The big explainer video guide: All info at a glance
- Von: Mag. Dominik Mikulaschek
What is an explainer video? What is the price for an explainer video and how do you find the right provider? Which styles of explainer videos and areas of application are particularly suitable? You can find answers to these and many other questions in our big explainer video guide.
What is an explainer video?
Short answer: explainer videos are 1- to 2-minute, informative, digital animated animations that are as short as possible.
In an explainer video, a simple to highly complex topic is explained by means of 1- to 2-minute scripts, illustrations, animations, typography and sounds. In this way, information is conveyed as densely as possible and certain actions of the recipient are encouraged.
Why you should have an explainer video produced for your company!
Explainer videos are informative, entertaining and enjoyed by over 90% of users. Explainer videos have experienced a real breakthrough internationally and enjoy great popularity worldwide.
Explainer videos pay off enormously for companies:
- 8 out of 10 consumers buy an app or software after watching an explainer video
- The dwell time on the website increases enormously through the use of explainer videos
- An explanatory video stays in the memory: over 80% of users remember an explanatory film
Explainer video styles
Depending on the content you want to convey in your explainer video, there are different explainer video styles that are suitable for it.
Whiteboard: Legetechnik-Stil und Scribble Video
In the laying technique style, cut-out paper drawings are filmed or digitally animated. Scribble videos use an effect to make it appear that the individual images are being drawn live. Both styles often involve the use of a hand that is seen during the animation. These types of explainer videos are kept rather simple and rely primarily on black-and-white illustrations with, at most, single color accents.
Laying trick
Scribble Video
2D color animation
2D color animations are very versatile and popular thanks to their individual style. Here, from simple drawings to detailed animations, everything is possible and there are no limits to your creativity.
Isometric style
The isometric explainer video style is characterized by its three-dimensional, spatial imagery, which is created by the isometric perspective. Here, large image areas are created, which above all make it possible to depict several topics in parallel and then logically link them further down the line.
3D animation
3D animations are among the most elaborate explanatory videos and are particularly suitable for explaining products in the best possible way. Products of any kind can be presented here particularly realistically.
Explainer video prices
We legitimately get this question all the time: “How much does an explainer video cost?” The answer is not easy to give, because you have to calculate a lot of details when pricing an explainer video.
To begin with, however, I would like to give you an overview of what the price range is here that you will find on the market when you do intensive research:
- 0 Euro: Free tools to create explainer videos yourself or students or explainer video agency founders who still need portfolio.
- 0 to 2,500 euros: Low-cost providers that work with style templates that are perfectly sufficient for many companies.
- From 3,000 to 7,000 euros: Professional explainer video production by professional producers. Explainer films of this type are often booked by medium-sized companies and corporations.
- 7,000 euros upwards: As is generally known, there are no upper limits. However, spending more than 7,000 euros on an explanatory video lasting a maximum of 2 minutes is not necessary in most cases.
The question you should basically ask yourself: “Do you want to create your explainer video yourself using a software tool? Or would you rather hire a professional explainer video agency?
For this decision, you should consider whether you have the necessary time and creative resources to create your explainer video yourself. However, it is important that you are aware that explainer video software tools are cost-saving, but almost impossible to reach the quality level of professional explainer video agencies. This starts with the creation of the concept, script, storyboard, up to the production. If your budget is limited, the self-production of an explanatory film is definitely a possible way. If you plan to do so, you would be well advised to educate yourself and prepare yourself before implementing such a production yourself.
Basic structure of storytelling in explainer video
When it comes to explainer videos, there are certain basic structures that are brought to bear on most explainer videos.
A large number of explainer films typically go through the following phases:
1) Problem: Think of a typical problem situation for your target group! Confront your characters with this problem and, above all, show the problems associated with it.
2) Solution: Next, bring your solution into play. Explain the key points that make your service or product the ideal solution to the problem presented.
3) Functionality: Show your recipient in the explainer video how your solution exactly works, by letting your characters use your service or product, you obviously show how it helps to solve the existing problem.
4) Summary: Tie the thread back to your introduction, but this time with your offer as the solution to the problem. What did the recipients learn from your explanatory video, why is your offer the right solution?
5) Call to action: At the end of the explainer video, give your audience a specific recommended action that is best to take after watching the explainer video.
