How To Write A Great Explainer Video Script
Have you ever wondered what makes a top explainer video? How long should it be? How should the script be structured? What style is best for your market? These are all great questions and given how effective a great video can be, questions that should get clear answers to.
Here’s a few ideas that may help you make sense of the choices facing all companies considering making an animated video to explain their product or service.
First, most top explainer videos follow the same general format. They start by identifying the problem. For example, if the company has made an app for young people that makes text messaging free, the video might open with a narrative like this.
“Meet Dave and Michele, Dave and Michele are two young lovers that met while on holiday in Hawaii. Sadly, when their holiday ended they returned to different states and stayed in touch by text message which ended up costing them a fortune”.
So that’s the problem.
If you don’t spend enough time establishing the problem, you don’t create any pain that your solution solves. As much as we like to think people act because of positive things, the truth is that pain is far more motivating than anything else.
Think about smoking. All smokers know it’s bad for them but change often doesn’t happen until a Doctor says – “Stop or you’ll die – soon.”
Next, your explainer video should introduce the solution.
“Then they heard about FreeText, a great new app that makes text messaging free!”
The solution should feel like water to a dry mouth. This links positive feelings with your product.
From this point, the video might explain one or two features and benefits and it will then close with a call-to-action.
“To learn more, go to iTunes or Google Play now and search FreeText. It’s only 99c and you’ll save a bundle!”
It is really important that you tell watchers what to do and if possible, provide the link or other information nearby or within your video.
So the format is simply:
– Problem
– Solution
– Features/benefits
– Call To Action
This formula has been used for decades in sales and it still works today.
In terms of length, most top animated videos run for less than 90 seconds. These days, people are attention-poor and over loaded with the sheer mass of information available. To put this in perspective, a 90 second explainer video is a script with about 250 words. That sounds like a lot but its not when start to write it.
The key is to pick one or two emotive ideas and not to make the mistake of trying to cram too many features in. If you do, the video will become bloated and impotent. Clarity, simplicity, ease of use are all virtues of a top animation.
For more information or questions, please feel free to contact me!
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Adam Hudson
CEO/Founder
Fire Starter Videos
Hollywood, Los Angeles.