Animated explainers are one of the best ways to engage your audience’s attention and subtly nurture lead building funnels.

A lot of it has to do with the general demand for video content right now. But what makes them so popular is their unique combination of important and relevant information, with appealing entertainment value.

Something that the numbers tell us, audiences find irresistible.

Via HubSpot

Having said that, not every animated explainer video hits the mark when it comes to engaging your target audience and communicating your message in an endearing way! Which translates into a lot of wasted time and money, and a general setback to your marketing efforts.

To avoid that ever happening to your videos, I want to go over a handful of strategies that will ensure you make a perfect piece of content that your audience can’t resist!

Know Your Audience (And Where They Hang Out)

A big piece of having your video live up to your expectations stems from understanding who you are talking to. Before moving to jazzier aspects like message and animation, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research and get a clear picture of your target market.

To make this goal as straightforward as possible, I usually divide it into two stages: Figure out your demographics, and consider their buyer’s journey.

The first one is rather simple. If you’ve been doing business for any period of time, chances are you already have a clear picture of who you want to attract, customer-wise.

Do you want to promote an app for Gen Zers? A service for middle-aged homebuyers? Or maybe you want to capture as many active Instagram users as you can to build an audience. Understand who your message is for first, and that will help you along the production process as you move forward.

Once that’s done, and you know who you are talking to, placing them in the proper stage of their buyer’s journey can be a great boon.

Via SocialBakers

These types of videos tend to shine in the earlier stages of the buyer’s journey, but your message can be customized to work in others depending on your needs.

Craft a Relevant Message

Figuring out your video’s message means nothing more than making sure that what you want to say, is said clearly and in a way they can connect to.

You can achieve this by making a killer script.

Your videos live and die by their scripts; it’s the blueprint that informs all other stages of their development. However, making an excellent script doesn’t have to be a nightmare!

The secret lies in sticking to a simple and very effective structure that most of us are already familiar with: The three-act structure.

The first act’s the “What”, where you show your target audience the problem your product solves. This serves to immediately grab their attention and get them invested until the end.

The second act’s the “How”. Now that you have them considering their needs, you need to illustrate the way your product helps them. Usually, here’s where your subtle branding starts, by showcasing your brand’s logo.

Lastly, you cover the “Why”, telling your audience why your product is the best alternative to address their need.

Crafting your script like this will ensure your ideas are ordered, and your message is delivered in a compelling way that people can respond to without issue.

Do Not Neglect Quality

One of the major hallmarks of great marketing videos isn’t readily self-evident.

It is not found on the script, storyboard, voice over talent, or even in your message.

Yes, all those things are essential to a good video, but if you wrap it all up in a shabby-looking animation, nobody’s going to take those elements seriously.

Even if what you are giving them is gold.

When doing business online, people have little else to go with than your reputation and perceived value. And the number one way they have to quantify your value – before engaging in a transaction for the first time – is precisely by assessing the quality of your content.

Most people decide whether or not to give your message a shot solely based on how your videos look aesthetically. Do they seem professional? Endearing? Engaging?

You need to ensure that their answer is yes.

The good thing is, that doesn’t mean going overboard on budgets or delaying the completion of your project.

It’s just a matter of having a skilled and aesthetically sensitive explainer video company backing your vision up, to make sure your message is displayed in the best possible way.

Branding Your Video

Want to know why explainers have become so popular in digital marketing as of late? I can sum it up in four words: Subtle and effective branding.

Branding is at its best when it is non-intrusive, when it lets your voice and message shine, while inconspicuously planting the seeds of recognition in your audience.

We’ve all seen that show, ad, or commercial when everything seems to stop, and a ham-fisted branding attempt takes places. It’s not effective. It’s cringe-worthy and cumbersome.

Moments like those can break a marketing push.

If done right, you don’t need to worry about that with your video.

My go-to strategy for subtle branding with this type of content calls for judicious use of your company’s color pallets, logo, and jingles.

Using these elements at crucial moments in your video (act two when you introduce your product, act three when you propose your solution, for example…) reinforces the idea of your brand and helps your company stand out without it being obtrusive.

Learn to play off these opportunities in your videos, and you’ll be set.

Promote Your Video

The last point I want to make before you go isn’t so much about how to make your video, but about how to use it effectively.

I’ve seen many companies make the mistake of creating a fantastic piece of video content and then hiding it away on a remote part of their website, where hardly anyone will see it.

Wrong.

The best thing about video content is that audiences love to interact with and share them! So don’t make it hard for them to do so.

Nowadays, that mostly means sharing and promoting your video on social networks, but those aren’t your only choices.

Not sure where to begin? This graph might give you a good starting point:

Via MarketingCharts

Cross-reference that with whatever demographic insights you gleaned by studying your audience and the platforms they favor, and you’ll have your work cut out for you.

Explainer videos can be a powerful addition to any marketing push your company is setting out to embark on. But for them to work to their full potential, you need to make sure you are doing more than just the bare minimum.

There are plenty of other aspects to discus and we could go more in depth on the subject, but these are indeed the ones that tend to slip under the radar most often.

So make sure you account for all these factors as you work on your video, and I guarantee it will perform as well as you should hope for!