business

How to Explain Your Complex Business Concept in Just One Minute

Let’s play a quick game of word association. When we say “business presentation,” what is the first word that comes to your mind?

…

It’s probably something along the lines of:

“Zzz,”

“Boring!”

“Aaaaah! I’d rather stab pencils into my eyes than sit through a business presentation!”

All valid responses.

Business presentations aren’t exactly known for being compelling (or even tolerable). But, if your business does something a little bit complicated and it’s not so easy to explain, what other option do you have?

An animated explainer video, of course! (You knew we were gonna say that, right?)

These marketing investments have a huge ROI because not only do they provide viewers with the essence of what your business does, they also help with your SEO and they’re totally shareable, which helps with your social media. Best of all, they’re succinct. A minute or so after a viewer presses that play button, they know the gist of what your business does and they’re ready to contact you to find out more. It’s that easy.

But, how do you explain your complex business in only a minute or two?

Give ‘em the Basics

You’d be forgiven for thinking an explainer video might not be up to the task of telling people what your business does. Rather than a 30-page mission statement with reams of information, your video is going to start off as a script just a scant few paragraphs long. And, rather than complex images that are meant to awe the viewer, the visuals are kept simple and lend a complementary role.

It all seems so counterintuitive. How could a short video explain business concepts that people have had trouble putting into words for years?

It’s because they rely on science. Brain science to be exact. Your brain actually retains knowledge better when it is presented simply and presented in a way that stimulates both the audio and visual senses while connecting the new information with prior knowledge.

Explainer videos keep concepts simple, use simple yet striking visuals and audio to stimulate people’s senses, use storytelling to present the information in a way that is familiar to people and relate the new information to things viewers are already acquainted with.

Simple is Best

It may be tempting to use more complex imagery for your explainer video, but it can overload the viewer with unnecessary information, thus distracting them from your core message. Rather, you want the visuals to be engaging enough to keep viewers’ attention without being too distracting so they can retain the information.

Similarly, you want the audio narration to tell a simple story and only give enough information that viewers will get an understanding of what you’re offering without being bombarded with facts and figures.

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Get to the Point

You know how it is these days. Something something attention span. You’ve got to get to your point quickly so you don’t lose people, but you also have to make your information clear so you don’t confuse people. Both bored and confused people will turn off your video, so you have to be quick, but clear when telling them what your business is about.

To help convey information quickly, explainer videos often use tactics like similes and metaphors — both audio and visual — to help viewers grasp the concept. For example, a messaging service that helps businesses network internally could be called “Instant Messenger for the office.” People are familiar enough with the term “Instant Messenger” that it immediately tells them what this product does without going into a lengthy explanation.

Visually, if your company offers an AI-powered research assistant, the animation could actually have a robot assisting someone with research tasks. The actual product is software and there is (unfortunately) no robot involved, but the visual helps people grasp the concept better.

By connecting new information with something viewers know and understand already, explainer videos cut down on the amount of time required to describe concepts and increase the likelihood of viewers retaining the information.

Use Both Audio and Visual

The goal of any marketing is to help people form a connection to a brand. Explainer videos do this by using narratives that viewers can relate to, either because they can easily follow the story and they get emotionally invested in the characters or they can see themselves in the same situation being conveyed in the video.

For example, if you sell a product that can help prevent bees from dying, you could either tell it from the perspective of a bee character who is worried about his colony dying (emotional connection) or you could tell it from the perspective of a human character who is similar to the people you envision as your customers who like to help bees (relatable character).

Using both audio and visual to help people make this personal connection quickly and also helps them retain the information you want them to longer. It will also encourage them to reach out to your company later.

Know the Role

One of the things companies tend to get hung up on when it comes to explainer videos is that they don’t really give viewers any hard facts about the company. But that’s because facts and detailed information are not an explainer video’s forte. That’s where your sales team comes in.

An explainer video’s role is to give viewers the gist of the business and hook their interest so they reach out to your company to get more information and form a relationship with the business. They’re really just the first introductory stepping stone to getting people interested in your business.

Having an animated explainer video on your site is a sound investment that will pay dividends to you in the form of increased conversions and improved SEO. All it takes is one or two minutes of stimulating audio and visual storytelling to see your conversions jump. Click here to schedule an appointment with WizMotions to see how we can help you make the perfect business video.

