How to increase conversions with a killer explainer video

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Feb 3, 2015 / by
How to increase conversions with a killer explainer video

As we described in a previous article about infographics, visual content can be highly effective in digital marketing campaigns. While the term ‘explainer video’ may not be a part of everyone’s vocabulary, most people are able to recall all the times that they’ve seen those cool, animated videos, usually accompanied by some crafty sales copy on landing pages all over the web.

StoryboardAs with any form of content marketing, there’s a lot of bad explainer videos floating around. However, the right kind of explainer video can certainly help to drive traffic and increase conversion rates. Neil Patel, founder of Crazy Egg, reported a $21,000 increase in monthly revenue after implementing an explainer video designed by Demo Duck. According to marketing expert Douglas Carr:

“Video is the easiest online content to grow on social media, with 12x more chances to be shared than links and text combined.”

Aim to solve a problem

People commission explainer videos for a multitude of reasons: some want an explainer video to aid a company presentation while others want a cool video that will go viral to help boost their site’s SEO and drive traffic. However, increasing conversion rates ranks among the most popular goals, with evidence suggesting that a good explainer video can increase conversions by as much as 20%! Neil Patel credits the success of his explainer video to the scriptwriting; more specifically, the scriptwriting formula he followed. Neil Patel’s formula involved explaining a common problem, demonstrating how the features of his product could solve the problem and then adding in proof elements to seal the deal.

Substance over style

While picking the physical features and outfits of your animated protagonist is a lot of fun, it’s important to remember that the script is the foundation of a successful explainer video, not the visuals. No one knows your business like you do, so when you purchase an explainer video, you should always dictate the direction of the scriptwriting to ensure that it caters to your client base and creates a call to action that your audience will actually relate to.

Agency or freelancer?

Deciding to go with an agency or freelancer is one of the most perplexing decisions when outsourcing… pretty much anything, let alone videos. While there are some excellent freelancers, there are also some who are happy to put out underwhelming material for a quick paycheck. If you do use a freelancer, ensure that they have a lot of positive testimonials and don’t be afraid of contacting their previous clients if you feel it is necessary.

However, when using a freelance animator, you are also likely to have to source a voice actor and possibly a musician (although affordable royalty-free music is available from directories such as Premium Beat), and then coordinate the project. This can be a bit of a headache, and many businesses would rather avoid it by paying the extra money for a video from any one of a number of reputable agencies. For established businesses with a significant marketing budget, an agency is normally the obvious choice, whereas for startups and individuals, doing some research and finding a good freelancer may help to cut costs.

Choosing the right voice actor

Mic4The voiceover can make or break your project, so choose wisely. Directories such as Voices and Voice Archive have a huge selection of voice actors around the world which you can employ, all with samples of their work which you can check out to help inform your decision.

Confidence, versatility and articulation are among the most important factors you should look out for, but choosing the right voice is normally a matter of personal preference. Choosing the correct gender and accent for your target audience is also important. One word of warning however: if you hear a sample full of pops and clicks that sounds like it was recorded on the microphone that comes free with a laptop, run a mile!

Conclusion

Once your explainer video is integrated into your landing page, track the activity of people visiting the page meticulously. Many explainer video agencies advocate split testing the video, whereby you upload two different versions of the video for different demographics and log the responses to see which is the most profitable. The positioning of the video on the page may also have an impact on conversions, so don’t be afraid to experiment (so long as you track your efforts). A good explainer video will not only breathe life into an otherwise bland webpage, but it can also improve the profitability of your business with dramatic effect.

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