The secret’s out that explainer videos are a great way to boost sales. When done well, a great video can help your sales team highlight features and benefits ’round the clock in a fun and empathetic way. But only when done well. You’ve got to have something worth selling, and great animation can’t save a bad script. Here are a few quick ways to make sure your explainer video is better than average:
1) Focus Your Message
The old saying goes “if you chase two rabbits, you catch neither.” Pick the highest-level benefit of your product or service, and make that the lynchpin of your message. You might be faster and cheaper than your competition, but focus on the RESULT of those benefits:
Wrong: “Our [product or service] is faster and cheaper than the other guys'”
Better: “When you use our [product or service] you’ll have an edge over your competition”
When your main message is focused, all your benefits support it automatically.
2) Broaden Your Audience
There are plenty of decision makers up the chain who influence the purchase of your product or service. Don’t fall into the trap of ignoring some of them. If you think you need two videos: one for the end-user and one for the purchaser, then see #1 above: you’re focusing on the wrong message. Think of a higher-level benefit or outcome that’s universal enough to appeal to both audiences.
3) Think Visually
If you can’t illustrate the core benefit of your product or service on a napkin or whiteboard, you’ll want to figure that out during the scripting process. Because of how human brains process and store visuals, they’re a great way to make key moments of your video memorable. You shouldn’t show a picture of everything in your script, but if you can quickly and simply illustrate your core message, you shouldn’t leave that out. Try watching some explainer videos with the sound turned off. See which make sense and which don’t.
4) Read Your Script Out Loud
YouTube is littered with thousands of well-meaning videos written by well-meaning writers who didn’t realize someone would have to LISTEN to the words they were writing. This blog post would make a TERRIBLE explainer script, and vice versa. If you’re writing a radio vignette or an explainer script, read it out loud WHILE YOU’RE WRITING. You’ll annoy your co-workers, but you’ll instantly see the benefit. You’re script will sound more natural. We sometimes write things we’d never dare say out loud. (Like that last sentence).
5) Don’t Make Viewers Work
Even though viewers CAN watch your video a second time to re-process any bits they missed, doesn’t mean they WILL. No matter how clever and funny you think your tricky visual gag is, if it’s not crystal clear to viewers the moment they see it, it’s going to hurt you. You want viewers to go away wondering how and when they’ll use your product or service, NOT wondering what the heck it is.
That’s a great start. Some of these methods take practice to get right, but once you understand what makes explainer scripts different from whitepapers and powerpoint, you’ll start making better videos!
