There are so many reasons to incorporate video into your marketing strategy it would be impossible, in a single blog post, to list them all. Today, then, I’m going to zero in on what could be the single most important kind of video you could ever produce: the explainer.
It doesn’t matter if you sell chocolate bunnies, macramé owls, corporate real estate, or reiki treatments – your business needs an explainer video. In fact, it could probably use a series of them, but let’s start small. Why should you be contracting right now with your copywriter or copywriting company to get the ball rolling with an explainer script? Here are a few things to consider.
1. People Are More Likely to Buy from You if You Have an Explainer.
Explainer videos have two key advantages: They offer an inside look at your product or service, and they incorporate visuals to accentuate the most relevant or salable points of it. Having all of that in one place puts you at a decided advantage. How?
Most explainers are only about a minute long. They tell just enough about the product to make the viewer feel informed but intentionally leave some key questions unanswered. That’s the point when people click through to your website or sales page to learn more. The more informed they feel, the more comfortable they are with their decision to buy.
2. An Explainer Positions You as an Instant Authority.
Let me amend that statement a little: a well-written, well-produced explainer will do that and better. This is why you don’t want to skimp on either part of the process. I’ll get into that a little more later, but for now, just tuck that into the back of your brain.
Imagine you just clicked on a Facebook or comparable ad that promised to solve a major problem in your life. You land on a page with a quick, one-minute explainer that effectively answers the question of how the product or service solves the problem. All of a sudden, you start thinking, “Wow! These people really get it!” Once you reach that point, you’re probably really interested in the product or at least learning more about it, right?
Now imagine that you were instead redirected to a page with just a long-form sales letter with no easy one-minute way to get to know the product. I’m not saying that an LFSL isn’t effective, but I do think that if you expect people to spend the next half-hour scrolling, you need to provide them with a reason to want to. Explainers are a great way to do that.
3. An Explainer Obliterates Many Common Sales Objections.
When done right, your explainer video can go a long way toward steering viewers away from their reasons not to buy your product or do business with you. It might seem difficult to tackle that inside of a minute or two (yes, they can be longer, but use discretion when you move beyond the minute mark), but it really isn’t. The trick is in deciding what kinds of details will do double-duty in your messaging. You want to include things that inform, educate, and persuade all at the same time.
For example, if you’re selling used cars, there is an instant stigma that you have to overcome. How do you do it with an explainer? It’s actually pretty easy. You start by understanding that the video should explain your business, not persuade people to buy a specific car. You deal with the most common objection by making the objection the problem.
“You’ve probably heard for years that it’s a bad idea to buy a used car. ‘All you’re doing is buying someone else’s problems,’ you’ve been told…”
Next, you acknowledge that the problem exists…
“In many cases, this is actually true.”
Finally, you position your brand as the authority and the solution to the problem.
“Most used car dealerships take a disturbingly predatory approach to sales. At Central Auto, we get that you’ve been burned before and we want to offer you a better, safer way to buy a used car. Our three-step ‘confident buyer’ formula is a great place to start.”
From there, all you have to do is provide a thumbnail sketch of the process. It will make buyers feel educated when they walk through the door, and it will completely disarm any misgivings they might have had about buying a car from you.
A Word About Quality
Since I brought this up earlier, I’ll just throw in my 2 cents here: Explainers are an important piece of marketing material. They deserve to be well-written, and they deserve a good professional polish. There are companies out there that will handle both the writing and producing, but be sure that the company you contract with has a proven success record with writing good copy. Ask for lots of samples. If you don’t like what you hear, consider dealing with an actual writer, not one who writes copy as an afterthought to sell videos.