How to Make Animated Explainer Videos.

If you want to improve user knowledge of and experience with your product, a good explainer video can be a very useful addition to your marketing toolbox.

An explainer video is a short video that describes and demonstrates your company’s product or service. Eight out of 10 customers think demo videos help users understand product features. Explainer videos can also speed up a potential customer’s decision-making process by eliminating doubts and sharing the best way to use the product or service.

Animated explainer videos can be used at any point in your sales funnel, including on your website’s homepage and landing page, in sponsored ad spots, or even as promo video content for your social media pages.

Opting for an animated format lets you save big bucks that you would have otherwise spent on expensive photo shoots and video production. With access to the right tools and information, creating effective animated video content isn’t very difficult. Browse our step-by-step tutorial for making the best explainer video content and collect some pro tips along the way.

Step 1: Define the video’s purpose
Step 2: Choose the video’s style
Step 3: Write a storyboard or script for the video
Step 4: Record and edit the audio narration
Step 5: Collect graphics, video, and other assets
Step 6: Choose the right editing software
Step 7: Edit and arrange media
Step 8: Add music

Step 1: Define the video’s purpose

Defining the purpose of the video is the first step before jumping into creating and editing rough cuts. Defining the purpose is an important step, as it will determine the style and flow of your video. Having a well-defined purpose will help you craft a clear message to convey through your video marketing strategy.

From increasing brand awareness to educating and informing viewers or simply creating shareable content—once you know the core message to communicate with your target audience, the next step is choosing the video style.

Step 2: Choose the video’s style

You can create an animated video in various styles. Choose from the following styles depending on your message and purpose

Live action character. A live-action video usually involves an animated character following a script, using objects and additional illustrative elements to walk viewers through a process or explain a concept. Live-action videos can be a high-impact option for those looking to create mascots for a family-focused product offering.
Screencast. A screencast video is a screen recording enhanced with additional animated elements and vectors to help break down a concept or process. This is best suited for those with products related to computer devices, online shopping, subscriptions, or digital products and services.
Whiteboard. The whiteboard type of explainer video is designed to look like the content is being drawn on a whiteboard. The whiteboard animations are supported by a voice-over. Businesses create whiteboard explainer videos for various purposes, including educational videos, product presentations, and how-to videos.

You must accompany any of these styles with a voice-over that has a clear and concise script.

Step 3: Write a storyboard or script for the video

The script is the most vital element of your explainer video. A script guides the voice-over, steers the video, and supports the visuals to send a clear message to viewers. Beginners might not know how to write a video script. Writing down the answers to some basic questions is a good place to start, like:

Who is your product or service for?
What can it do for them?
What problem does it solve?
How should the viewer use it?

Keeping these in mind, write a one- to two-minute script to make a crisp, concise, and professional video clip. Reading the script aloud will give you an idea of the video length.

Once the script is fully articulated, you can start building a storyboard. The storyboard is a pre-visualization tool that helps you plan and arrange shots into a logical sequence. Before building your storyboard, consider the key graphic elements you want to use. This will help you later in the process. When creating the storyboard, use your script as a roadmap to put down a sequence of shots for your video.

Step 4: Record and edit the audio narration

With the script and storyboard in place, the next step is to record the audio narration. To do this, you need to choose a voice-over artist or narrator with a voice that complements the image and values of your startup. Ensure your chosen narrator enunciates well, speaks clearly, and adds intonation.

You can record your artist’s voice-over using a high-quality microphone and recording software. A great option for beginners is Audacity, free and easy-to-use web-based software. With its help, you can minimize retakes and white noise for a clean audio file.

Step 5: Collect graphics, video, and other assets

Once you have the audio in hand, move on to creating the video. Start with collecting graphics, videos, and other assets as supporting material for your final video. A good practice is to refer to your storyboard and have a list of assets your video requires. Assets generally include graphics, icons, or animated characters.

You can find these on stock websites or even access the asset libraries of your video editing software. Just make sure to be careful about complying with any copyright requirements.

This step can seem a bit daunting if you’re a beginner. If you’re looking for someone with knowledge and experience in working with editing software, consider hiring a professional. Browse through Ndiwano.com to find independent motion graphic designers, animators, and videographers who can collaborate with you to create the perfect explainer video.

