In an explainer video, the script is the single most important factor, it is the foundation where every other component of the project is built upon.

Here at Gram, having gone through so many projects, we have specific key points that we look out for, and I’m going to share them with you:

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Audio

When you are writing your script, make sure to emphasise on the tone and pace as they can make or break the overall feel of the video.

When “explainer video” is mentioned, people tend to think about brilliantly animated graphics with spectacular visuals. Yes, visuals are important, but one must not forget about audio. When capturing the attention of an audience, visuals and audio must work hand in hand. Eye-catching visuals, paired with engaging audio, will be able to garner a higher level of attention from the audience that neither can achieve alone.

One great example is this video from YDraw about the youth and homelessness.

Notice how the background music and tone of the voice-over both contributed an overall gloomy tone to the video.

Therefore, when writing a script, it is also important to emphasise on the tone and objective of the video. Not only will this help with the pacing of the video, it can also reflect the personality of the brand.

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Humour

Humour is another powerful tool. An entertained audience is an attentive audience, so loosen up and make sure your video can make your audience chuckle while still managing to get your message across. However, a balance must be made, make sure you know who your target audience is. A video that is hilarious to some may leave others with a bad taste in their mouth.

Here is a video by CHARTIO that does this perfectly.

The video is entertaining (at least to me) while still managing to get their message across to me. They never lost my attention even for a second because they were either giving me information or keeping me entertained.

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Length

Nobody wants to sit through a long and draggy video. Research indicates that only 50% of people will watch videos up to 2 minutes. Therefore, keep your videos short and sweet. Ideally, you should plan to aim for about 140-160 words depending on your tone and pace.

Take this video for example, all it took was 65 seconds for all the relevant information to be presented.

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Write it like you talk it

When writing your script, try not to sound like a salesman pitching to potential customers, rather, write it like a conversation between you and friend. Imagine that you’re introducing a new topic or game to them, avoid using technical words and lean towards laymen terms instead while throwing in emotion or a good story.

Just by including emotion and a good story, your customers have a chance to relate and understand what your company can do for them, possibly increasing their interest in your company.

However, this is never an excuse to use improper language or have a sloppy structure. The content should still be professional and informative with the appropriate tone.

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Type of video and the buyer’s journey

One more important factor to take into consideration is the type of video you are creating and how it relates to the buyer’s journey.

There are 5 different types of explainer videos: comparison, narrative, direct sales, explanatory and emotive.

Comparison videos consist mainly of comparing your product with a generic brand’s alternative, highlighting the benefits of your product. However, it is not limited just to comparing brands, you can also compare the latest version of your product to an older version, highlighting the improvements that have been made.

Narrative videos consist of a story that usually revolves around the problem or inconvenience that is eventually solved by your company’s product. It is another method of showing the benefits of your product and how it can be used while still keeping the video engaging. These kinds of videos strike a very good balance in keeping the video interesting while still showing off the product.

Direct sales videos usually introduce the products and explain benefits and uses thoroughly. These videos do not try to hide the fact that you are selling a product and go all out when trying to convince your customers why your company is the best choice. This is also known as “hard selling”

Explanatory videos are mostly educational videos. Usually, they would educate the viewers about the industry instead of hard selling a specific solution. It is a subtler approach towards promoting your brand. This helps you paint your brand as a market leader to your customers, and in turn, this will gain their trust. In the long term, they will tend to include your brand as their top choices.

Emotive videos utilise emotions as a way to capture the audience’s attention and keep them engaged. Emotions can be one of the best ways to sell your products as it allows customers to relate to your brand on a personal level, generating a loyal customer base.

So, what is the “buyer’s journey” and how does it relate to the types of explainer video scripts? Well, basically, the “buyer’s journey” is the process that the customer goes through when they want to purchase a product or service. Different types of explainer videos will appeal to customers in different stages of the “buyer’s journey”. By knowing which stage your target customers will be at is an essential step for deciding the type of explainer video script that you want to write.

There are 3 stages to this process, the awareness stage, the consideration stage and the decision stage.

First the awareness stage. This is when a problem or inconvenience arises and the customers are trying to identify and figure out what this problem or opportunity is. In this stage the explanatory video would be the most effective. While it educates the customers about the industry, it also satisfies their urge to learn more about the issue and also establish your company as a market leader which, in the long term, may lead to future sales.

Next would be the consideration stage where he or she has clearly identified their problem or opportunity and is now actively searching for a product or service that can satisfy their needs. This is where comparison videos will come in handy. As they are searching for solutions to their problem, it is the perfect time to showcase why your product stands out by comparing it to other products. Direct sales can also work in this stage as listing out all the uses and benefits of your product can convince the customers to keep your product in mind when making their final decision.

Lastly, we come to the decision stage, this is where customers come to a decision as to how he or she is going to approach this problem or opportunity. At this stage, they would have a shortlist of companies that he or she is going to choose from, so at this point, the benefits of your product may not be as valuable, since everything in his or her shortlist would be fairly similar, but this is where emotive videos come in. Emotions can be the final push that they need to choose your brand. By showing them that you are a trustworthy brand, they would no doubt lean more towards your brand when making that final decision.

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Closing thoughts

Hopefully, these tips help you in creating your script. Make sure it reflects not just your product, but also your company as a whole. if you ever feel lost or unsure, know that we here at Gram are glad to help.

Did you enjoy reading this article? Enjoyed reading this article? Read Gram’s article about Why Internal Videos Are Helpful Communication Tools here.