3 Types of explainer videos every business MUST HAVE

1. Overview Explainer video
Where: Present on the homepage/landing page.
Why: To increase awareness, conversion, Buy, Sign up, etc.

2. How it works video
Where: Present in the website with a link from the homepage.
Why: To educate and increase Loyalty.

3. Viral video(s)
Where: Published on social media and video streaming sites/blogs etc.
Why: Increase traffic, awareness, offsite SEO.

1. Overview Explainer video

This is the most popular Types of explainer videos required by all major businesses. An overview explainer video is a kind of a quick introduction explainer video which may or may not contain parts of 2 and 4. However the most important thing it should contain is “how does your business solve a particular problem of your target viewers”?. For example “I want to network with my professional connections and not with friends or family and also get their recommendation” – that’s the problem which LinkedIn solves. Your business website may have a very detail list of feature and benefits. Bnd it is not necessary to include all that in this explainer video. However a few important ones can be highlighted in the overview explainer video. So the format usually is — “pain” “solution” “call to actions”

These are also called: Explainer videos, Pitch video, Elevator pitch video, Intro explainer video, Promo video, Product explainer videos, explanatory videos, business explainer videos, explainer videos for business and start-up explainer videos etc.

Example: overview explainer video for Instant Freight Quote

2. How it works video

‘How it works’ video may not be a marketing video, but it tremendously helps in getting new customers. Because ‘how it works’ videos are actually educational videos. And an educated customer is your marketing guy. Why? Because once he knows more about your product or services he is most likely to inform others about it. Everyone wants to be seen as a guy with knowledge. This knowledge he gains by watching your ‘how it works’ explainer video. The format for this explainer video depends on the nature of business. Mostly it is presented with simple and easy to understand info-graphic explaining how the business works. Sometimes dummy website layouts are used for demo purposes. However few businesses need this explainer video in the form of screen-grab. Although a screen-grab website walk-through explainer video is less preferred in comparison to a regular “how to” explainer videos, but sometimes it is necessary depending on the nature of the business. Why screen-grab format is less preferred is because the website design may change in future which can lead to re-creating the explainer video again.

These are also called – Demo videos, Website walk-through video, Screen grab explainer video, Product demo video, and demonstration video etc.

Types of explainer videos Example: Mystery shopping explained , Group buying explained , Website walk-through

3. Viral Video

Types of explainer videos which are purely for OFF Page SEO are called viral videos. Viral meaning something which people love to share with their connections. Research tells us that the top 3 reasons why an explainer video goes viral are as follows (in that order).

• Humor
• Emotional impact
• Educational

Why do people share an video? – Because they want others also to go through the experience and want appreciation for their act of sharing something humorous or emotional or simply useful information. Therefore a Viral Video needs less technical information and more humor or emotional impact. But at the same time it can subtly carry the message/call to action a business needs at the end of the video. Sometimes it can go without any call to action and instead just the name of the product/business as a sponsor.

With the rise of instagram and vine, the latest trend is to have very short explainer videos (6 seconds for vine) and around 30 to 60 seconds for instagram). Tiny, engaging video messages are visualized to capture the short attention span of vine and instagram cluster. Also ideally it should be understandable without audio because of the auto-play feature of these platforms.

These also called web videos, commercial videos, video series, online video and mini mobile videos etc.

Example: Reading App For iPhone, Viral Video to find Subbies

This brings us to the next question “What visual style is suitable for my business?” In relation to this article it is highly recommended that you go through the following article to understand whether a cartoon explainer video would be best suited for your business or a whiteboard animation etc.
Which explainer video styles is appropriate for my business?

Recommended article
‘What is an ideal duration for such explainer videos’?
http://amodfilms.com/uncategorized/explainer-explainer video-length/