or an entrepreneur, your employer is a school, university, non-profit organisation, start-up or large corporation, there's always a new product or project to introduce, a staff induction to simplify or a message to get across. You can also get creative and introduce everyone on your team on the company page with a short video.

An explainer video doesn't have to fulfil a certain standard either. A 20-second clip is just as much an explainer video as a 3-minute video. This means that your topic does not have to have a minimum level of complexity. As soon as information needs to be conveyed efficiently, an explainer video is your best option.

To create an explainer video, you first need to clearly define the type of video, the target group and the content. Then the actual production begins. The first question that arises is whether you want to have the explainer video created or whether you want to do it yourself. Of course, this is a question of time and the necessary skills. There are many online tools that you can use to create explainer videos for free. However, the quality of these videos usually depends on how good the message is and how it is received by the target audience. If the message is unclear, then explaining it will be difficult and if the message is not received by the target audience, then something has gone wrong during production.

The most important stages of explainer video production in brief:

• Workshop

• Script

• Sketches/storyboarding

• design

• animation

• sound

Video production starts with a workshop. There we clarify the above-mentioned questions about the type, target group, intended use and content of the explanatory video. Based on this information, a copywriter creates a script for the video. It is important to note here that the text is a spoken text, so it may sound wrong in your head. As long as it works when spoken, everything is fine. Storytelling is an important aspect of the text and the first sketches. Text and image must work together to convey the message efficiently. The copywriter writes the script for this and then liaises with the visual artists for the first sketches.

The sketches together with the text create an initial overall impression of the video. Better still, record the spoken text, as it will ultimately be heard and not read. As soon as the first impression is convincing, the style is also required. With the right style, the sketches are transformed into scenes by the visual artists. This step is important because all the visual details for the final product are defined here.

With the scenes comes the animation phase. This phase requires a lot of time and a good eye to recognise even small discrepancies. As soon as the animation is finished, the only thing missing is the sound. Harmonious rhythms, highlight sounds and small clicking noises are all part of the sound design.

Together, they make up the final product.

Explainer videos have been everywhere for a few years now. So it seems unsurprising that there are some advantages over other media. These are our top benefits:

• Simplify the complex

Complex issues are best communicated using a combination of several media. Explainer videos are ideal because the combination of visual and auditory input increases comprehension and the possibilities for using digital elements to explain topics are limitless. A small graphic can work wonders when explaining a process step, model or product.

• Video formats everywhere

Video has taken over the market. The big social media have made images and videos the most popular media. Explanatory videos are therefore not only efficient from an educational point of view, they are also very trendy.

• Competition with texts

A picture says more than 1,000 words - and a video says more than 1,000 pictures. Explaining something with text alone is difficult. A graphic or illustration helps immensely - and now imagine that the illustration is put together step by step and addresses each individual aspect directly. Text explanations are certainly not dying out, but they should be combined with their animated siblings whenever possible.

• Dwell time

SEO keeps companies constantly on their toes. An important point here is the time spent on a website. This raises the question of how to increase dwell time and again the answer is clear: explanatory videos. A video makes a stronger first impression on users and therefore has a greater chance of being watched. Two minutes of watching a video feels shorter than two minutes of reading text. This allows you to keep users for longer and increase your dwell time.

• Lasting impression

A video can burn itself into the audience's memory with visual or auditory elements. This creates a lasting impression. This impression is influenced by the message and the quality of the explainer video. If your company works with some high-quality videos, you can be sure that your audience will also see this quality in your products or services.

• Recognition

This effect is strongest with iconic mascots or storylines that people immediately associate with a specific company. With explainer videos, even if it's just one, you have the chance to drastically increase the recognition value of your company.

How effective an explainer video is depends on how well the video is tailored to the target group and the content.

Explanatory videos are also more effective at conveying information because we absorb and understand visual elements more quickly than simple text - not to mention the fact that visual elements are also more appealing and exciting.

Companies invest a lot of time and resources in product development, so these should also receive the attention they deserve from the target group - explainer videos make it possible!

They are simple: explainer videos are short and uncomplicated and convey information quickly and easily. This fact is an advantage for companies, as a two to three-minute video can be watched more quickly than an hour-long video. Society has become very time-conscious and few people today would read a long two-page letter or watch a long video.

They encourage creativity: new ideas are consistently sought out because the more unique an idea is, the more likely the target group will flock to you, just as bees are attracted to honey. With explainer videos, you can showcase the creativity of your brand, product and services in a way that benefits your business.

They are versatile: there's nothing better than one size fits all advertising. Explainer videos can be used on various social media platforms, television, websites and billboards. The importance of these videos is not lost as they do not need to be adapted to new formats of video advertising.

They can help to increase conversion rates: Built-in "call-to-actions" subconsciously prompt consumers to buy. This helps companies to maximise their profits.

They can help with Google rankings: Did you know that websites with videos are much more likely to rank on the first page of Google? This means your business gets more visibility, as very few people click through multiple pages.

Maximising return on investment: Spending a larger sum to get an even larger sum feels good. Companies like Dropbox and CrazyEgg made more than $24 million and $21,000 a month, respectively, after spending significantly less on creating explainer videos for their brands.

They help your customers to understand your products or services: Explainer videos help customers understand a company's products or services and create new visions.

They can help influence business decisions: Instead of the boring old PowerPoint presentations at board and business meetings, explainer videos can be the perfect pitch medium - short, concise and impactful.

Explainer videos can also help you increase your brand's visibility and reach to different customers. With the right video, anything is possible.

A good explainer video sounds like you and your company. It speaks directly to your target audience, convinces them with emotional music and a captivating story and creates lasting recognition value. A good explainer video sets you apart from your competitors and secures your position.

Explainer video costs vary greatly. However, the factors are usually the same:

Complexity

As can already be surmised, the scope and complexity of the content is decisive for the scope of work and therefore the cost of the explainer video. However, this factor can often be narrowed down, as the target group always has a certain level of basic knowledge. If this basic knowledge is close to the content of the video, then no additional work is required. If the target group has little or no knowledge of the topic of the video, then additional effort is necessary and makes sense.

Style

We have created a separate question on the types of explainer videos and answered it there. So if anything is unclear on this point, go back to the question about the types of explainer videos and read through them first.

A whiteboard animation requires less effort than a 2D character animation. The reason for this is the level of detail of the scenes and the animation effort. So if a customer decides in favour of more moving parts, usually people or other characters, this automatically increases the effort required for the video. The style of the explainer video is therefore a major deciding factor when it comes to the cost of a video.

Length

Following on from the "style" point, the length is also crucial. If a character moves in a 30-second loop, then we have the same effort for 30 seconds and four minutes. But normally there are no such loops for all objects in the video. Sometimes a bicycle rides past and sometimes abstract shapes fly across the screen. The length is a monetary factor, but for us it's even more important: too long is bad for the message. A video that is too long cannot hold the audience and therefore the message is not clearly conveyed, which is ultimately our goal.

Sound design

There are many good websites where you can create an explainer video for free. They offer animations, icons and sounds. They often work with jingles and these work wonderfully. There are also many professionally created videos that make do with jingles. This is by no means wrong, the budget decides what is necessary and what is not at each stage of production. We say that you shouldn't skimp on sound design. Only the right sound gives your explainer video its character.