6 steps of an explainer video production
The production of an explainer video always follows the same sequence of steps.
Here you can find the 6 steps of an explainer video production:
1. Briefing
The briefing lays the foundation for the explainer video production.
The following components are important parts of a questionnaire:
- What goal do you want to achieve with your explainer video?
- What specifically distinguishes your company?
- Who should be addressed with your explanatory video?
- Are there explainer video styles that you like?
- In which language should your video be produced?
- Are there special CI requirements in your company?
- In what time frame should your explainer video be produced?
Based on the answers to these questions, we can start preparing and planning your explainer film production.
2. Concept
The concept is the first important step in the production of an explainer video. It is developed on the basis of your information from the briefing. The concept includes, among other things, the speaker text, the visual presentation described in writing and often also initial information about the sound design. This production phase is very important for the later success of the project!
3. Find explainer video style
After the conception phase, the visual line of your explainer video is worked out in the course of style determination. At the beginning, you will receive a mood board in which all visual ideas can be easily recorded. After we have laid the visual foundation for your explainer video with the mood board, a first individual graphic will be illustrated based on this. This graphic can be, for example, an essential scene from the concept or a character appearing in it. As soon as the first graphic meets your expectations, we will design further graphics. If these also meet your expectations, we will create all the graphics necessary for the explainer video.
4. Storyboard
The storyboard is the drawn version of your script. Here we list all the graphics that match the timing of your script. So you see in standing pictures how your explainer video is broken down per scene. It is important here that the storyboard is well worked out in detail and actually corresponds to your ideas, so that you do not have to make too many changes later during the animation.
5. Animation
Now, finally, movement comes into your illustrations. The previously created graphics are now moved by our animation program so that a fluid image is created and your graphics come to life.
Different techniques and stylistic features will give your explainer video its characteristic feature and should be chosen wisely:
- Movements of figures and objects
- Cut
- Zooms
- Use filters
- Animated textures
- Sharpness / Blur
- Etc.
6. Sounddesign
Last but not least, your explainer video needs the right sound design. Here, above all, the narrator, music and sound effects are harmoniously coordinated. A professional sound mix is enormously important and is a major factor in how well your explainer video will be received by your potential customers.
Upload & embed your explainer movie
Your explainer video has been completed and is now ready for use. What are the next steps to achieve the best possible results with your explainer video? To begin with, you are well advised to upload your video to YouTube and Vimeo. It is important that you do not forget to implement the SEO rules for both providers in the best possible way so that your explainer video is also found in the organic results in the long term.
Place & market explainer video correctly
One of the most essential steps for your project’s success is based on the right placement and marketing of your explainer video. Many invest large sums of money in a professional explainer video production, but then often spend little or no budget for the visualization of their explainer video.
Recommended locations for your explainer video:
- Website
- Social Media: Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.
- Online Marketing: Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.
- Bidding
- Fair
- Chats
- Etc.
Evaluation & success measurement of your explainer video positioning
It is important that you do not position your explainer video in a blind flight, but rather complete all positioning with measurements as far as possible. All channels offer you the possibility to analyze various statistics. The more measurement values you evaluate in the overall context, the better you can understand which positions are very suitable and deliver positive results. Especially if you recognize in online marketing on the basis of the measurement data that you achieve very good results on various channels and not on others, you then distribute the budget here accordingly in the best possible way. After successful integration of an explainer video on your website, it is recommended to observe the changes in the key figures, analyze them and draw the right conclusions from this.
How do you find the right explainer video agency for your project?
If you really want a professional production, it is important that you exclude cheap providers and work with one of the leading video agencies. It is important here that you draw the necessary comparison and check essential facts in the course of the selection process.
Above all, pay attention to the following details when searching for the right explainer video provider:
- References and customer feedback
- Competence & Consulting
- Bidding
- Website appearance, social media, online marketing
Conclusion
After reading this comprehensive explainer video guide, you are already a big step closer to the successful production of your explainer film! It is important that you, as the managing director or as the responsible employee, internalize the essential criteria that are decisive for the selection of the right explainer video provider. The more precisely you plan here, the smoother the production of your explainer video will run. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at any time. In any case, we would be very happy if we were shortlisted with regard to the available providers here with our explainer video agency “explain it simple” and if we were allowed to send you an offer here for future planned explainer video projects.
