How to Grow your Startup with Animated Explainer Videos

Pitching your startup’s products and services to potential clients can be tricky through plain text. Creating video for startups is much more appropriate when it comes to explaining what your product is all about and how to use it.

According to recent reports, 86% of businesses use videos for marketing purposes as of 2021, with 87% reporting positive ROI from video marketing. Additional findings indicate that 94% of marketers understood their product or service better because they created explainer videos for them, resulting in even better sales. Animated explainer videos are uniquely suited for startup marketing, as they allow you to create eye-catching, snappy, engaging content more quickly than via traditional video.

In the following segments, we’ll answer the question of why animated explainer videos are a valuable marketing tool for 2022 and beyond. We’ll take a look at how to make explainer video content, the types of videos you can create, and some practical tips to consider.

Advantages of Creating Animated Explainer Videos

To make good use of start up explainer videos, we need to understand the value proposition behind video content as a whole. Based on published findings, 95% of marketers said that video has helped buyers better understand their product sand service. Likewise, 48% of customers want to watch videos that reflect the product or service they consider buying accurately.

Both marketers and customers agree that video content is valuable in terms of pitching products and services and convincing people to buy them. Animated explanation videos go a step beyond that. They are easier, faster, and cheaper to produce than videos filmed in a studio environment.

You don’t need to hire a filming crew, find professional actors, or look for props and design a set to create start up video via animation. All you need is a reliable video platform to create your animated videos on and get started working on scripts. Here’s why you should focus on how to make an explainer video for your startup going forward:

·        Produce relevant video content for your start up quickly and efficiently

·        You don’t need to hire and pay a professional filming crew

·        Animated explainer videos are easy to edit and restructure

·        Animation is eye-catching and appropriate for all customer demographics

·        Improve your website SEO and SERP ranking thanks to content variety

Types of Animated Explainer Videos to Create

There are various types of explainer videos that you can create via animation. Thanks to how flexible and user-friendly the medium is, you don’t have to box yourself into a certain content type. Startup explainer videos can take a variety of shapes depending on where you plan to publish them.

For example, your website might require a multi-part explainer video series that goes into detail about your products and services. On the other hand, video for startups intended for social media publishing needs to be shorter and more on-point. Here are only a few ideas on how you can make explainer video content work for you:

·        Animated video explaining what your startup brand stands for

·        Animated video series with multiple parts on different product features

·        Animated video for startups based on a limited-time sales campaign or a discount

·        Animated video where you interview an industry professional or customer

·        Animated video featuring user-generated content and user or influencer reviews

Tips and Tricks on How to Create Great Animated Explanation Videos

1.      Write Scripts Before You Start Working on Animation

Even though you can create start up video content more quickly and easily through animation, you should still write scripts beforehand. Actionable scripts with clear hooks and call-to-action phrases are very important in video preproduction.

Students of video editing and directing know this the best, as their assignments tend to focus on script writing and editing most of the time. If you think “I’d like someone to write my paper for me”, you can find appropriate professional scriptwriting and formatting help online. This will ensure that your scripts are free of grammar errors and easier to read, making the voice actors’ jobs much easier. Never start creating a video for startups via animation without a script and a direction from your CMO or project manager.

2.      Keep your Animated Explainer Videos Short and On Point

Even though animated explainer videos are easier to produce than live-action promotional videos, they are still time-consuming and should be planned well. You will be hard-pressed to keep your audience engaged for 60+ seconds on social media with your start up explainer videos, animation or not. To that end, make sure that your videos areas short as possible.

Focus on a single idea and follow it through to the end in your scriptwriting stage. Are you explaining how people can use your startup’s entire product or a specific feature? Is your startup explainer video a part of a video series or a one-and-done? Cut out unnecessary fluff from your script and shorten the videos as much as possible. This will make explainer video content much more appealing and easier to digest for customers.

3.      Use the Keywords your Audience is Expecting You To

Depending on the industry and niche you operate in, people who click on your videos will expect to hear certain keywords and phrases to stay engaged. For example, if you outsource digital marketing services, you should include buzzwords and catchphrases unique to digital marketing to entice your viewers.

Pairing these words with captivating visuals in your startup explainer videos will allow you to convert more leads than you would otherwise. This will also boost your brand’s SEO and make your content visible to more potential customers. You can look for words and phrases to use in your scriptwriting via Google AdWords and SEM Rush among others. Use the right buzzwords related to your niche and your explainer videos will carry much more weight with interested viewers.

