Explainer videos are a great way to grab your customer’s attention. They’re short, snappy, and can convey complex ideas in a digestible way. When done right, explainer videos can help you cut through the noise and make a lasting impression on your audience.
But how do you make sure your animated explainer video is engaging? After all, there’s no point in creating something that looks great if it’s not going to actually grab the viewer’s attention. Fortunately, with proper planning, anyone can create an animated explainer video that captivates viewers. In this article, we’ll break down the five essential elements of an effective animated explainer video so you can start creating yours today!
When it comes to creating an effective animated explainer video, there are five essential elements to consider. Visuals, voice-over and music can all be used to capture attention, create a cohesive script and engage viewers from start to finish.
First and foremost, the visuals of your explainer video should be engaging and on-brand. Think about the style, design and color palette most reflective of your brand—all this should come into play when designing the look of your video. Attention to detail in animation nuances can also help catch viewers’ eyes and draw them in.
Voice-over is also important for connecting with your target audience. What you say can make or break whether the message resonates with viewers—so make sure it’s interesting and memorable, while still getting all the key points across without being too longwinded. Choosing between a male or female voice-over, as well as using accents or other vocal tricks can also be useful for really making your explainer video stand out!
Finally, sound effects and music are great for helping create an emotional connection with viewers, no matter what industry or product you’re representing in your explainer video. Choose tunes that fit well with the vibe of your brand and visuals already established to heighten engagement even further!
Crafting Your Explainer Video's Unique Story
Having a great story is essential to creating an entertaining and engaging explainer video. Crafting an original story that resonates with your audience will provide them with the emotional attachment needed to make your explainer video truly memorable.
Start by understanding your audience—what kind of experiences do they connect to? What solutions are they looking for? Then come up with a unique storyline that solves their problems in an interesting and helpful way.
Once you have a concept in mind, think about the characters you need to bring it alive. Make sure that the characters fit into the purpose of your explainer video, and don’t be afraid to make them funny or quirky if it works for your concept.
Lastly, consider adding elements such as humor and visuals throughout the video so it can stand out from the competition and capture the attention of viewers. By taking the time to create a unique story, you can ensure that your animated explainer video stands out from the crowd and provides valuable insights to its viewers.
Developing Animated Characters
A great animated explainer video is more than just visuals—it should be engaging and have a character at its core. Developing characters that are relatable can help to make your animated explainer video more effective.
An Interesting Protagonist
The central character of any story needs to be engaging and likable, especially in the case of an explainer video. A protagonist that viewers can relate to directly will help them to stay engaged and follow the story as it unfolds.
Character Development
Your protagonist should go on a journey throughout the explainer video, gaining insight into their problem and ultimately coming up with a solution. Crafting an interesting character arc helps to keep viewers engaged in the story, as they are invested in seeing how the story ends.
Supporting Cast & Voice Over Actors
Having a supporting cast of diverse characters helps to give the protagonist someone or something to interact with, which can make your explainer video stand out. Additionally, getting talented voice-over actors can make all the difference when it comes to bringing your characters to life! Good voice actors can capture the nuances of a script and add emotion and depth for the viewers.
Captivating Animation Design and Style
The fourth key element of an effective animated explainer video is captivating animation design and style. Are you looking for a fun, cartoon-style video? Or do you prefer something more slick and modern? Once you decide on a style and design, your creative team should get to work crafting the perfect visuals to engage with your audience.
Animation is a powerful storytelling tool. It allows creators to build out graphics that are captivating, interactive, and engaging. To nail this step, make sure your illustrators take the time to create custom animations that feel natural and reinforce the story being told throughout the video. You want viewers to connect with it on an emotional level – so be sure there’s enough detail in each scene for them to really take it in.
Your animation should also be accessible – meaning if you’re targeting different demographics or regions, you may need to consider how the text appears on screen and make any necessary adjustments based on languages or cultural references used. Consider color schemes carefully as different colors can have different meanings depending on where they are used – don’t let cultural differences take away from the impact of your message!
Appropriate Use of Music and Voiceovers
Your animated explainer video is only as effective as the music and voiceovers that accompany it. As such, you’ll want to take your time in selecting just the right combination of audio elements.
Music
The background music should be upbeat to give your video some energy, while also being subtle enough to not distract viewers from your message. Think of the music tracks used in commercials—they often use a combination of distinct sound elements like drums and synthesizers to add interest and play into emotions. That said, if your video is intended for a corporate audience, you may want more subdued tunes that reflect professionalism and dependability
Voiceovers
Voiceover artists can bring your visuals to life with their intonation, pacing, and delivery style. For example, a conversational style with natural pauses may be more appropriate for videos directed towards consumer markets since it helps to create a connection between the brand and viewer. On the other hand, you may opt for a more serious tone if you’re targeting B2B audiences. Keep in mind that voiceover artists come in all shapes and sizes—from actors for hire to celebrity endorsers—so choose carefully who will best represent your business or product.
Quality Testing Your Finished Product
The last but perhaps most important element in having an effective animated explainer video is quality testing. Testing ensures that your video meets the production standards of the company and industry you’re in, as well as the expectations of your audience.
Taking the time to test your animated explainer video can make all the difference to how successful it is:
- Check compatibility across browsers, mobile devices and tablets
- Run through a range of different types of content
- Test how it works with any interactive elements you may have added like hover states, click actions and more
- Have some people watch it and give feedback about how engaging they found it to be
- Record analytics to keep track of views, likes and engagements after launch
- Double-check for any typos or other errors that may have been missed in editing
- Continuously monitor user feedback after launch
Quality testing prevents last minute problems from taking away from the success of your finished product — so be sure to leave plenty of time for this key element during pre-production!
Conclusion
Creating an animated explainer video can be rewarding if done well. The process requires strategic planning, narrative development, and careful execution. Developing the core elements of an explainer video can help to increase engagement levels with your target audience. By centering your focus on the audience’s needs, you can create a story-driven animation that is memorable and effective. Remember to focus on narrative, visuals, sound design, and length. With these five essentials, you can craft an engaging explainer video that resonates with viewers and strengthens your branding.
