6 Speedy Tips For Creating B2B Explainer Videos

Do you know why “video” is the buzzword of B2B marketing strategy in 2023?

Because in today’s breakneck pace, your customers don’t have the time to read white papers or show up to demo calls. 

Especially if they don’t yet understand what problem you solve. 

And that’s where good B2B explainer videos can win you a hole-in-one. 

Video provides the clarity that your decision-makers need to move forward in your sales funnel.

Here’s the tricky part: A bland, corporate video won’t move the needle on your KPIs. 

B2B explainer videos need to be engaging, fast-paced, and memorable. That’s what’s going to make you stand out from the crowd. 

No one is convinced by a rambling video that contains: 

• Unprofessional or ruffled appearances 
• Monologues plagued by “ums” and “errs” 
• 15 minutes of slow paced product demonstrations 
• Image and sound audio quality issues

So if you’re here to learn how to make engaging video content — without blowing your entire quarterly marketing budget — this post teaches you how!

Should you pay an agency or do it in-house? 

It depends on what resources you have available. Here’s the pros and cons of using an agency vs an in-house team.

6 common types of B2B explainer videos

You can make many different types or styles of marketing videos. What you choose is ultimately up to your brand voice and corporate identity. 

Type 1: Animated explainer videos

Most animated explainer videos are made in 2D. Occasionally, you’ll see a 3D animated explainer video, but they are rare due to the high cost of 3D animation.

In animated explainers you’ll often see diagrams or UI product visualizations to help illustrate how the product or service works. Animated videos typically lend themselves to snappy and lighthearted messaging,

Type 2: Live action explainer videos

Live action videos are filmed on camera and with a host who explains and demonstrates the product. To film a live action video, you’ll need professional camera equipment and an actor or employee to deliver the script.

Videos for software companies might include in-product shots whereas videos for physical products might film manufacturing locations or product materials. 

Type 3: Whiteboard explainer videos

Think of whiteboard explainers as a simplified version of an animated video. The video is composed of slides of drawings that are animated onto screen by a stop-motion style drawing hand. This effect is achieved through automated software and simple 2D animations. 

Type 4: Screencast explainer videos

When you’re a lean, mean startup machine, a screencast explainer video can do wonders for your marketing funnel.

By sharing your screen with others and talking them through the product yourself, you can quickly showcase the value of your product. Unlike the other videos on this list, screencasts don’t always require a professional voice over.

However they do look less professional overall. Some companies have gone for the best of both worlds by combining screencasts with live-action footage. 

Type 5: Motion graphics explainer videos

Motion graphics are a sub-category of animation videos that are more abstract. They’ll include lots of impressive, memorable visuals, but are less effective when trying to actually teach a concept. Motion graphics are typically used by big brands to create cool-looking “hype” videos. 

Type 6: Typography explainer videos

You might think that having a video composed solely of text is an easy task. Think again, because keeping typography interesting for one or two minutes is a momentous task!

These videos include plenty of different fonts, colors, and moving elements to keep things interesting. Like motion graphics, typography explainer videos are typically used to create hype content. 

Still confused about what style to choose? Maybe these video examples can inspire you:

6 speedy tips for creating an awesome explainer video

Whether you’re hiring an agency or making your video in-house, these tips will help you keep your video project on track. 

Remember, a great B2B explainer video should always be working to get the “yes” from your customer. For example, your video marketing strategy can help you get: 

• More qualified leads from your website
• A shorter lead time on new prospects 
• A marketing budget that’s spent more efficiently

Here are 6 must-know tips to creating a great B2B explainer video. 

1. Keep it under two minutes

An explainer video should be short, sweet, and to the point. You want to be able to get your message across without boring your target audience or overwhelming them with too much information. The ideal length for an explainer video is around 90 seconds. 

This tip sounds like obvious advice, but it’s actually really hard to get right. 

Anyone can ruthlessly cut the first draft of their 5-minute script down to 90 seconds. But not everyone can do that and still get their point across. Spend time on your script and try to imagine how the visual and voice over will work together to explain more in less time. 

2. Use simple language

We’re all guilty of using jargon when chatting to prospects. It just goes with the territory when you’re a specialist — not everyone knows what you know. 

And when you’re chatting on Zoom or at the boardroom table, you can take the time to explain a technical term. That’s not the case with video. 

When writing your explainer video script, be sure to use simple language that can be understood by everyone. Avoid using industry jargon or technical terms that might not be familiar to your audience. You want to make sure that your explainer video is accessible to as many people as possible.

If you’re struggling to know what your audience does and does not know, consider doing some audience research. This means interviewing or surveying new customers to find out the kind of language they use.

This style of market research is part of the wildly successful customer-led growth framework and thousands of marketers swear by this hands-on approach. 

3. Try an AI video generator

You might think it’s impossible to bypass the filming stage of making video, but thanks to technology, it is! You can now use artificial intelligence to create an explainer video with just some text inputs. 

For example. The text-to-video tool Synthesia can create realistic human avatars using AI. It can even create voiceovers in 130+ languages and 400+ accents. 

4. Tell a story

A great way to engage your viewers and keep their attention focused on your video is to tell a story. Stories are a powerful way to communicate information and can help people remember your video long after they’ve watched it. 

But creating a good story is easier said than done! Even Disney famously recycles scenes that tell a good story!

One foolproof way to create a story is to begin with the pain point or problem, agitate that problem and position your product as the ultimate solution. This is called the PAS formula and has been used by marketers since newspapers first had ads. 

5. Always add your own spin to stock footage. 

Explainer videos are highly visual by nature, so it’s important to use visuals that are eye-catching and engaging. Most companies use stock footage and elements to quickly and efficiently create great explainer videos. 

But there’s a problem with plain ‘ol stock footage: It looks generic. 🥱

To combat this, pay attention to the style of stock you choose and make sure it’s all aligned with your brand colors as well as the rest of the video. Often you don’t even need to edit stock footage as long as it’s carefully chosen to look like one whole video. 

6. Include a Call-to-Action (CTA) from the start

Many people quickly tack on a call-to-action at the end of their explainer video as an afterthought. But I challenge you to do the opposite. 

Start by thinking about what action you want your user to take after watching your explainer video. Then work backwards to figure out how best to convince them to take that next step. If you write your script this way, you can be sure that your CTA will feel more aligned and powerful.

Create an engaging video today

Synthesia is a video-making tool that is easy and fun to use. It’s as simple as importing your script and clicking “Generate video.”

With our AI presenters doing all the talking, you don’t have to listen to your own voice or hire expensive crews and camera equipment. 

Check out this free demo of Synthesia.