Explainer Videos for Businesses: What You Should Know

Video is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience. Traditional methods, such as lengthy texts or static images, often struggle to drive engagement and interest. That’s where explainer videos come in handy. These bite-sized, high-impact videos can grab attention, simplify complex ideas, and inspire viewers to take action. If you want to engage your audience and leave a lasting impression, an explainer video is your secret weapon.

As an experienced videographer, I’ve seen how explainer videos can enhance the way businesses communicate. If you’re wondering how these videos work and why they’re so effective, let me explain.

Key Takeaways

• Explainer videos are powerful tools for retaining audience attention, with viewers remembering 95% of video content versus just 10% of text. 
• Businesses can choose from several effective video styles, including animated, motion graphics, whiteboard, screencast, and live-action formats. 
• The concrete business impact of explainer videos is substantial and measurable. They can boost conversions, dramatically improve SEO rankings, and reduce customer support calls.

Explainer videos for businesses are short, snappy videos designed to break down information in a clear and engaging way. They rely on a mix of storytelling, visuals, and audio designed to captivate viewers and deliver key messages in a matter of seconds.

Rather than overwhelming viewers with technical jargon, explainer videos use clear, easygoing language and attention-grabbing visuals. Whether you’re launching a product, explaining a service, or boosting brand engagement, these videos get straight to the point and keep viewers hooked. They come in various styles—from playful animations to screencast tutorials—all tailored to suit your brand’s identity and appeal to your audience.

As per Hubspot, 96% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, making this type of video an incredibly effective communication tool. In the Hubspot State of Video for 2024 report, 66% of marketers said that videos showcasing products and services delivered the highest ROI.

Here’s more on why explainer videos are so effective:

• Short and impactful: The ideal length for an explainer video is 45 to 90 seconds – just enough to captivate your audience without losing their attention.
• Compelling storytelling: The best explainer videos don’t just list features – they tell a story, making the message more relatable and unforgettable.
• Eye-catching visuals: Animation, graphics, and illustrations breathe life into ideas and make them easy to understand.
• Conversational tone: The most impactful explainer videos often feel like a friendly chat, not a lecture.
• Strong call to action: Whether it’s signing up, learning more, or making a purchase, explainer videos inspire viewers to take action.

Animated explainer videos are the most popular and versatile option. They are widely used for their ability to communicate complex concepts visually. While they don’t require on-location filming, actors, or physical set design, the animation process—especially for 3D—still involves careful planning and production time. These videos stand out due to their educational format, using illustrated characters and environments to turn your message into an interactive experience and make learning more enjoyable.

A sleek, modern approach to storytelling, motion graphics videos use smooth transitions, dynamic typography, and fluid shapes. For my clients who are keen on a more creative approach, I like to suggest this style. Instead of relying on words, motion graphics animate ideas through dynamic visuals, allowing the audience to connect with your message in a more creative and memorable way. Motions graphics give a polished, professional feel, transforming your message into a stunning experience that resonates with viewers.

Whiteboard animation is a popular style of animated explainer video that features hand-drawn illustrations appearing in real time. This type of animation is especially effective for educational content, as its visual storytelling method captures attention while making the learning process feel natural and intuitive. It’s like a live classroom scene, except nobody will fall asleep in this one!

Screencast explainer videos bring your audience directly into the digital world by capturing on-screen actions in real time. Ideal for showcasing software, platforms, or tutorials, this format guides your viewers step-by-step, providing clear and practical demonstrations. Supported by a narration that explains each action, screencasts offer a hands-on learning experience that makes tasks easier to follow.

Live-action explainer videos for businesses harness the power of real people and real locations to communicate a message. This format is ideal for businesses that want to build trust and connect on a personal level. Whether featuring company representatives, customer testimonials, or real-world product demonstrations, live-action videos add authenticity and relatability. If your product or service benefits from human interaction, live-action explainer videos are a great choice.

Using explainer videos has many advantages for companies. Here are just a few of them.

1. Boost Engagement

People are naturally drawn to video—it’s dynamic, captivating, and far more interactive than plain text. In fact, videos on social media generate 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.

2. Facilitate Information Retention

Studies reveal that viewers remember 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to just 10% from reading text. For instance, a potential customer viewing a video about a product’s features is far more likely to recall the key benefits, making it easier to make a purchasing decision. This makes explainer videos an effective medium for conveying information that sticks.

3. Increase Conversions and Sales

Explainer videos can increase conversions by up to 80%, turning landing pages into lead-generating powerhouses and helping your business close more deals.

4. Enhance SEO Performance

Google prioritizes video content, which means explainer videos can boost search rankings and drive more traffic to a website. In fact, websites with video are 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google search results. This makes explainer videos a key asset for any business looking to improve online visibility.

5. Reduce Support Calls

Explainer videos make life easier for customers. Showing how a product is assembled or works, providing troubleshooting tips, and answering FAQs in a clear, visual format means fewer repetitive customer inquiries. According to Wyzowl, explainer videos reduce service calls by 43%, in addition to offering almost 24/7 support via videos. This improves the overall customer experience while freeing up valuable time and resources.

By combining audio and video, explainer videos for businesses create a multisensory experience that enhances understanding and retention. Instead of lengthy descriptions, these use visuals, voiceovers, and motion to bring concepts to life, making them easier to grasp. For example, a simple graphic or animation paired with a clear voiceover can transform a technical product feature into something intuitive and easy to understand.

One of the biggest challenges businesses face is communicating intricate ideas in a way that effortlessly guides viewers through key points. Explainer videos, which use 2D and 3D animations, motion graphics, infographics, and whiteboard animations, translate abstract concepts into concrete visuals regardless of industry or subject matter.

When it comes to corporate video production, I’ve learned how crucial it is to communicate efficiently and make the most of every second. Attention spans are shorter than ever, and long-winded explanations simply don’t cut it. The idea behind explainer videos is to maximize impact in minimal time, streamlining communication, eliminating fluff, and focusing on the most impactful points.

A well-structured narrative keeps viewers entertained while subtly guiding them toward your desired action. For example, using a problem-solution format makes it easy for audiences to relate to the content and understand why your product or service is the answer they’ve been looking for.

An integral part of an effective communications strategy, explainer videos are types of corporate videos that help clarify concepts and explain services and products. By harnessing the power of attractive visuals, compelling storytelling, and a clear message, you’ll be able to stimulate audience engagement while boosting information retention, SEO, and conversions.

Corporate video production is your key ally in strengthening your brand presence, simplifying complex ideas, and delivering hard-hitting messages that resonate with your audience. Don’t hesitate to add the creation of explainer videos to your business growth strategies – you’ll be impressed at the outcome and ROI.

At The Serious Moonlight Productions, we can help you create compelling explainer videos and many other types of videos as part of our corporate video production services. No matter where you are located – Montreal, the West Island, the South Shore, or the North Shore – don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be happy to answer all your questions.