Why an Animated Series is the Way to Go When Using Video for Your Business

Many of the business customers we have end up making more than one video. Usually, they make a video, see how well it performs and then opt to have another two, three or four made. But, it can be a worthwhile investment to actually plan for having multiple videos created at the same time so they can be watched as a series.

Let’s look at why companies are moving away from standalone videos and opting to make series instead.

Multiple Products or Services

Large companies almost certainly have more than one product or service. And although small companies may only have a single product or service they offer, that product or service may be complex and require more than a single video to explain it properly.

Our client Drobo has multiple products that require promoting and they’ve made a video for each one so all their products get the attention they need to be thoroughly explained to customers.

Multiple Audiences

Even if you only have one service, that service might have more than one group of users, especially if it’s a service that connects businesses and customers. If your service has multiple groups of people who would be using it, then it’s better to make a video for each of those groups rather than trying to fit all the information into one video that addresses all the groups. By making multiple videos, you’ll be able to target their distribution better and all the various groups will be more engaged because the individual videos only address that specific group.

For example, JobFormance created two different videos for its JobFaxReport because the service is aimed at two different groups: job seekers and client companies who are looking to hire the best talent they can find. By making two different videos, JobFormance didn’t have to worry about trying to address both groups in one video, which could have overcomplicated it and which would have made targeted distribution difficult.

Avoiding Information Overload

Even though animation is usually more compelling to watch than live action business videos and it’s the perfect medium for breaking down complex ideas because you’re not bound by the sometimes pesky laws of physics, trying to shoehorn too much information into one video can overwhelm viewers and counteract the initial drawing power of the animation.

By having multiple videos and making the concepts in them even simpler, you make your messaging more effective. Plus, if you can get visitors to watch multiple videos on your site, it will be good for your SEO because it means they’ll be spending more time on your site. Viewers are much more likely to watch a series of shorter videos than one longer video.

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Evolving with the Products and Services

A company’s products and services tend to evolve the longer the company is around. If a new feature is added to your product or you offer some kind of upgraded service, a new video is in order. To make it fit with your older videos and add to the brand identity you’ve been building, use the same characters as you did in your initial videos.

Perfect Promos

If you have a big promo coming up, why not add some oomph to your announcement with a series of short animated videos? They are super shareable and a series of videos that explain different points of the promo can more easily answer customer questions. And if it’s a regularly occurring promo, like an annual giveaway, you can even use the videos multiple times.

One explainer video is a good investment, but multiple videos in a series is an excellent investment. As we’ve found with many of our clients, it’s quite common for a company to come back for more after their initial one is completed. By planning for a series of videos right up front, you have more control over how they complement each other. Click here to use our price estimation calculator to see approximately how much an animated video series would cost. (You don’t even need to talk to anyone!)

How to Use Animation as an Effective Training Tool

If you’ve ever had a job, chances are you’ve watched a training video and had to prop your head up as it played. Or, you may have seen one of the hilarious old training videos from the ‘80s or ‘90s floating around on YouTube.

While they have to convey serious information, training videos also have to be compelling to watch so people actually absorb that information. You can get the best actors in the world to star in your training video, but if it’s not done well, nobody is going to learn anything.

That’s why animation is ideal for training videos. Because it’s animation, people are already compelled to watch it more than a live action video. But, animation alone can’t carry the whole video. It still needs a few key elements to be a truly good training video.

Let’s take a look at what you need to do to make sure your training video is done well.

Know Your Subject

Obvious advice, but it’s not enough to vaguely know your subject, you have to know what the objective of your video is. For example, it’s not enough to simply say your video is to train staff. You have to zero in on the exact behavior you want your staff to exhibit after they watch the video. Whether it’s improved sales tactics or safety procedures, the real goal is to have them exhibit the behavior they’ve seen in the training video.

Not an objective: Train staff about safety procedures.
Objective: Develop a culture of safety in the workplace by training staff to recognize and follow standard safety procedures.

Tell a Story

It’s no secret that if you want people to pay attention, you have to tell a story. Even the most serious of speeches usually has one or two anecdotes tossed in. People relate to stories they can follow and characters they can relate to.

