16+ Types Of Explainer Videos For Effective Marketing For Your Business Or Brand.
Complete List of all types of explainer videos, a video marketer must know. Along with the Examples.
Video is a powerful medium that can be used to explain complex concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. It has become the go-to tool of businesses, large and small, who are looking for ways to explain their product or service.
Explainer videos are often quick clips that are less than five minutes long, but they are designed with the sole purpose of explaining a complex idea, product, or service in an easy-to-understand manner.
Regardless of the business, you operate in, if you have a service or product that is difficult to explain and convey then an explainer video may be one of your best tools for communicating these ideas and concepts to potential clients and customers.
Studies Of Hubspot show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support.
Why Explainer Videos Are Effective
Explainer videos are frequently used by companies and businesses to promote their products or services. While there is not a hard-set rule on when an explainer video would be beneficial, it can be generally agreed that, if the product or service being promoted requires explanation in some way, then an explainer video would likely increase conversion rates.
In addition to companies using these types of videos for promotion purposes, they have been utilized extensively as part of the content marketing process – a strategy where media channels/platforms are used to build up a business’ credibility and create awareness.
Here’s a brief list of why explainer videos are effective:
- They communicate information quickly and effectively.
- They are shareable, which increases exposure for your brand or product.
- They can be used as a tool to demonstrate how something works.
- They are highly accessible – people can watch them on their computers, smartphones, tablets, etc. wherever they are.
- They allow you to connect with your target market more quickly and thoroughly.
- Generally speaking, companies that use explainer videos have seen an increase in traffic to their website/blog/social media pages.
- Explainer videos are also compelling- they draw attention and encourage clicks, so they help you improve Google rankings by driving up the amount of time people spend on your webpage/site/social media page.
- They can help you build credibility.
- The information contained in explainer videos is typically retained by your target audience, which leads to a better chance of generating more leads and raising brand awareness.
Types Of Explainer Videos For Effective Marketing
Now that you understand the main aspects that make these videos great, it’s high time we jumped into the meat and potatoes of the piece and review 16 different cartoon styles:
🔥 2D Character Animation
The first option we will explore is 2D character animation. This style animates your characters and makes them appear like they’re alive with personality and emotion (Think Disney). The talking head-style format typically uses one character on screen at a time who talks directly to the audience. These characters can range from humans to turtles, animals, and even food.
🔥 Motion Graphics Video Style
A more modern option for an explainer video is motion graphics/graphics style production. This type of video shows a combination of stock or original graphics that support the voiceover or text on-screen to help bring across your message. PowerPoint presentations are a common example of this style. A company could use these types of videos for their product launch which usually happens at large conferences such as Apple’s WWDC.
🔥 Whiteboard Animation
This is another classic option that has been around since the beginning of explainer videos. In this type, you either animate over still frames drawn with marker on paper or sketch it out by hand first before doing an animation pass over it. The characters are typically stuck figures with exaggerated features to convey emotion. There are many Whiteboard animation software in the market that you can use to generate this type of video.
🔥 2.5D Animation Style
The next style is referred to as the “5D” animation style because it combines the standard three dimensions of space, adding a fourth-time dimension and the fifth element of data. This style is still fairly new and usually uses more than just whiteboard animating without the heavy use of 3D models and more than just motion graphics but fewer than an all-CGI-style production. A company can use this type of explainer video for showcasing its products more interactively rather than only seeing images on flat screens.
🔥 3D Animation
This option gives the viewer the best experience possible. It uses real 3D models of your product or service which you can rotate, zoom in and out on, etc. This option is great because it showcases exactly what you are selling to better give an idea of how it works. The character model animation style tends to imitate this style but with lower-quality graphics.
🔥 Stop Motion Animation
If your product or service is made of physical materials, stop motion animation might be the best choice for an explainer video. Stop motion uses objects that are moved to make it appear as if they are moving on their own. These videos typically show small clips of scenes with the object in different positions each time to make it look like there’s continuous movement.
