How to Use Explainer Videos to Turn Curious Visitors into Loyal Customers

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Have you ever had a website where views are high, but conversions not so much? It is a common problem.

The truth is most business owners (understandably) spend so much time driving people to their online presence that they have a hard time also figuring out how to make that presence persuasive enough!

Now, there are many reasons why your website visitors stay like that – visitors. But it mostly comes down to your content failing to prompt them into action. Luckily, there’s no better solution for that than excellent video content.

That solid video marketing can do wonders for online conversions is a well-known fact by now, but you need to use the right tool for each job – and few styles are better at helping you generate conversions than Explainer Videos.

So today, we’ll go over the why and how you can incorporate these videos on your site to hopefully get those conversion numbers closer to your overall views.

Why Use Explainer Videos (If You Aren’t Already)

If you have website visitors, then you likely have been doing something right. That is why it can be so frustrating when those numbers are vastly different from your conversion rates.

One of the most common issues with websites that don’t generate conversions is their lack of a focus point. Something that immediately draws visitors’ attention and makes the most of it.

Luckily, it is a problem that you can easily fix with the right video.

That said, there are many types of videos out there that go all sorts of ways about it. But they aren’t all fit for the same purposes, and that knowledge is key to doing video marketing right.

If you have the wrong kind of video welcoming your website’s visitors, you might as well not have one at all!

Of course, if you can afford it, you will probably do well to have your small battalion of video content: testimonial videos, tutorials, company culture… They all can bring good value to your webpage and help convert visitors to different stages of their buyer’s journey. But if you are looking for the one, then your answer is the explainer video. Here’s why:

• It makes sense of your product or service in the best possible way.
• It is engaging, entertaining, and clear.
• In just a few minutes (the less, the better), conveys all the benefits of your product to the curious visitor.
• Combined with a pleasant website experience and a cohesive design, an explainer video lends your brand value, authority, and loyal customers in the best of cases.

So, if you can only have one video for your brand, an explainer is the safest bet. When you do it the right way, at least.

Explainer Videos Done Right

While proven to be highly effective conversion tools, explainers aren’t magic, and the chances are that you don’t want to go taking stabs in the dark when it comes to making an explainer video.

So, let’s go over the key aspects to take into account when it comes to explainer videos designed to convert visitors:

Take Them on a Journey

The relationship between your product and how it can improve the lives of its users is at the core of every effective explainer. But that doesn’t mean your video should be a boring list of features and applications. That might be informative, but trust me when I say it will not be fun to watch.

What your audience craves (and your video needs to provide) is a narrative. A little tale. Some drama, something to overcome. Having a storyline to follow will engage the audience and balance out the focus on your product.

A classic format in video marketing is as follows:

• Start with a challenge, a pain point shared by your customers.
• Then comes the action, the steps taken to solve the problem. Here is where your product comes into the narrative.
• It all wraps up with the transformation, where the product’s qualities have made the customer’s problem go away and improved their life.

It might sound simple, but it’s actually a tried-and-true formula that has been proven to deliver great results over the years.

Show, rather than Tell

One of the main reasons animation is the preferred medium for explainers is that it allows you to easily and accurately showcase complicated and abstract concepts.

After all, most people would rather watch a dynamic animation that explains the intricacies of a complex product than sit through a person talking to the camera about those abstract ideas.

It is no surprise that, over the years, more and more businesses have chosen to go with animated marketing pieces. You can tell just by the sheer amount of skilled animation companies out there!

But if you don’t feel like it’s the right fit for you, no worries – there’s a universe of possibilities when it comes to explainers!

As a general rule, aspire to make your explainer video as simple as possible. Don’t get tangled up in technicalities or irrelevant information – make every second count.

Make It About The Audience

People care about people, not products. And people care about themselves more than any faceless character.

If the video feels personal and familiar to the visitor, the story is more likely to impact them. For that, the character has to hit close to home.

If you want to nail it, there is no way around it. Research your audience and tailor your video to your target customer.

When you successfully engage the audience, they are more open to considering what the video tells them. Visitors relate to the character, therefore watching it solve its problem speaks to their self-interest.

Presentation is Essential

This one should be a given. But maybe you haven’t considered how your video sinks in the audience’s minds depending on whether they feel like they can trust you and your content.

That trust could come from a past sale, or your brand might enjoy some recognition in its niche. That would be great! But those are best-case scenarios.

The bulk of your site’s visitors have little to no previous commercial relationship with your brand.

How to seem trustworthy, then?

It all comes down to first impressions. Make your explainer video look polished and coherent with your landing page. We are talking color schemes, typographies, and everything aesthetic. It rounds up the impression as a whole and makes you seem reliable.

Synergize Your Explainer Videos with Everything Else on the Page

Everything in your landing page should point towards conversion, not just your video content!

After all, there are plenty of elements that play a role in your website visitors’ experience. And if you can have them all work in tandem with one another, you improve the chances of getting the positive results you are after.

Here are some tips to consider for a cohesive and optimized website that will help your explainer video shine:

• Among unrelated content, even the best video can seem lacklustre or be lost among other distractions. Luckily this is an issue that can be easily avoided by making your video relevant to the topic or general objective you built the page for.

Think of it as an ecosystem where all elements should interact and complement each other and, of course, have conversions as their primary goal.

• Placement is another crucial aspect of how (or even if) people will engage with your explainer video.

Above the fold is the most convenient spot for your video. It is a known fact that if your visitors see an interesting piece like your explainer right off the bat, it will most likely motivate them to scroll down to see more content, leading them into the sales funnel.

• Make sure your videos and surrounding element’s CTAs work with one another.

Not only should every explainer video you make have a relevant CTA, but it should work in tandem with the ones you are using on its landing page. Try to be conscious of your phrasing – the more the visitor feels like they will gain something instead of giving, the better.

Before You Go

As we have seen, explainer videos might be the final missing nail in your conversions. It is as effective as it can get, delivering great value without necessarily needing great production.

If you keep a close eye on the topics we have discussed, your explainer video will shine – and your brand right along with it. Pair it up with good, relevant content on your website, and you have a winner in your hands.

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Guest Author Bio: Victor Blasco @ Yum Yum Videos

Victor Blasco is an audiovisual designer, video marketing expert, and founder/CEO of the explainer video production company Yum Yum Videos. Besides running the business, he’s a lifelong student of Chinese philosophy and a passionate geek for all things sci-fi.