In the modern day, marketing and advertising look nothing like they used to. Previously, a marketer would have to go door-to-door with pamphlets, pay for billboard space, or email out their web campaign to potential customers. Nowadays, the world is more different than ever before due to digital marketing.
This new and dynamic field is projected to reach an astounding $786.2 billion by 2026 alone, far eclipsing the size of the traditional marketing field. One unique aspect of digital marketing that has risen in popularity in recent years is explainer videos for advertising purposes. Learning everything there is to know about this advertising type can help a company understand if it’s right for them.
What is an Explainer Video?
An explainer video, as opposed to a traditional marketing video, is a short-form video that outlines what a product or service is and how that items is used, all in an engaging and fun manner. Explainer videos are essentially elevator pitches of a company’s product, as opposed to draw out commercials that last for two minutes or longer.
Common Types of Explainer Videos
When a company considers the types of explainer videos to advertise their product, there are four primary types to use. While each brings its own unique benefits, some are better than others:
Whiteboard Animation
Whiteboard animation is a form of illustrated advertising that involves an “author” drawing an animation on a whiteboard backboard screen. The author’s hand draws out different parts of the animation, erases it, and then draws the next part. During each stage, there is a voiceover and sound effects that are implemented which describes what is happening on-screen.
Animation
Animated short-term advertisements are 15-60 second videos that promote a company’s products or services. In an animated commercial, no live action people acting on the screen are involved and there are no sets needed for the shoot.
Live action
Live actions commercials are the classic form of traditional advertising that most people are familiar with on television. Lasting around two minutes in length, actors show what a product or service does. In some cases, live action videos may be overlaid with animated components to bolster the message.
Screencast style videos
Screencast advertisements show a shared computer screen that displays what a company’s product or service does. In most cases, software companies use this form of advertising as it’s best for products that exist over the Internet.
Traditional vs. Digital Marketing: Why Explainer Videos Can Help a Business
As opposed to using billboards and paper pamphlets, explainer videos can provide a more in-depth description of a product or service. Additionally, explainer videos are displayed to consumers during something they are already doing, which makes them more likely to sit through the entire advertisement.
However, it’s worth noting that the long-term costs of an explainer video campaign can eclipse that of a traditional marketing campaign due to the effort that goes into the marketing style. Depending on the style of animation, the cost can vary greatly. Whiteboard animations, as an example, typically won’t cost more a couple thousand dollars at most.
On the other hand, live action commercials involve paying salaries for actors, renting out sets to film in, potentially paying for animation fees, and much more. These commercials can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions if displayed during popular times such as the Super Bowl. Therefore, marketing budgets need to be expanded in the modern day, with the tradeoff being that more people will be exposed to those ads, which can improve conversion rates.
Benefits of Explainer Videos
There are a number of prominent benefits explainer videos offer over traditional marketing strategies, including:
- Explainer videos can be easily shared between friends and family
- For what you get, explainer videos can be very cost-effective
- It’s simplifies explaining how a product or service works
- Explainer videos get to the point quickly
Drawbacks of Explainer Videos
For all the benefits explainer videos offer, there are some notable drawbacks that everyone should consider before integrating these into their marketing campaign:
- Costs can rise rapidly depending on the scope of the product
- Some explainer videos are better suited for some types of ads than others
- You may have to juggle other people’s timelines and schedules
The Bottom Line
As the digital age continues to evolve, so too will the ways in which companies market their products or services. To that end, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve and integrate modern solutions into your existing marketing strategy. Choosing to include explainer video campaigns for social media, television, or other forms of advertising can help a company increase profits and connect with their customers.
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