Get Your Explainer Video Noticed: 3 Actionable Techniques Overlooked Often [A How To Guide]

Written by Oentoro | Published 2020/01/07
Tech Story Tags: marketing | marketing-top-story | explainer-video | choosing-the-right-platform | optimize-video-for-mobile | creating-a-clear-cta-in-video | how-to-make-an-explainer-video | improve-your-explainer-video

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It's an out-going concern for every marketer to deliver their message effectively and succinctly to their customers. That's where explainer videos come in like a breath of fresh air.
It comes as no surprise that explainer videos have quickly gained in popularity and becomes a must-do type of video that marketers use as their potent marketing tool.
The best thing about explainer videos is that it turns complex ideas into bite-sized pieces– makes it much easier for the audience to understand act upon the information.
In this case, it's safe enough to say that nothing comes close to explainer videos when it comes to delivering a message in a snackable way.
But a well-made explainer video alone may not get you anywhere without some know-how to go along with it.
You might have just created an Oscar-standard explainer video, but without anyone see it, what's the point? That is why you need to know the next steps to get the best results from it.
In this article, we're going to dive into some of the often-overlooked essential techniques after you've created your explainer video.

1. Choose the Right Platforms

Hosting your explainer video is a crucial part you should seriously consider to get your video noticed by the audience out there.
With ever-increasing vendor choices and a myriad of options from features to integrations, it can be hard to decide the best platform to host your explainer video.
However, the most reliable way to start is by knowing your goals. 
Do you want to raise your brand awareness?
Do you want to increase the click-through rate?
Do you want to boost your traffic?
Each platform has its own demographics that brings certain impacts on your business. So, it’s wise to know which platforms best align with your goals and how to tailor your explainer video for each platform.
Here are the commonly-known video platforms that stand out in the crowd and worth considering:
- YouTube
As the second-largest search engine in the world, YouTube has 1.5 billion active users. It can be your best go-to platform if you're aiming for viewers and boost your online visibility. 
- Vimeo
It's the best suited for a marketer who prioritizes high-quality content over whatever happens to be trending. If your explainer video has something to do with arts, films, designs, etc., Vimeo is the best platform you can try to reach your target customers.
- Vidyard 
It's the best option you have if you're very serious about driving traffic to your website. Vidyard also provides analytics so you can mainly analyze the success rates of your explainer videos.
- Wistia
If you're looking for a platform that driving conversions, Wistia may be the top choice to host your explainer video. With its turnstile feature, Wistia offers you an excellent way to identify high-quality leads with video, which is one of the most critical aspects of the marketing process.
- Instagram
The constant rise of IGTV and Stories play a significant role in ever-growing video online usage and consumption. With 800 million daily active users, Instagram is the best place to put your short video of your product and get it discovered. 
It also allows you to hook your followers and convert them into loyal customers– which means it helps you to drive more purchases.
- Facebook
With an average of 8 billion videos viewed daily, Facebook offers you a massive opportunity to you gain immediate access to a broader audience. It helps your business to increase engagement with your audience more than ever before.
For more insights into the video platform, you can check on Video Platforms: Business Growth That's One Click Away.

2. Optimize the Explainer Video for Mobile Users

According to the latest video marketing statistics: https://breadnbeyond.com/video-marketing/video-marketing-strategies-statistics/, internet users are 1.5 times more likely to access and watch online videos through mobile devices. 
Another mind-blowing number is that online video consumption through mobile devices doubles every year!
It's obvious now that you'd better never overlooked mobile optimization. If your explainer video doesn't work on mobile, then it won't do the trick.
Now, the question is: how do you make your explainer video mobile friendly?
Here are some tips you should try to make your explainer video fits in mobile devices so nicely:
1. Keep It Short
It's essential to keep your explainer video concise– no longer than 90 seconds. Considering that mobile users are always on the go, they prefer quick and straightforward video content. 
2. Add Strong Intro
Grabbing your audiences' attention from the get-go can drive them to watch the video all the way through. Addressing the problem that your audience can relate from the first few seconds is the best way to engage busy mobile users.
3. Shareability
Considering that 92% of mobile users share video daily, it would be wise to make your video shareable social media networks.

3. Create Clear CTA

Great! Now you've hosted your explainer video on the right platform and already optimized for mobile users. But do your audience take action? 
Here comes another challenge...
Once you've grabbed your audiences' attention with your top-notch explainer video, you have to direct that interest toward the next step immediately– to get the conversion.
You don't create and put your explainer video online without a plan, do you? So you need to include a clear and strong call-to-action (CTA) in your explainer video to drive the audience to do "something."
What do you want your audience to do after watching your video? 
Do you want them to visit your website?
Do you want them to buy or download your product?
Do you want them to watch your other videos?
Creating an explainer video without a CTA is like fishing without bait. Hence, a compelling and clear call-to-action helps your audience to do your desired action. 
Remember, a vague CTA can make your audience confused and neglecting your focal message. Also, if you get too pushy, you won't get the results you want.
So, how do you create a loud and clear CTA? 
Here are some handy tips you should try:
- Be Specific
The CTA should always leave your audience with a clear idea of what they should do next and why should they do it. Make sure you address and stress a problem and offer your product as the end-to-end solution.
Avoid to use the generic "Download" or "Click Here." Tell your audience how your product is going to make their lives better.
- Make It Obvious
Just in case your audience doesn't watch your video until the end, don't bury your CTA at the end of your video. It's safe to say your CTA early and often using words that provoke emotion or enthusiasm. 
If you don't want to say it through voice-over, you can put the CTA as a catchy text on the screen.
- Your Audience Is All That Matters
It's not all about you nor your business. Your audience is the priority. It's wise to fix their problems and save their money. 
Offer them a handy, easy solution. Keep in mind that your product should be the only reason to make their life better.
- Be Realistic
Don't go overboard. Your CTA might sound convincing and attention-grabbing, but they can't disappoint. Make sure you set the right expectations and don't over-promising, now that's a smart move to build trust between you and your customers.

Final Thoughts

If it’s done right, explainer videos are undoubtedly a potent tool to meet your marketing objectives and reach your goals. To do it "right," both the creative and technical implementation of the explainer video needs to look out for each other.
Your goals might be driving more traffic to your website, but if you rely on YouTube alone, it's like asking a dermatologist to remove your wisdom teeth – it's not well-equipped, and there's very little chance to succeed.
So, make sure you understand the know-how before you jump into the explainer video bandwagon to bring you the rewards you deserve.

Written by Oentoro | Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company.
Published by HackerNoon on 2020/01/07