Short, entertaining, and if made right, Explainer Videos can explain things better than Morgan Freeman. Maybe not, but still, they have taken the entire market by storm. Today we will talk about ten effective types of explainer videos that can take your product and brand to the next level.
Explainer videos, more often than not, are animated (or include some graphical elements like texts and arrows). Savvy marketers use these videos to boost their sales and reduce customer support calls. It's like hitting two birds with one stone.
According to a study in 2020, marketers reported an astounding 81% rate of conversion.
But you already know how powerful explainer videos are for any business, online or not.
To learn the benefits of explainer videos in detail, don't hesitate to click here!
Motion Graphics Explainer Videos
This is another type of 2D animation style. It doesn't necessarily use the characterization or even storytelling as 2D animated explainers.
Instead, it employs shapes and abstracts alongside text for storytelling.
What makes Motion Graphic explainers interesting is that it provides a better degree of finesse when it comes to effectively delivering a large amount of information.
A brand can use Motion Graphic explainers to showcase its products or services as a whole.
Some businesses use these videos for "training" purposes for their employees.
Either way, if you want to hook your audience within the first 3 seconds, you need to shortlist this type of video for your business.
Whiteboard Explainers
Don't let the simplicity of whiteboard animation fool you. It has dominated the market ever since it was introduced in the late 2000s.
At first, it started out only as how-to videos. Teachers love making them, students love watching them.
But soon, it became a go-to choice for tutorials, explainers, and even storytelling.
You don't actually have to draw on a whiteboard physically. Well, you can, as it presents an earthly aesthetic to it.
But this is 2024, and there's plenty of visual options now.
If you think whiteboard explainer videos suit your style, we have created a free, ready-to-use template for you!
Just drop us an email, and we will share that with you.
2D Animated Character Videos
These videos inspired awe in the 1960s. People still love them in 2024.
The trend never died. And it never will.
Technology has changed dramatically, no pun intended. But the style of storytelling has stayed the same (almost).
You take a few characters, add some story between them, and explain to the audience about a particular "experience" through those characters.
2D animated character videos are generally termed "cartoons."
Suppose you have to get a message across to your audience or explain a product or service through your characters. In that case, this type of explainer video can lead you to success.
3D Animated Explainer Videos
One step ahead of the 2D explainer, the 3D explainer employs another dimension to your storytelling.
Sometimes you need to add some "depth" to your animated videos, which can be acquired by specific shaders and renders during the animation phase.
3D animated is more complicated, expensive, and time-consuming than its sister (2D). But it gives a more human feel to the video alongside a better approach to open-world storytelling.
Both 2D and 3D videos can be used as an explainer. It is a matter of choice. Both deliver excellent ROI, and one is not necessarily better than the other.
Nevertheless, always have expert opinions to choose the best one for your idea.
Screencast Videos
Startups love screencast explainers. YouTube hosts a ton of screencast explainers.
In these videos, the narrator (usually the creator) simply records their screen and explains how to use a particular software or service on a computer.
Now, this is a pretty simple idea. It is plain, yes. But it gets the job done.
You can, however, take it to the next level by power-editing, visual effects, and adding a small reaction window to the corner of the video showing your beautiful face.
These videos are popular, geeky, and extremely easy on the pocket.
Live-Action Explainer Videos
Animated or not, at the end of the day, you want a wholesome explainer video.
Live-action generally means real human actors.
These videos are great if you want to connect to your viewer on a much higher emotional level.
They are generally costlier than their animated counterparts, as live-action production involves shooting and recording "scenes."
But it is not necessarily true as many other factors determine the final cost of a project.
Kinetic Typography Explainer
It is probably the biggest product video trend since 2021.
In this type of explainer video, we use fonts and colorful transitions to tell the story.
It's funny that most people don't like reading subtitles but easily get hooked into a typographic explainer.
You have seen these explainers everywhere. It is a quick-ad format for many brands.
Most people like seeing words jumping here and there on the screen.
It's mesmerizing – a pure text-based roller coaster ride.
But it is one of the most complicated formats of video to edit and often requires a tremendous amount of editing.
If your company targets international clients and requires short-length videos, then this style might prove beneficial for you.
Stop Motion Explainer Videos
These explainers employ the technique of Stop Motion.
It is made by putting together a sequence of pictures depicting the movement of a character or an object.
The key difference from other videos is that we string together "pictures" rather than "frames."
Stop motion won the internet in the last decade. Many people in the handicraft business used Stop-motion explainers to explain their hearts out.
Chefs, artists, or anyone who felt the world should see their skills with this type of video. And even with the higher production cost and efforts, very few of them regret it.
Narration Focused Explainer Videos
Put a few stock images and videos, a humorous script, and a good narrative voice together, and bam! You have got yourself a Powerpuff explainer.
Narratives are the explainers that have ruled the internet meme culture for over a decade now.
Although most brands avoid this video style, they might seem immature and unprofessional for their businesses.
But it doesn't stop individuals with a zeal to explain in this format.
YouTube channels like "Sam O'Nella Academy" have thrived on this video style, generating over 2 million loyal followers.
Product Shorts
Snapchat started it. Instagram perfected it. YouTube commercialized it.
Stories, shorts, reels—whatever you call them—are running a significant share of the influencer market today.
Many content creators earn their bread and butter through this format. These videos are vertical, concise-length, and often accompanied by in-built filters and audios.
You can use the social media app itself to record and easily edit these videos.
Since the last couple of years, many brands have used this video format to explain their goods or services.
These videos can get viral quickly.
Out of the Box Explainer Videos (like 8-bit)
We have discussed the top ten explainer video styles that have created a genuine impact on user engagement.
You can choose any of them for your business. Experiment with these videos and choose whichever works best for you. Or you can avoid all the trial-and-error altogether and get an expert consultation on which animation style should YOU use!
But outside the realm of anything that has ever existed lies the unimaginative.
New video styles come and go, but only the ones valuable to businesses stick around.
You can blend together different types of videos to create a unique style.
One of the most popular blends are:
- Live-action and 3D explainer
- Narrative and 2D explainer
- Typography and Live-action
There are endless possibilities.
A good video production company can help you find your calling. Click here to learn more about selecting the best video agency for your business.
Where to Use Explainer Videos:
- Your website or blog
- Sales pitch
- Email campaigns and newsletters
- Landing pages
- Social Media/YouTube
- Pretty much anywhere
How to get a personalized explainer video for your brand?
It is not all that difficult, really. With the tremendous impact explainer videos have made in 2021, accessibility to such an incredible technology is more effortless than ever.
But as Adobe once said, you cannot buy creativity.
Hiring someone who can implement the latest technologies to convert your idea (or concept) into a creative and engaging piece of video – is actually a tap away from you.
