If you are looking to increase your conversion rates, boost engagement, rank higher in organic search results, and enhance your brand identity, then animated explainer videos will help.

To learn more, keep reading for four things to know before producing an animated explainer video.

4 Things to Know Before Producing an Animated Explainer Video

1. The point is to...explain.

Before you start the process of creating an animated explainer video, you must recognize what the point of it is – to explain, not to sell. Even though your ultimate goal is to increase sales of your product or service, you don't want this particular type of video to be too sales-oriented.

Instead, concentrate on communicating information that teaches or inspires your viewers. For this reason, these videos can be considered part of your content marketing strategy as the focus with content marketing is to be informative and benefit the target audience.

One of the benefits of using animation in this way is that it grabs viewers’ attention and keeps them engaged – no matter how dry the information is. By utilizing animated explainer videos, you can attract potential customers and provide them with a greater desire to learn more about your brand or products. It is with this strategy that you will find yourself gaining both customers and brand evangelists.

2. Your script is everything.

In order to create a compelling animated explainer video, you need to have both high-quality animations and a well-thought-out script. Even though its principal purpose is to inform or explain, your video should still be entertaining. This is where the script comes in. Most importantly, that script needs to be concise and to-the-point. Otherwise viewers aren't going to stick around to watch the entire thing.

Your script is what determines the length of the video, so spending adequate time refining the text will help you create a reasonable length clip.

On average, 160 scripted English words translate to approximately one minute of video. Generally, your best bet is to have your animated explainer video be around 90 seconds, which means 240 words.

As long as you are working hard to refine your script, this should give you plenty of time to explain your product or service without losing your target audience half-way through.

3. They give you an edge.

Undoubtedly, by opting to utilize animated explainer videos in your content marketing strategy, you ensure that you are giving your company an edge over the competition. This is because these styles of videos are perfect for targeting your specific audience as they can be created to appeal to their precise interests visually.

Of course, this means that you have to know who your target audience is and what they want to know about your industry, product or service, and message. Once you understand them, you can work to craft a message that will attract those who will be most likely to engage and do business with you.

Remember, to have a successful business, you don't need every individual on the planet to shop with you. In fact, you only need about 5% of your niche market. By creating videos that speak directly to this 5%, you are far more likely to convert viewers into customers without wasting time and resources.

4. The professionals know what they are doing.

As you can tell, when executed correctly, animated explainer videos can bring your firm a lot of benefits. However, they aren't always simple to create, and it certainly isn't easy to craft one that is concise, entertaining, and effective.

For this reason, it is highly recommended that you work with an agency that specializes in creating video marketing content that express business ideas in a simple yet informative manner. After all, they are the ones who know precisely how to utilize this form of engaging and emotional video to ensure you communicate with your target audience in the best possible way.

Has your company ever used an animated explainer video? Why or why not? Is it something you are willing to try? Let us know your thoughts and any relevant experiences you have in the comments below!

Anthony Lam is the founder of Punchy Digital Media, a creative agency that helps organizations grow using animated videos and creative visual content. Punchy has a team across Australia and Asia and has worked with clients such as Apple, Westpac, and the Australian Government. You can find him on Twitter @PunchyMedia.