Even the most hilariously bad ‘80s training videos on YouTube have a narrative to them. Whether you are promoting your business or promoting safety in the workplace, you have to connect with people on an emotional level and that means giving them a story they can follow.

This need to make a compelling story that appeals to people’s emotions is why the script is the most important part of the video process. The most amazing visuals in the world can’t make a video compelling if they’re not accompanied by a relatable story. It doesn’t have to be Oscar material, but it needs to give people a reason to care about what they’re seeing on the screen.

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Don’t Try to Fit Everything In

You’ve probably seen a bad slideshow presentation at least once in your life. The slides are stuffed with text and the person doing the presenting just reads all that text as you fight to stay awake.

Even the most interesting subject and the most enthusiastic presenter can’t save a presentation that tries to stuff too much information into your attention span. A good presentation will have a few key points on the slides that the presenter delves into. The slide show is only a tool to be used for the presentation. It’s not the actual presentation itself.

This same basic concept applies to animated training videos. It’s not a great idea to try and shoehorn in a bunch of overly complex lessons into a short animated video. What it can do is act as a tool within a larger context and facilitate a larger overall conversation.

Animation is adept at raising excitement in an audience, aligning them with your goals and hooking them with emotional appeal. Then, once you’ve got that, you can have real people handle the details.

Frankly, at least part of the training should be done by real people. They can handle questions that pop up and walk people through especially complex details and they can increase or slow the pace of training depending on how the audience is reacting.

Animation is a superb way to introduce the subject of what you want to talk further about because it sticks in people’s imaginations and is pleasant to watch. Used correctly, it can help immensely in the training process.

Calculate ROI

An animated training video is only worth it if you actually get good return on your investment, obviously. So, you’ll need to calculate ROI on your video. One way to do this is to test your trainees’ knowledge about what they’ve learned after a given amount of time.

You’ll get a better idea of how well the video is working if you have data of knowledge retention from before you started using animation that you can compare with data from after you started using it.

Also, it’s good to measure the behavior that you’re trying to implement with the training. If it’s safety, look at incident numbers, if it’s better sales, look at sales numbers, etc. Better trained staff should lead to less mistakes, increased productivity and, ultimately, more revenue for your business. The more people you train, the bigger the impact.

There’s no doubt using animation for training purposes is a good idea, but you have to know how to use it to make sure it is as effective as possible.To see how much it would cost to create your own animated training video, click here to use our price estimation calculator.

Know All Your Variables When Creating an Animated Video for Business, Scriptwriter Advises

We have a fabulous team here at WizMotions. From project managers to script writers to animators and everyone in between, they all work hard at what they do and they’ve all honed their craft over years of delivering stellar animated videos for businesses.

We wanted to give you a chance to meet some of these amazing people and let you know about the work they do for us and a bit about their process and also their tips for getting an animated video created for your business.

First up is scriptwriter Traci Shoblom, who has been working with WizMotions since 2015. Although she’s a full-time scriptwriter for WizMotions now, Traci’s educational background is actually in Organizational Psychology and she intended to become a management consultant. Motherhood changed those plans because Traci wanted something she could do from home so she could be close to her children. She started writing marketing material and scripts for clients on a freelance basis, which eventually lead to scriptwriting for WizMotions.

Scriptwriting Process

The reason Traci calls scriptwriting the best job on the planet is because it offers a wide variety of subject matter to research and write about. Over the course of her time at WizMotions, Traci has written about subjects as diverse as:

medical devices,
IT platforms,
supply chain management for global companies,
pet adoption agencies,
mom and pop hardware stores, and more.

But, even though each project is different, she has a process she likes to follow.

“I get the assignment, and then read the collateral materials,” Traci says. “The Creative Brief is really helpful. I look at the client website, check out the videos they like. And, if I don’t understand the industry, I’ll do a little research so I can write about it authoritatively. Once I’m familiar with the subject and have read the client’s wishes for the project (or had a phone meeting if necessary), then I open a Word document and start the script.

“My process is that I wait for the ‘hook’ or the first line to come to me. If I’m blocked, I’ll go do the dishes or go for a walk. Then, the first line will come to me. After that, the script just flows. I write it, put it in our template, and then the visual illustration ideas just come from that. The whole video plays in my head like a movie. I give it to the project manager, who gives it to the client. After the client reviews it, I’ll make the changes they want, back and forth, until they are happy with it. Then, it goes on to the artist.”

