How to Make Explainer Videos in 5 Simple Steps

One of the most common questions that most beginners in video marketing asked is: “how to make explainer videos?” The reason is that this type of video is highly effective in attracting and educating customers in no time.

Explainer videos are a game-changer both for marketers and customers. Long gone are days when we have to scroll through a whole batch of data and statistics to get to the juicy bits of information. Also, we don’t really have to flip the user manual back and forth just to understand the product we’re about to buy. 

It’s much easier for marketers to get their message across. Explainer videos will break down even the complex topics into smaller chunks, allowing viewers to retain the information faster.

If you’re a marker yourself and about to jump into the explainer video bandwagon, here are some essential ways you need to know to make explainer videos.

How to Make Explainer Videos: Best Practices

Explainer videos can boost your online visibility, making it easier for you to reach a broader audience. But, not all explainer videos bring you the best result — only when you produce them right. Here are some steps you need to take to create a highly-performing explainer video.

Step 1. Write a Killer Script

When we talk about how to make explainer videos, it’s actually all about the script. No matter how high resolution your explainer video is, if you fail to write a powerful script, then it’ll fall flat. 

A powerful and intriguing story determines your entire explainer video’s success since it’s what the viewers remember about your content.

To write a powerful script, you can start by highlighting your target customers’ pain points. Once you get their attention, then you can offer them a solution to the problem they face.

The beauty of explainer videos is its simplicity and conciseness. So, make sure you only include the crucial information that brings value to your viewers. 

Don’t also forget to include a call-to-action at the end of the video to guide the viewers on what they need to do after watching the video.

Step 2. Create a Storyboard

A professional explainer video production can’t just skip the storyboarding process. It helps you to pre-visualize your script. Not to mention, it also makes it easier for you to keep your video production on track.

You don’t always need a high-level drawing skill in creating storyboards. As long as it can guide you through the whole video process and you have insights about what your final results will look like, it would be enough.

Make sure you include what you want to display on the screen, what background music you’ll use, the dialog for the voice over, and more to your storyboard.

Step 3. Record the Voice Over

The next step on how to make explainer videos is recording for the voice over. Voice over itself is essential for your explainer videos as it narrates your content, allowing you to explain details that may be harder to express visually.

It’s essential to pay more attention to the tone of voice, pace, and accent. To nail the voice over, you need to understand your target customers in the first place. If you want to appeal to younger audiences, then a casual, friendly, high-toned voice would be ideal for the voice over.

Recording such a high-quality voice over isn’t the easiest process in the production, especially for beginners. That’s why, to play it safe, you can hire professionals to do it for you. They’ll know what they need to do in reading your script effectively. 

Step 4. Let’s Animate!

This is where the fun begins: the animation process. In this digital era, most animating processes are done by relying on online software and tools. So, even if you have zero design skills, you can still create professional-looking explainer videos.

Here is a quick list of online software or tools you can utilize in creating a compelling explainer video in no time:

• Powtoon
• Animaker
• Vidyard
• Renderforest
• Biteable
• And more…

In the animation process, it’s important to place all the illustrated elements in the timeline, with the voice-over as a time guide, animate the graphics to come to life, and slowly each piece into place.

Make sure to convey your information in a simple, friendly, and memorable way. When it comes to explainer videos, less is more. In this case, make sure the animation you create doesn’t attract your viewers’ attention from the core message.

Step 5. Music and Sound Effects

Other than voice over, the essential audio element you need in explainer video production is background music and sound effects. 

Background music and sound effects play such a significant role in evoking emotional responses and emphasizing what’s on the screen and is used to indicate mood. 

When put to good use, both of them can elevate your video dramatically. Just imagine your explainer video without any background music or punchy sound effects — it’s not complete and could be much better than that.

You can choose any tracks you need for your explainer videos on sites like MusOpen, Free Sound, YouTube, Audio Jungle, Audacity. These sites offer you a bunch of tracks that fit your content, so you should have no problem in choosing the right one.

An Alternative: Hire a Professional

Mastering the steps on how to make explainer videos is indeed not a walk in the park. Even though you can still utilize some tools to help you out, you still need to spend some painstaking efforts to make them look professional.

If those five essential steps mentioned above are way too painful for you, or you don’t have enough time to create your own explainer videos, there’s one quicker and safer way to do it: hiring a professional.

You can do some research on professional explainer video companies. Just make sure their service and final result align with your brand. Therefore, before choosing one of them, it’s essential to look into their portfolios and review them online. 

One last piece of advice: choose an explainer video company that fits with your business’ budgets, preferences, and needs.

Wrapping Up

That’s been some essential steps you need to take on how to make explainer videos professionally and efficiently. Thanks to the internet, all the useful tools are more and more accessible for you to create a stunning explainer video hassle-free, allowing you to save your time and budget. 

However, if you don’t have enough time and patience to utilize the software yourself, you can always hire a professional team. They’ll know what they need to do to create a professional, high-performing explainer video for your brand and make them stand out from the fierce competition.