How to Make an Explainer Video in 15 Steps

Creating an explainer video can seem like a daunting task, but with the right guidance and tools, anyone can make a professional-looking explainer video. In this blog post, we will explore how to make an explainer video in 15 steps.

From choosing the right software to polishing the finished product, we’ll cover all the essential steps for creating an explainer video that your audience will love. So, if you’re wondering how can I create an explainer video, read on to find out!

1) Choose your story

Choosing the right story for your explainer video is one of the most important aspects of creating one. It should be clear, engaging, and informative.

The story should be focused on your product or service, and highlight its unique features and benefits. One great example is Google’s explainer video for their Cloud Platform.

In this video, they focus on how their platform helps users quickly and easily launch applications and scale them to meet their needs. They also highlight the cost-effectiveness and reliability of their platform. This story does an excellent job of focusing on the key features of the product and how it can help businesses succeed.

2) Write a script

When it comes to creating an explainer video, the script is one of the most important components. A good script should be concise, clear, and interesting. It should also provide context and explain the main message of the video.

A great example of a well-written script can be seen in Google’s Doodle for April 14th 2020, which celebrated the work of Florence Nightingale. The short video had a simple yet effective script that included only a few lines of dialogue.https://mhexplain.com/how-can-i-create-an-explainer-video/

“A nurse, a statistician, a visionary. Florence Nightingale fought to change healthcare forever. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of her birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Florence Nightingale,” the narrator said. This example shows that you don’t need to have long scripts to convey your message. Keep it brief and make sure to include relevant details that can help you drive home your point.

3) Create a storyboard

A storyboard is a graphical representation of how your explainer video will unfold. It helps you to visualize the flow and sequence of the video before committing to animation.

Google’s Doodle team uses a storyboard for each of their doodles. They start by creating rough sketches of what their doodle should look like, then refine those sketches until the storyboard is complete.

This allows them to refine the pacing, get feedback from stakeholders, and identify any potential problems before investing time and resources into the animation process. Creating a storyboard can also help you save time and money in the long run by ensuring that your video is created according to plan.

4) Choose your style

Choosing the right style for your explainer video is essential to making sure that your message resonates with your target audience. In order to make an effective explainer video, you must first decide which type of animation best suits your needs.

Popular styles include whiteboard animation, motion graphics, 3D animation, and more. A great example of a well-executed explainer video is Google’s Chrome browser video.

The video used simple 2D animations with vibrant colors and a cheerful soundtrack, effectively conveying its message in a fun and engaging way. With such a wide range of styles available, you are sure to find one that fits your brand identity and captivates your audience.

5) Design your characters

When it comes to creating an explainer video, the design of your characters plays an important role. Characters are a key element of storytelling, so it’s essential to make sure they look the part and evoke the desired emotion.

For example, when Google wanted to create an explainer video about their web accessibility initiative, they created a cartoon character named Barb who was a wheelchair user. This character choice helped illustrate the concept in an easy to understand way that resonated with viewers.

When designing your characters, consider the style and message you want to communicate, as well as any disability or diversity considerations you should factor in. Remember, if you don’t have experience in animation or illustration, it may be worth hiring a professional artist to create characters that will help bring your story to life.

6) Animate your characters

Animating characters is an important part of creating an explainer video. Animation brings your characters to life and adds visual interest to your video. When creating an explainer video, you have a few options for animation.

You can create a traditional 2D animation or you can create a 3D animation. Both types of animation can be effective, depending on the style and tone of your video.

For example, Google created a 3D animated explainer video for its Google Cloud Platform. The video features 3D animated characters that introduce viewers to the benefits of Google Cloud Platform. The animation is fun and engaging, which helps to make the video more memorable. By using 3D animation, Google was able to convey its message in a more engaging way.

7) Add voiceover

Voiceover is an integral part of any explainer video. It brings the story alive and adds emotion to the characters and visuals. Google used voiceover to great effect in their Google Wallet explainer video, where they effectively used it to demonstrate how easy it is to use their product.

The voiceover actor was able to effectively convey the enthusiasm and energy that is needed to capture the viewers’ attention and draw them into the story.

It also highlighted some of the advantages of using Google Wallet, such as fast checkout times and secure payments, and added credibility to the message. Therefore, when creating your own explainer video, make sure to select a voiceover artist who can effectively bring your story to life and ensure that your message resonates with your audience.

8) Add music

Music is a powerful way to give your explainer video an emotional connection with viewers. It can also help create a consistent tone throughout the video. Google recommends that you select music based on your target audience and consider what the music should convey.

For example, if the product or service is meant to be fun and light-hearted, you should look for upbeat and joyful music. As a case study, Google developed an explainer video for their new feature “Google Docs Voice Typing”. They chose upbeat music that conveyed optimism, motivation, and energy.

