How to make a Killer Explainer Video on a Budget

A stellar explainer video is one of the most important assets you can have for your business. Not only will it help you make sales, but the creation process will push you to refine your elevator pitch and clarify your value; for you, your team and your audience.

But what do you do when you’re a small business with a less than glamorous budget?

Fear not, with these helpful tips, you’ll be well on your way to success!

Remember, it doesn’t have to be shiny

Of course, we would all love to have the marketing budget of Coca-Cola or Apple, with a team of thousands of Red Bull-riddled marketers itching to spread the word about your product. Unfortunately, not all of us have that luxury. Yet, even the biggest budgets can produce a beautiful flop without the right ingredients.

What’s the most important ingredient for success? Knowing your audience. Once you know your audience, the sky’s the limit. This will determine the message you craft, the type of video you create and even the success of your business.

So ask yourself: Who is my audience? What makes them tick? What motivates them to buy from my competitors? Where do they discover new products and services?

Once you have these vital questions answered, you can begin to build your message.

Your Message

This is the next piece of the puzzle, and one of the critical foundations of any video, pitch or story. No matter the medium, the message is key; video is just another vehicle to deliver your value. So if you spend the most amount of time on anything, spend the time to define your audience, identify their pain and determine the message you to want convey.

How do find your main message? Ask yourself: Why do I want to make this video? What action do I want my viewer to take after they watch it?

These questions will help reveal the heart of your message, providing an anchor for the tone of the video and the style you choose (live-action, motion graphics, or a hybrid).

This brings us to the next element…

The Script

The script is where all the magic happens. This is where you craft the story you want to tell.

No one knows your audience better than you, so I suggest you write the script yourself. If you’re not Ernest Hemingway (that’s the only writer I could think of), then hire a writer friend to help you out! If you don’t have a writer friend (how dare you!), then consider using a freelancer if it’s in your budget.

Ideally, your entire script should have a run time of 60 secs and no longer than 2 minutes. Shorter is always better, but don’t constrain yourself to a timestamp. If your message is best said in a 45 seconds, do it. If it needs 120 seconds to tell it right, do that. The content will always dictate the length, but try to trim it to the essential information to get your message across.

Challenge yourself to describe your product or service in one sentence, and put that sentence in the video as soon as possible.

Your one liner will ideally fall under “The Solution”. An explainer video typically consists of 4 sections: setting up the problem, introducing the solution, describing how it works and ending with a call to action.

• 0:00–0:15 — The Setup
• 0:15–0:30 — The Solution
• 0:30–0:50 — How It Works
• 0:50–1:00 — Call to Action

Here are some helpful tips when you’re writing your script:

• Read the script out loud to hear how it sounds. That way it’s easier to eliminate clunky sentences or pacing issues.
• Aim for 150 words per minute. Give the script some breathing room and visualize the end product. Allow time for animations, transitions and complementary visuals.
• Don’t be afraid to use humor! Depending on the tone, add a dash of humor every now and then to keep it engaging.
• Hire professional talent. Once the script is complete, choose a professional voice artist that you feel your audience will connect with. Unless you think you’ve got the chops to do it!

The Production Process

The most common type of explainer is a motion graphics video. This is the one I will outline below, but remember there are many other options. If you decide to do live-action, check out this article on “Tips for Getting Better Video with Less Equipment”.

The typical development process for most agencies is to ask you who your target audience is and they tease out the core of your message. Between writing the script, storyboarding, concept art, voice-over work, music and animation, you’ll likely walk away with a bill between $5,000 and $20,000. If you’re particularly entrepreneurial and are feeling scrappy, you can likely get the same video done for under $2,500 and a little elbow grease.

Here’s how you do it.

Hire a freelancer: get them to create the storyboard, the concept art and the final animation. If you nail the script on your own, or even with a freelancer, the animator will have all they need to get the job done. Simply have an additional budget for licensing music ($20-$50) and hiring a voice artist ($200), and you’re good to go!

Some helpful resources for creating the final product:

• AudioJungle: a wide variety of music to select from, usually $20 per song.
• Upwork: Hire a freelancer for your project.
• OnAir recordings: Select from a wide variety of voice artists.
• VideoScribe: A tool to create a classic whiteboard animation for cheap! ($29/month)

Some helpful tips when hiring a freelancer:

• Decide on your process beforehand. Do you only need to see the final animation, or would like a storyboard and concept art?
• Look at their portfolio. Make sure they can do graphic design and animation, so that they have all the tools necessary to create solo.

That’s all folks! I hope these tips will help kick start your explainer video success. Just remember that the visuals are secondary to the message.

If you have any suggestions or helpful resources to make a successful explainer video, please leave them in the comments below!