How to avoid the most common mistakes in explainer videos

You can spend weeks on the production of your explainer video. In the end, just a few seconds will decide if your video will be watched or disappear completely. We’ll tell you how to catch your audience’s attention from the very start and the typical mistakes you should avoid when producing explainer videos.

Animated explainer videos are modern marketing tools that – when done well – are more memorable than any text or image gallery. They attract attention, are considered entertaining and can be easily consumed. For years, moving images have been a growing trend in social networks.

But how do you produce an explainer video that is really well received? As film producers, we reveal our 4 tips on how to avoid the most common mistakes in explainer videos:

• Tip 1 – The right timing
• Tip 2 – Target your audience
• Tip 3 – Ensure image and sound quality
• Tip 4 – Activate your audience

Tip 1 against mistakes in explainer videos:
The right timing

Anyone working in marketing knows the story of the goldfish effect. According to this theory, the attention span of humans has been reduced from 12 to eight seconds in recent years – and is thus even shorter than a goldfish’s attention span. The theory is scientifically controversial. But a look at statistics from YouTube, Facebook & Co. tells us that your audience decides in the first few seconds whether or not to give your video a chance.

Don’t spoil this first impression and avoid one of the most common mistakes in explainer videos: the introduction. Get straight to the point and address the viewer directly. What problem does your target group only know too well? Start with a mystery, an unanswered question or a conflict. The closer you can get to the needs of your target group, the better. An example: If you want to make an explanatory video about varifocals, don’t start with: Millions of people in Germany are both short-sighted and long-sighted. But with: Does it bother you to have to carry several pairs of glasses around with you all the time?

Tip 2 against mistakes in explainer videos:
Target your audience

A successful explainer video is entertaining and gets to the point. That’s why it’s worth investing effort in a script. If you try to put too much information into the video, it will quickly become confusing and the audience can’t keep their concentration. Focus on a central statement that really relates to your audience’s world. What interests your audience? How do you prepare your message so that it appeals to your target group?

This includes:

• Avoid unnecessary details, too many technical terms and too many numbers. It is best to read your speaker’s text to several people who are not involved and ask them what they have remembered. This will give you a good idea of what resonates with the audience – and what doesn’t.
• Even if you want to make a primarily informative explainer video: Every sentence must be an argument for your product or service. The entire film should be written from the perspective of your target group. It’s great that your products are made from certified cotton, but it’s more interesting for your customers to know that they are free of harmful substances.
• The best transmitter of information is emotion. Make sure you address them directly and combine hard facts with soft facts.

Tip 3 against mistakes in explainer videos:
Ensure image and sound quality

Ensure a consistent look. Only use one font and stay within a certain color scheme. If you produce further videos at a later date, it is worth considering using this look again to increase your memorability. An explainer video production company will help you find and implement the right design.

One of the most common mistakes in explainer videos is when the image and sound don’t match. Everything you explain must be reflected in the image. If you include additional information in the text, you should not create any additional visual effects at the same time so as not to overwhelm the viewer. On the other hand, sound effects sometimes help to bring a video to life.

The voiceover is also important. Professional voice-over artists have a recording studio and are characterized by a comfortable voice with clear pronunciation. If you are recording yourself, make sure that all background noise is excluded and use a high-quality microphone*. Listen carefully to the recording and play it back to others. Sometimes when you listen to what’s being said, you realize you’re occasionally slurring syllables or speaking too quickly. Your audience will only stay tuned if they enjoy listening to you.

Tip 4 against mistakes in explainer videos:
Activate your audience

Have you presented your product in a clear and entertaining way and explained to the viewer why it is made for them? A common mistake in explainer videos is to end the video now. Because now the most important thing must follow: the “call to action”. Your audience should become active and find out more about your company. Encourage them to visit your website or make a free inquiry.

Are you still unsure what an explainer video that suits your company could look like? Take a look at real-life examples. What you like as a viewer will probably also appeal to your target group. If you are thinking about the professional production of an explainer video, contact the mindnapped video consulting team free of charge and without obligation.

By the way: The links marked with * are affiliate links. If you make a purchase via this link, a small percentage of the sales proceeds will go to mindnapped. This way you support us and our work without having to bear any additional costs.