🔥 Typography Explainer Video
This option has gained popularity over the last few years due to websites such as Kickstarter using it as a way to introduce their projects. The video takes scenes from your world/product and places them over words that reveal themselves one at a time to create the scene without having any type of character animation. This style can be quite effective because it focuses on your product or service and allows the viewer to interpret what’s happening.
🔥 Screencast
A more traditional option for technical products is screencasts which are audio/video recordings of the computer screen with voiceover narration, visual demonstrations, etc. This style can be used on its own or in combination with other types of explainer videos depending on how much detail you want to go into about what your product/service does. Think Dropbox.
This type has been around since software was distributed through CDs that came with instruction booklets. It is still widely used today because it focuses on the viewer being able to see exactly how it works rather than having an actor trying to demonstrate.
🔥 Live-Action Video
Live-action videos are a great option for companies who don’t have a product but want to introduce themselves and build a following. In these videos, you can show your employees or anything that is important to your company when it comes to branding efforts, etc. The use of real people in front of the camera helps add authenticity to your brand message because you’re not trying to make something appear as if it’s something that it isn’t.
🔥 Live-Action With 2D Animation
This style acts as a happy medium between live-action and regular animated video styles because the video consists of both elements in a single video with everything being hand-drawn on paper before scanning them in digitally and animating over each frame in Photoshop/Flash/After Effects to give it a hand-drawn feel before the final output. This style is not as popular as other options but can be done well if put in the hands of a talented artist or company.
🔥 Animation
The most common option for explainer videos is animation because it allows you to tell literally any story and add anything your creative mind can come up with into the video. Because this type uses computer-generated graphics, you have complete control over everything that appears on-screen whether it’s characters, objects, lighting/color themes, etc.
A company should use regular animation styles when they want their viewers to focus on what their product does rather than how it looks or who created it. For example, companies like Dropbox would benefit from this style of animation because the focus should be what they do and how it can help your company/product as opposed to who they are as a company.
🔥 Rotoscope Animation
Rotoscoping is an animation technique that involves tracing over live-action footage frame by frame to create realistic action or movement without having any noticeable “jumping” between frames seen in regular animation. Disney was famous for using rotoscoping and perfected the art and science behind making it look natural throughout their films such as Snow White, Pinocchio, etc.
This is not widely used today but it still has its place where companies want realism without having outside actors included in their videos. A prime example would be a medical equipment explainer video where it’s more important to see how the equipment functions without having people in the video.
🔥 Mechanical 3D Animation
This style of animation is similar to regular 2D animation except characters are composed of solid objects rather than being drawn with black outlines. The main difference between this style and regular animation is that this type uses 3D models that are programmed with movement/physics rules known as “rigging” which allows for different types of movement in addition to showing an emotional range for characters when needed, etc.
This style is often used when companies want complete control over everything in their explainer videos because it can be difficult to incorporate motion graphics or motion tracking into this style without it looking unnatural. Some examples would be technology or automotive companies.
🔥 Cut-out Animation
Cut-out animation is similar to traditional stop motion where each object in the video is a separate cut-out that moves around to create movement and everything is composed of 2D shapes. This style allows for more creativity than regular animation because you can literally animate anything (even abstract concepts if needed). It might be difficult to explain what your company does but it will certainly look great along with making an emotional connection with your audience as well which helps build trust among potential customers.
🔥 HUD Animation
Heads-up displays (HUD) in video games are a perfect example of this style where all the action takes place on top of glass panels that contain data such as health, ammo, etc. This type of animation can be used when you want to explain something quickly but don’t want to use characters because it simply looks cool and attracts the viewer’s attention.
For example, explaining how different types of insurance works would be difficult using traditional animation or motion graphics but could be done easily with this method because the information comes across clearly and viewers will enjoy watching it which helps with retention/memory recall.
🔥 Plexus Animation
Plexus is another form of abstract animation that uses mathematical equations (usually involving circles) to create what looks like a bunch of interconnected lines that are constantly moving which helps with the “wow” effect. This style is used when you want to grab viewers’ attention but don’t want them focusing on what your product does because it simply doesn’t matter in this case, rather how it looks is much more important.
