Ever wonder why some videos grab your attention immediately, while others fail to make an impact?
In the crowded world of online content, businesses are always looking for ways to stand out. One of the most powerful tools to cut through the noise, turning complex ideas into compelling, bite-sized stories?
Whether it’s breaking down a new product or clarifying a service offering, the best explainer video will do more than just inform—it captivates, engages, and inspires action. Research shows that users retain up to 95% of a message when it’s delivered through video. In another study, 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a brand’s video, making video marketing an essential tool in the buyer journey.
With the power to drive purchasing decisions, it’s no surprise that 85% of businesses are using video in their marketing strategy today. And this trend is only growing—85% of marketers planned to increase their video marketing spend in 2024. When done right, an explainer video creates an “Aha!” moment when the viewer moves from confusion to clarity.
But what separates the great explainer videos from the rest? And how can your business harness the power of video to stand out in a saturated market? In this post, we’ll take a look at the best practices for creating explainer videos, showcase great examples, and explore what makes these short, dynamic stories so effective at driving results.
Key Elements of a Top-Quality Animated Explainer Video
Creating an animated explainer video that truly stands out requires a blend of art and strategy. While many companies use animated videos to explain their products or services, the best video content succeeds because it hits key marks that set it apart. Let’s explore the elements that make these videos both effective and memorable.
Clear and Concise Storytelling
At the heart of any great animated explainer video is compelling storytelling. The ability to distill complex information into a simple, easy-to-follow narrative? It’s an art. And the top animated explainer videos focus on conveying a single, clear message that guides the viewer through the problem, solution, and next steps in a cohesive flow. This simplicity ensures that the audience grasps the core idea quickly and easily.
Animated video is so effective because it can simplify complex concepts. By using visuals and metaphors, businesses can communicate ideas that would otherwise take pages of text to explain. A video with clear storytelling doesn’t overload viewers with unnecessary details but instead presents information in a straightforward way that keeps them engaged.
Strong Visual Appeal and Animation
The visual aspect of an explainer video is what captures the viewer’s attention immediately. High-quality animation, whether in 2D, 3D, or whiteboard style, plays a critical role in keeping viewers engaged. The best videos use dynamic visuals to complement the story without overwhelming it. Animation allows for creativity and flexibility that live-action videos often cannot provide, allowing brands to visualize abstract concepts, products in action, or even imaginary worlds.
People love an explainer video with high visual appeal. According to research, 72% of people prefer learning about a product or service through video, making the combination of clear storytelling and impactful visuals a winning formula.
Effective Use of Voiceover and Sound Design
While the visuals tell half of the story, voiceover and sound design complete the experience. A professional voiceover can make a huge difference in how your message is received, giving your video a polished and authoritative tone. The best explainer videos use voiceovers that match the brand’s tone and appeal to the target audience. Whether formal or conversational, the right voiceover enhances clarity and helps drive home key points.
Sound effects and background music can also create mood and enhance engagement. Subtle audio cues can reinforce the action on screen and guide the viewer through the narrative. This combination of sound design and voiceover makes the animated video feel cohesive and keeps the viewer’s attention from start to finish.
Relatable Characters and Real-Life Scenarios
People connect with stories they see themselves in. Highly effective animated videos often feature relatable characters and situations that resonate with the audience so that they think, “Oh, that’s me!” Whether it’s a character facing a problem similar to the viewer’s or a scenario that mirrors the target customer’s everyday challenges, this relatability draws the audience in and makes them feel understood.
For example, your explainer video might use a protagonist who represents the audience’s pain points and guides them through the problem-solving journey. This technique makes the video more engaging and personal, creating a sense of connection to the brand. These characters help humanize abstract ideas and create an emotional bond.
Best Practices for Creating A Highly Effective Animated Explainer Video
Creating an animated explainer video that stands out in a crowded marketplace requires more than just animation skills. To produce a video that actually resonates, you need to follow some proven best practices that ensure clarity, engagement, and relevance. Here’s a breakdown of the key strategies that will help you produce a top-quality animated video.