4.      Focus on Practical, Everyday Language in your Explanations

The benefit to using animation in startup explainer videos is that you can make your scripts as plain as possible. You don’t need to dazzle your viewers with complicated vocabulary and terminology which is common in your back-end. Avoid using abbreviations and complex terminology which would narrow down your target audience. You want to make sure that your explainer video for startups is as understandable and simple as possible.

Use animation to hook the viewer instead of trying to impress them with how many high-level words you know in your industry. Using SEO keywords while also avoiding complicated script writing is a balancing act, one which you will have to practice over time. You will know how understandable and engaging your scripts are when you start posting your first explainer videos. Afterward, you will have the opportunity to smooth out your scripts to make them as enthralling as possible.

5.      Be Professional and Engaging in your Script Delivery

Given that your visuals will rely on animation instead of real-life actors or staff, your voice delivery must be on point. You should be energetic, fluent, and professional in your delivery to ensure that everyone can understand you. Offering a transcript or captions for your explainer videos is also a great idea. Based on statistical data, up to 85%of social media users watch videos without sound, making captions an idea addition to explainer videos.

You can translate your startup explainer videos to make them engaging for international viewers for example. If you have issues with delivering clear, engaging voiceover for your videos, it’s a good idea to outsource this part of your video production. You can find professional voiceover actors online which will help finish your project for a bargain price. Be very mindful of who delivers your lines and how to make explainer video content as captivating as possible.

6.      Add Appropriate Music to your Videos with Attribution

Explainer videos without any background music or sound effects can seem dull and alienating. To avoid that, you should find appropriate music which will fill the proverbial void for your videos. Royalty-free music with proper attribution can work wonders for your audience if you choose the right tracks.

You can choose music from a variety of genres, made by artists from around the globe. All you have to do is thank them for their contribution to make explainer video content that much more high quality. Don’t use copyrighted music by famous singers or bands, however – this is a surefire way of inviting legal problems to your startup. It’s best to use music without any lines and simply rely on instrumental, lo-fi, and upbeat tracks to elevate your videos.

7.      Share your Newly Created Animated Explainer Videos Online

Once you make explainer video content, you should ensure that as many people see it as possible. Thankfully, the web is rich with potential marketing channels which you can use to promote your startup. Here’s where you can share your startup explainer videos to reach new viewers and convert some of them into paying customers:

·        Website landing or product/service pages

·        Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

·        Email marketing content intended for your mailing list

·        Your startup’s YouTube account

The more platforms you share your explainer videos on, the more potential customers you will reach. Likewise, your SEO ranking will grow with each platform you establish your startup’s presence on, making it a worth while activity.

Animated Explainer Videos Pitfalls to Keep in Mind

Now that we have a much better understanding of how to make explainer video content via animation, let’s also address potential pitfalls. Even though startup explainer videos are easier and faster to create through animation as opposed to acted videos, you should still plan your videos properly.

You don’t want to waste time or resources on redoing videos because you didn’t have a proper script or your audio recording wasn’t good. Treat your scripts like an academic essay while writing and have them properly proofread, formatted, and read aloud before you create startup video content.

This will ensure that you experience less downtime and create more effective startup explainer videos moving forward. Here are a few things to keep in mind to create an animated video for startups more professionally:

·        Keep your target audience in mind when writing your scripts – adapt your terminology to them

·        Choosing to create startup video based on a template –be original and creative with your animation

·        Failing to include a call to action at the end of your animated explanation video – what’s the key takeaway?

·        Bad audio mixing and poor voiceover quality – be careful of how you mix audio with background music

·        Overreliance on flashy animation instead of valuable takeaways – visuals alone won’t convert leads

·        Startup explainer videos that are too long and lack a hook – keep them quick, snappy, and actionable

Wrapping Up and Getting Started (Conclusion)

Once you learn how to make explainer videos through animation, your startup content marketing strategy will transform fundamentally. To summarize, here’s what you should do to make your animated explainer videos pop:

·        Start making your startup explainer videos by writing appropriate scripts for each one

·        Make sure that your videos are as concise and actionable as possible to engage viewers

·        Write your scripts with keywords and phrases which are expected in your industry

·        Keep your script language simple and easy to follow to create startup video content that is appealing

·        Keep your tone of voice and delivery casual but be mindful of maintaining your brand’s reputation

·        Always add appropriate background music to your video for startups with proper legal attribution

·        Make explainer video content available on multiple channels, including your website, socials, and email

Over time, potential customers and clients will learn to subconsciously link animated explainer videos with your brand and consider your business more professional. Likewise, you will be able to create startup video content based on previous videos and expand on the topics you already covered. Start writing your scripts and make the most out of the animated video for startups – your audience will appreciate the effort.