Tips for Creating Amazing Startup Explainer Videos

As the name sounds, an explainer video is a short video that explains (describes) a new startup, product, or service. An explainer video is one of the top marketing methods available for new startups, even for existing companies. Explainer videos have been proven to increase conversion rates, generate increased interest in a company's offerings, increase search engine rankings, increase web traffic, and much more. Even better, 65% of executives visit the web site mentioned in a video after viewing the video, according to Forbes. Also, 59% of executives would rather watch video than read text. Want a real-life scenario? Just take a look at Dropbox. The Dropbox startup explainer video (which cost $50,000 to create) added a 10% increase in conversions, 5 million new Dropbox users, and $24 million in revenue within the first year alone.

So now you know how powerful and crucial an explainer video can be to a company's success. Here are a few more things you should know about producing a startup explainer video. If you're planning on creating an explainer video either for yourself or for a client, then keep these tips in mind.

Keep it Short, Sweet, and Simple

Your startup explainer video should be short (a typical explainer video is 60-90 seconds long), and should not incorporate a lot of fluff; that is, content that is not directly related to the point of the video. Stay direct and on-point. A typical rule for most explainer videos is to focus on the three most powerful features of your company, product, or service. Any more than that may be overkill, and any less could be inadequate. However, this does depend on the type of company, product or service, as well as the complexity of describing your startup, etc.

Simple is good. Google has made billions by keeping a simple, easy-to-use interface that links directly to a powerful service. Flashback to the Dropbox example listed above for a moment—Dropbox started off with only two simple marketing features on their web site: the explainer video, and a link to download Dropbox. That's all it took for that company to explode, so you can see just how important video can be to a company's success.

Use Persuasive Video

Explainer videos don't have to be persuasive, but they are much more effective if they are. If your explainer video only describes your new startup, you may get some customers based on that simple description, but a more effective approach is to make people think that they need your product or service in their life. They need to believe that they are missing out by NOT having your product around. If your startup utilizes existing products or services, then you have to let the viewers know why your product is better than your competitor's product. A simple description won't do. You need persuasive video to lure your competitor's customers to your new startup.

Engage your audience

Nothing is worse than a boring video. It's great to have an air of professionalism about the video, but if your video consists of two stiffs in suits droning on about their new company, you can almost hear the clicks of a thousand people suddenly finding something else to watch. Engage your audience, get them to relate to the story you are telling, and add some excitement whenever possible. You don’t have to overdo it, just keep the audience entertained for a couple of minutes, and you will most likely see some serious positive results in return.

Professional Video Production vs. Homemade Explainer Video

This decision typically depends on your budget and/or experience. If you have a large budget, you may want to think about acquiring the services of a professional video production company. If you have no experience in video production, you most definitely want to consider professional video production help. Even if your budget is small, you may want to consider it simply because of the added benefits and quality of having a professionally-made video to represent your new company.
A homemade video usually has the look and feel of a homemade video, and viewers will catch on to this quick. That's not to say that it can't be done, but simply that it shouldn't be done unless you know what you're doing and can expect reasonable success from your homemade video.

Always Implement a Call-To-Action

A call-to-action is one of the most important parts of your startup explainer video. If someone watches your video, they may find it interesting, but if it just ends with no call-to-action, they may not feel compelled to do research, and figure out where your product is, or how they can buy it. It’s always better to lead them there.

Most explainer videos are posted online on websites, forums, video-sharing sites, etc., so the video should be created as if it will be viewed online. Interactive content such as clickable links can be used to get the viewers involved, and get them to visit your web site, where you can have much more information about your startup waiting to further entice them.

Additional types of a call-to-action include adding a phone number, additional/related products or services, web site URLs, video URLs, etc. Anything that keeps the viewer interested in finding out more about your company will be positive. Never leave a viewer hanging with nowhere to go. Dead-end pages that leave visitors stranded typically result in those visitors leaving the website completely and heading to a competitor's page. You will experience the same results with dead-end video. Avoid leaving your viewers stranded, and lead them on with a strong call-to-action that compels them to visit your site or to find out more about your offerings.

Conclusion

The overall process of startup explainer video production is ultimately up to you, and it may vary depending on what types of products or services you have to offer. However, the basics should remain the same as with any marketing video. Keep it short, keep it simple, get directly to the point, and make sure you add at least one call-to-action. Do your research, know your target audience, and direct your video toward that audience. Test the video in advance, and tweak it if necessary, based on feedback from your testers. The only thing left to do is release your video to the public, promote it like crazy, and reap the benefits of your shiny, new startup explainer video.