Understanding Your Audience’s Pain Points
Before diving into the production of your explainer video, it’s crucial to understand who your audience is and what problems they’re facing. The best explainer videos are built around addressing these pain points. By identifying the challenges your audience encounters, you can craft a video that directly speaks to their needs, showing them how your product or service offers a solution.
This audience-centered approach not only increases engagement but also helps in positioning your brand as a trusted partner that understands and addresses real-world problems.
Focusing on Simplifying Complex Concepts
One of the core reasons businesses turn to animated explainer videos is to break down complicated ideas into easily digestible content. When creating an explainer video, your goal should be to simplify, not overwhelm. This involves cutting out jargon, focusing on key messages, and using visual metaphors to help explain intricate topics.
Videos are the ideal medium for this because they can present information visually, turning abstract ideas into concrete images. When you focus on simplifying complex concepts, your audience can grasp your message quickly, which keeps them engaged throughout the video.
Keeping Videos Short but Engaging
While it’s tempting to pack in as much information as possible, the best explainer videos are often under two minutes long. Keeping your video concise ensures you retain your audience’s attention and drive them towards action quickly. It’s important to prioritize your messaging, focusing only on the most critical points that will resonate with your audience.
Remember, your video is often an introduction to your brand or product. Its primary purpose is to spark interest and guide viewers towards further engagement, whether that’s visiting your website, signing up for a demo, or contacting your sales team.
Designing for Mobile and Cross-Platform Usability
With the majority of video content consumed on mobile devices, your animated explainer video must be optimized for mobile viewing. This means ensuring that your visuals, text, and calls to action are clear and easy to interact with on smaller screens.
You also want your explainer video to be versatile enough to work across different platforms—whether it’s embedded on a landing page, shared on social media, or included in an email campaign. Optimizing your video for cross-platform usability gives you more to work with and repurpose, and ensures your audience can engage with it wherever they are.
Examples of Great Animated Explainer Videos
A great way to understand what makes animated explainer videos so effective is to look at real-world examples. Here are two explainer video examples that showcase clarity and creativity, and have garnered industry recognition for their impact and creativity.
Water Research Foundation: Raising Awareness for Recycled Water Projects
We created this video in collaboration with the Water Research Foundation, Southern California Water Coalition, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The goal was to raise awareness and funds for recycled water projects in California, a critical issue for the state’s environmental sustainability. Through engaging visuals and a clear, concise narrative, the video simplified complex environmental challenges and presented them in a way that resonated with both policymakers and the general public.
What made this video stand out was its ability to take a technical subject and make it accessible and compelling to a wide audience. By using animated graphics to visualize the benefits of recycled water and pairing that with a well-structured story, this explainer video successfully achieved its goal and drove action.
Michigan Public Health Institute: Promoting Hand Hygiene with a Heroic Comic Style
The Michigan Public Health Institute and the State of Michigan needed an engaging way to communicate the importance of hand hygiene. So we used a heroic comic book style to get the message across. This stylistic choice appealed to a broad audience and made a mundane topic—washing hands—both fun and memorable.
The video ultimately educated viewers about hand hygiene because it engaged with dynamic visuals and unique storytelling. With the comic book format, the video turned an important public health message into a visually entertaining experience, ultimately helping to drive its core message home.
What Makes These Examples Stand Out
Both of these videos brought home awards from the 2024 Collision Awards, a recognition judged by creative veterans from Disney, Giant Ant, Netflix, and more. These videos exemplify the art of balancing creativity with clarity so the audience understands and connects with the message.
Lessons Learned from Award-Winning Explainer Videos
What can we learn from the success of these two animated explainer video examples?
First, an awesome explainer video simplifies complex ideas without losing the audience’s attention. This requires strong storytelling that highlights the problem, presents the solution, and ends with a clear call to action.
Second, creativity in video style and execution is key. Whether it’s using animation to visualize abstract concepts or employing a unique style like the comic book approach, the visuals should always enhance the message rather than overshadow it.
How to Create the Best Explainer Video for Your Brand
Creating the best animated explainer videos for your brand requires a strategic approach. While creativity is essential, successful explainer videos also rely on careful planning, collaboration with experts, and a deep understanding of your brand’s message. Here’s how you can craft a video that not only engages your audience but also drives results.