Some examples would be car test drives where the movement of the car is most important or possibly an abstract video about safety/security where you need people engaged with something interesting rather than what they are actually looking at.
Where to Use Explainer Videos?
An explainer video is a short, fun, and informative video that can be nicely edited to fit the brand. But where exactly does one use this type of video?
🔥 Homepage: On your homepage, you should use an explainer video when you want to introduce yourself and your products in 60 seconds or less. This is an ideal place for an explainer video because you have a chance to tell your audience about the benefits of your product without having to sell it at all. You can simply state that you help people XYZ, and then show them what’s possible by using your product.
🔥 Email Campaigns: Explainer videos are also great for email campaigns! If you want to write a long email, make sure to include an explainer video at the beginning of the email. This way it’s easier for your reader to watch a short video rather than read through the whole thing again. Make sure that you match your video with your tone of voice! If you’re sending out more personal emails then you can use more fun and casual tone, or if you’re sending out more formal emails then make sure to match it with a more professional tone.
🔥 Sales Meetings: During sales meetings, it’s very important to make yourself stand out from the competition. If there are other people who are also pitching for that sale (i.e. in an interview), then creating an explainer video is a great way to get your brand in people’s minds! You can show off some testimonials or statistics, while still being personable.
🔥 Landing Pages: You can create landing pages when you want someone to take action on your website. This could be subscribing to your email list, signing up for a trial, or even making a purchase. In general, people don’t like to read through a whole page of information before taking action, which is why explainer videos are perfect for landing pages! You can use an explainer video that has a clear CTA at the end of it. This way your audience knows what you expect them to do next and they will hopefully also be persuaded by the video.
🔥 Retargeting Ads: Retargeting ads are when you show someone an ad when they visit your website, but leave without taking action (i.e. signing up). This can be very frustrating for marketers because it means that their ads aren’t working! One simple solution to this is using explainer videos in your retargeting ads. The explainer video should be much shorter than one that you would use on your homepage. After someone has watched the video, it’s time to show them another ad (remember to match it with the right audience!)
🔥 Sales Outreach: It’s always nice to make a personal connection when trying to sell your product. But how can you do this if you don’t know the person on the other end? The answer is simple: explainer videos! An explainer video shows that you took time to make something, rather than just sending out a standard email with your pitch. This will hopefully be enough to convince them that your company isn’t just another mass marketer. This way you can make sure that your emails are personalized, interesting and also show off your brand!
🔥 Social Media: Social media is the perfect place to use an explainer video for! You have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention, or else they will scroll past your post. An explainer video should be short and concise. You should get straight to the point in under 30 seconds; otherwise, you will lose people’s attention!
Explainer videos are a great way to present your brand or product without having to write long copy that can come across as annoying. They are also much more personable than regular ads because they look like casual home videos. The animation capture someone’s attention and the voice-over makes it much easier to digest the information that you’re trying to show off.
Explainer videos work for a wide variety of different marketing strategies because they match every style! They are a great way to grab attention in your email campaigns, sales meetings, or even during your sales outreach. It’s best to try and create explainer videos that match with your brand voice, because if you’re using a funny video for an email that is meant to be read by older people then it probably won’t get them very far!
You should always make sure that you use an explainer video in the right place because otherwise, you will be wasting your time and money. If you would like to use an explainer video for your website, then make sure that it’s on your homepage rather than a landing page!
In general, you should always try and match the right explainer video with the right audience because it all comes down to how well they resonate with each other. If you’re not sure what type of explainer video would be best for your business, then create a few different versions and test them out to see which one gets the most amount of engagement.
Conclusion On Types Of Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are becoming increasingly popular as a method to explain or promote a product, service, or as a means of conveying information. In the race for Internet traffic, companies have tried various ways of explaining their brand and services through different forms of content. This has been done through text articles, blogging, podcasts, and a whole other range of media. Videos seem to have the edge as a means of conveying information.
Above here, I have explained some of the popular types of Explainer Video that can be used by businesses to persuade the customer. Hope you have liked this article on Type of Explainer Video. If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comment section below. I will be happy to respond.
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