Step 6: Choose the right editing software

The right editing software can be a game-changer when creating an explainer video. Different explainer video makers will provide access to asset and effects libraries, simplifying the process of animating your video. Browse through the list of online video software programs below to find the perfect fit for your own explainer video.

Visme

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Visme is a web-based editing tool for creating animated videos, infographics, and illustrations.

Features: Visme offers thousands of ready-made templates to ease the process of creating animated graphics. With its easy-to-use interface and a range of free tools, beginners can easily create professional-quality animated videos. The large asset library provides access to three types of illustrations, allowing you to maintain consistency throughout the video.

Pricing: Free, with a premium option

Suggested tools: Infographic maker, data visualizer, animation and graphics tool

Animaker

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Animaker is a popular online tool among beginners for its ease of use and professional-quality output. Simple tools and various export options make the software a crowd favorite among creators with little to no editing experience.

Features: Animaker’s drag-and-drop feature lets you cut and build a timeline in no time. Other features include a character builder, a vast video and photo library, and over 1,000 templates for quick editing. The tool also lets you export the video in 4K.

Pricing: Animaker software is available for free with limited access to editing tools, as well as a paid subscription starting at $10 per month.

Suggested tools: Animaker comes with a powerful character builder for including characters in your explainer videos.

Biteable

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Biteable is an online video maker, so you don’t have to download and run it on your device’s storage.

Features: Signing up for Biteable provides access to an extensive library of stock photos and videos. The tool also uses a drag-and-drop interface, simplifying the process of creating an animated video. Biteable’s easy interface lets you select your favorite character, animated infographic, or effect, and then edit the animated text.

Pricing: $49 per month

Suggested tools: Biteable’s animation maker lets you combine characters, effects, and footage to create captivating animated videos.

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Wideo

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Wideo offers templates and tools to help you create professional animated videos. Making video creation easy with a wide asset library and range of templates, Wideo is a popular online tool among marketers and content creators alike.

Features: Wideo’s drag-and-drop interface and large library of stock footage and graphic assets make editing and creation a hassle-free experience.

Pricing: Free with limited tool access; paid subscription plans starting from $19 per month

Suggested tools: Free text-to-speech software for voice-over recordings and a large template library are some advantages of using Wideo.

SimpleShow

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Simpleshow is specialized online software that helps creators make great explainer videos.

Features: Simpleshow uses a guided workflow for creating explainer videos in a few simple steps. The software automatically generates a storyboard according to your chosen script and explainer video template. This greatly simplifies the process, as you only need to fine-tune your flow instead of starting from scratch.

Pricing: Subscriptions for Simpleshow start from $129 per month

Suggested tools: Simpleshow’s proprietary tools, like Storyline and Explainer Engine, speed up and simplify the video creation process.

Step 7: Edit and arrange media

Start the project in your chosen video editing software and edit the collected assets as required. To make the first rough cut, arrange the various cuts according to your audio to tell your story seamlessly. The best videos will have continuity and carry one visual theme from beginning to end. Take advantage of effect libraries and transitions made available by your editing software to render captivating and effective final cuts.

Once you have the first cut, replay the video from start to finish and note any edits you need to make before rendering the final cut.

Step 8: Add music

Explainer videos with just a voice-over can fail to hold the viewer’s attention. In this case, background music can help set the tone, create interest, and add tempo to the video.

Most video editing software provides access to stock music that you can add to your videos. Alternatively, numerous websites have royalty-free music that you can browse to find the perfect music track for your video. To avoid problems while publishing the video, make sure to use royalty-free music or give attributions wherever required.

When in doubt, hire a video editor

Navigating the many steps of creating an animated video can be intimidating if you’re a beginner. From compiling assets to recording voice-overs, every step needs the creator to be attentive to detail and focused on delivering an effective final output. This can be a Herculean task to manage when juggling other daily jobs. If you’re questioning whether you have the time, energy, and skills to complete it in-house, consider hiring a video editor on a project basis.

Ndiwano.com lets you collaborate with top talent with the click of a few buttons. Use Ndiwano.com to hire independent video editors to create your company’s explainer videos. Hand everything over to the pros by posting a job description and choosing the professional who’s most compatible with your company.