Defining Your Message and Key Takeaways
Before jumping into production, it’s important to get crystal clear on the message you want your target audience to walk away with. What problem are you solving for them? What’s the most important takeaway? The best explainer video communicates a single, focused message without overwhelming the viewer with too many details.
Start by identifying your primary goal. Is it to explain a new product? Educate your audience on a service? Or build awareness around your brand’s mission?
Once you have clarity on your objective, you can craft a storyline that highlights the problem, presents your solution, and emphasizes why it matters to your audience.
Choosing the Right Animation Style
The animation style you choose plays a critical role in how your message is received. Whether it’s 2D, 3D, whiteboard animation, or something more stylized, the visuals should align with your brand and the story you’re telling. For example, an explainer video aimed at tech-savvy audiences may benefit from sleek, minimalist designs, while videos meant for children or casual consumers might lean toward more playful, colorful animations.
When choosing a style, think about your target audience, brand personality, and the complexity of the topic. The right animation style will not only make your video more engaging but also reinforce the message you’re trying to convey.
Collaborating with an Expert Explainer Video Agency
While you could attempt to produce explainer videos in-house, partnering with an expert explainer video production company like Epipheo elevates the final product. Experienced agencies bring a wealth of knowledge, from writing a video script and storyboarding to animation and sound design, ensuring that your video looks professional and visually engaging while achieving its purpose.
At Epipheo, we love helping brands tell their stories through beautiful, impactful explainer videos.
We collaborate closely with our clients, working to understand their unique challenges and goals before bringing their vision to life. This collaborative approach produces custom-made animated videos with striking visuals and sound effects that create epiphanies for your customers.
Measuring the Success of Your Explainer Video
Once your video is live, it’s time to track its performance and see how well it’s achieving your video marketing goals. Key metrics to monitor include view counts, engagement rates, and conversion rates. If your video is hosted on a landing page, check how long visitors stay on the page and whether they take the desired action, such as signing up for a demo or making a purchase.
Beyond basic metrics, gather qualitative feedback from your audience. Are they finding the video helpful? Does it clarify the value of your product or service? This feedback helps you fine-tune future video projects to keep them as engaging and valuable as possible.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Animated Explainer Videos
Even the most well-intentioned animated explainer videos can fall flat if you don’t avoid certain pitfalls. For your video to achieve its purpose, steer clear of these common mistakes that can undermine its effectiveness.
Overloading the Viewer with Information
One of the biggest mistakes in explainer videos is trying to cram too much information into a short video. It’s tempting to share every detail about your product or service but doing so can overwhelm viewers and cause them to tune out. Instead, deliver a concise and clear message. Prioritize your key points and leave the finer details for follow-up content or further engagement on your website.
Neglecting the Importance of Visual Simplicity
Visual clutter is another common issue in explainer videos. Overcomplicating the animation with too many elements distracts from your core message. The most effective explainer videos use animated elements to enhance the narrative, not compete with it. Keeping the design clean and focused keeps your audience engaged with the story you’re telling, rather than getting lost in unnecessary details.
Forgetting to Optimize for Mobile Platforms
With mobile devices accounting for the majority of video consumption, not optimizing your explainer video for mobile is a costly mistake. Videos that look great on a desktop but are difficult to view or interact with on smaller screens risk losing a significant portion of your audience. Ensure your video is mobile-friendly by considering factors like text size, aspect ratio, and user interaction on touchscreen devices.
Why Animated Explainer Videos Are Essential for Business Success
The best explainer videos are business game-changers. They simplify complex ideas, engage your audience, and drive results. Don’t just tell—show, using compelling visuals and sharp storytelling to cut through the noise!
We’ve covered the key ingredients: clear messaging, strong visuals, and relatable characters. When these elements come together, your video captures attention and inspires action.
Just look at the success of the Water Research Foundation and Michigan Public Health Institute videos—each won awards because they nailed creativity, told a cohesive story, and used beautiful visuals to simplify complex ideas!
So, if you’re ready to make your message stand out, now’s the time to invest in an animated explainer video. Epipheo can help you create a video that sparks that “aha” moment with your audience and moves them to take action.
Let’s make it happen. Reach out to Epipheo today to start creating a video that makes an impact.