This choice of music worked perfectly for their explainer video and allowed them to set the tone for the story they were trying to tell. In addition, the music helped to keep viewers engaged and excited about their product throughout the video.

9) Add sound effects

Sound effects can be a powerful way to add impact and emphasis to your explainer video. It can be a great way to create a cohesive feel to the video and make it sound more professional.

For example, Google’s “Grow with Google” explainer video uses sound effects to emphasize the transitions from one section to the next. The sound effects also add an interesting layer of creativity and excitement to the video, which helps to draw in viewers and make it more memorable.

When using sound effects, you should consider using a range of sounds to make your video as engaging as possible. You could use sound effects such as bells, chimes, or animal noises for added effect. You can also use background music to create an atmosphere that helps your explainer video stand out from the competition.

10) Polish your video

Once you’ve completed the animation and have your audio in place, it’s time to polish your video to make it look its best. At this stage, you should consider adding graphics and text overlays, color correction, and fine-tuning the audio. For example, Google used professional post-production services to refine their animated explainer video for their new Google Drive service.

They used color correction to give the video a high-end look and feel, added motion graphics to draw attention to key points and transitions, and employed sound effects to enhance the overall audio experience. The result was an engaging and powerful explainer video that helped them introduce their new product and captivate their audience.

11) Export your video

Once you have finished creating your explainer video, it is time to export it and upload it to the web. Exporting your video can be done in multiple formats, such as MP4, WMV, AVI, FLV, MOV, and others. Depending on the software you are using, the exporting process might vary.

Google, for example, offers YouTube Studio, a free video editing platform that allows you to upload your video directly to YouTube. You can use this platform to customize your video with titles and descriptions, add closed captions and subtitles, and even choose the thumbnail.

Once you have all of your settings in place, simply click “export” and your video will be uploaded to the web in no time!

12) Upload your video

Once your explainer video is complete, it’s time to upload it to the web. You can upload your video to a variety of different platforms, such as YouTube, Vimeo, or even your own website.

Google provides a great case study on how to do this effectively. They suggest using annotations to link viewers to other related videos or content that they might be interested in. Additionally, they recommend creating playlists to group related videos together and optimizing the titles, tags, and descriptions for each video so that people can easily find them when searching.

Finally, they suggest setting up automatic transcoding so that your videos are optimized for any device. Following these steps will help ensure that your explainer video has maximum reach and impact.

13) Share your video

Once you have finished creating your explainer video, the next step is to share it with the world. With Google’s video hosting platform, YouTube, you can easily upload and share your explainer videos with others.

To maximize the reach of your explainer videos, it’s important to optimize for search and use keywords in the title, description, and tags of your video. Google’s YouTube ads platform is also a great way to get more viewers for your explainer videos. Through this platform, you can target specific demographics with tailored content and measure your results in real time.

For example, Google recently used the YouTube ads platform to promote their new Pixel phone to their target demographic. The video featured an interactive story and a call-to-action to pre-order the phone. The video was successful in helping Google reach its goal of more than 1 million Pixel pre-orders in the first week of launch.

14) Evaluate your results

Once you’ve exported and uploaded your explainer video, it’s important to assess how well it did. Evaluating the results of your explainer video is an essential step in determining how effective your marketing campaign was.

A great example of this is Google’s “Hangouts” explainer video, which was viewed over 1.4 million times and resulted in a 400% increase in daily active users. By measuring views, engagement, and click-through rates, you can determine the success of your video and make improvements for the future.

Additionally, getting feedback from viewers will give you insights on what resonated and what didn’t. Collecting data on the success of your explainer video will help you create even more powerful videos in the future.

15) Improve your process

Having a great explainer video is only part of the success. To make sure your video resonates with viewers and meets your goals, it’s important to use feedback from your viewers to improve the video over time.

One of the most successful cases of this is Google’s ‘Year in Search’ videos. Every year, Google releases an annual ‘Year in Search’ video which reflects on the year’s top searches and how they impacted the world. In 2020, they added interactive elements to their video where viewers could click on highlighted moments in the video and explore more stories related to those moments.

This addition allowed viewers to connect more deeply with the content and increase their engagement with the video. By taking feedback and making changes to their video, Google was able to create an even more impactful and engaging explainer video that resonated better with viewers. You can do the same with your explainer videos by gathering feedback and using it to improve your process.

Conclusion

Creating an explainer video doesn’t have to be a daunting process. By breaking it down into 15 steps, you can easily create an explainer video that is engaging and informative.

The key is to plan out each step, stay organized, and be patient. Once you complete the steps, you will have a unique explainer video that you can be proud of. Good luck and enjoy the process!