A ‘How it Works’ animation, more commonly known as an explainer video, describes a product or service in a simple, fun and engaging tone. Video marketing is a pivotal part of any marketing strategy in the digital age, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Here, we’ll explore why an explainer video, or ‘how it works animation’ is so effective in your marketing mix, for 2020 and beyond.

The power of video marketing

Video marketing is one of the fastest-growing trends in the digital world.

• Effective
  72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. (HubSpot)

• Shareable
  92% of users watching video on mobile will share it with others. (Wordstream)

• Engaging
  Including a video on your landing page can boost your conversion rate by up to 80%. (Unbounce)

• Proactive
  Nearly 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store. (Hubspot)

Many companies use animation to bring their video to life because it’s such an engaging medium. The real magic of animation lies in its ability to make the impossible feel possible, the unimaginable seem totally realistic and the viewer to feel part of another world.

It’s also an affordable route to video marketing that doesn’t involve hiring actors or paying for costly studio time. Instead, you can work with an animation agency to create how it works animations, conceptual videos, motion graphics, sales walk-throughs and even animated TV adverts.

Delving into a ‘How it Works’ animation

The optimal length for a typical ‘How it Works’ animation is around 60-90 seconds, with 150-200 words featured in the animation script. The start of the video introduces the product or concept and the middle outlines key benefits and features. Finally, the end usually concludes with a call to action for the viewer.

If you’re launching a new product or service, a ‘How it Works’ animation is a really simple way to explain the details. 

In some industries, like healthcare, animation is an impactful format for explaining tricky concepts or intricate processes. For example, a ‘How it Works’ animation can describe certain conditions and medical procedures in a digestible way. It’ll simplify the message and make it seem less frightening to the viewer, whilst conveying the key facts.

Animated videos are also ideal for cutting through the noise. It can display information that would be far more difficult to communicate – and less memorable to the consumer – through text.

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. (Insivia)

Examples of a ‘How it Works’ animation

At The Animation Guys, we’re really lucky to work across a diverse client base that spans multiple industries. Our versatility allows us to know that each industry, and client, requires a unique message, style and tone of voice.

It’s useful to check out some examples of other ‘How it Works’ animation videos for inspiration. But it’s even more important that yours is unique. So, before you begin working on your video, take some time to think about your audience and your goal. Reflect on your customer’s wants and needs, and how you can use a video to deliver a message that meets it. Then, you’re ready to start work on the video itself! Here are a couple of examples of how The Animation Guys have helped businesses reach their desired, target audience through the use of animation walkthroughs.

Example 1: Coyote 

Coyote is the leading software solution built by property professionals, for property professionals. Every feature has been developed to solve a pain point; designed to make something faster, designed to make something better. Created out of a belief that there had to be a better way, we worked closely with Coyote to develop a slick and clean software animation video, that would help them explain their product and offering, and ultimately land clients.

Example 2: Salt Digital Recruitment

 Salt Digital Recruitment (Salt) is the leading digital recruitment agency connecting the best talent with businesses around the world, connecting people and businesses globally within Creative, Marketing, Sales and Technology. 

Salt needed an engaging and captivating way to explain their offering, which also matched their leading position in the industry. Having created a digital recruitment animation for them, Salt would be using the video to expand their footprint to a wider audience, to help make use of their global talent pool. The video we created for them does exactly that, and more.

Get in touch!

We would love to help you create a stunning and engaging ‘How it Works’ animation for your business. Get in touch to discuss your goals and find out how we can help you achieve them.