Traci says it’s a strange feeling to see the end product and compare it to how it looked in her mind, but WizMotions talented artists do a great job at bringing her words to life.

Best Practices for Scripting

There is no one best way to connect with an audience via animated video, Traci says. Rather, all the variables have to be taken into account to decide the best way to approach the script. Those variables include:

the complexity of the message,
the length of the video,
the target audience (and their language level),
the goals of the video, and
where it’s going to be shown.

“If you have a complicated process, only have one minute, and the video is being shown at a trade show, you’re not going to have time to go into an in-depth story based scenario that walks through all 14 steps of your process,” Traci says. “But if it’s an internal training video, you do. Our project managers are fantastic at advising clients on what is the best type of video for the project. That said, what matters most is that the viewer can connect with the message both aurally and visually.”

For inspiration when it comes to writing scripts for WizMotions clients, Traci says, she looks to television ads, particularly ones that run during the most coveted of times.

“I love commercials!” she says. “When I was at the University of Southern California I took an Attitudes and Persuasion class that got me hooked on advertising. So, now, when I watch the Superbowl, for example, I take notes on the ads so I can use them as inspiration for my writing.”

Connect with us for a FREE consultation.

Book a time and date that works for you and we will be happy to discuss options for your very own video.
An explainer video will take your real estate business to the next level.

Click here to book a free consultation.

Bane of the Creative

Although she calls it the best job on the planet, scriptwriting does come with its challenges. For Traci, the biggest challenge is when she comes up with a great, creative idea for a script, but the client company quashes the idea and insists on toning things down.

“I just have to remember that this is their video and put my ego aside and make it the way the client wants it to be,” Traci says.

Excessive revisions can also be a challenge, she notes, adding that it’s much better if a client can identify all the changes they want at one time rather than going back and forth multiple times.

However, despite these challenges, Traci still considers what she does as the best job on the planet and encourages anyone who is interested in scriptwriting to pursue it because you get to be creative, learn new things and make great money doing it.

“It does take a lot of self-discipline, and the willingness to write in a way that is different than you’d like sometimes,” she says, “but with persistence, and a great attitude, you can do it.”

If you’d like to learn more about Traci, you can follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter, check out Traci’s website and check out her latest book, The Power of Charisma: Harnessing the C-Factor to Inspire Change.

And if you’d like to learn more about how to create an amazing animated video for your business, click here to schedule an appointment with WizMotions.

How to Explain Your Complex Business Concept in Just One Minute

Give ‘em the Basics

Simple is Best

Connect with us for a FREE consultation.

Get to the Point

Use Both Audio and Visual

Know the Role

Why an Animated Series is the Way to Go When Using Video for Your Business

Multiple Products or Services

Multiple Audiences

Avoiding Information Overload

Calculate My Video Cost.

Evolving with the Products and Services

Perfect Promos

How to Use Animation as an Effective Training Tool

Know Your Subject

Tell a Story

Calculate My Video Cost.

Don’t Try to Fit Everything In

Calculate ROI

Know All Your Variables When Creating an Animated Video for Business, Scriptwriter Advises

Scriptwriting Process

Best Practices for Scripting

Connect with us for a FREE consultation.

Bane of the Creative

Schedule a 100% FREE No-Commitment Consultation, Or call us at 732-943-3337

"The video looks great, thank you!"

"The videos did look great and we really appreciate your all of your hard work and help.”

732-943-3337

business

Give ‘em the Basics

Simple is Best

Connect with us for a FREE consultation.

Get to the Point

Use Both Audio and Visual

Know the Role

Multiple Products or Services

Multiple Audiences

Avoiding Information Overload

Calculate My Video Cost.

Evolving with the Products and Services

Perfect Promos

Know Your Subject

Tell a Story

Calculate My Video Cost.

Don’t Try to Fit Everything In

Calculate ROI

Scriptwriting Process

Best Practices for Scripting

Connect with us for a FREE consultation.

Bane of the Creative

Schedule a 100% FREE No-Commitment Consultation, Or call us at 732-943-3337

<img width="79" height="15" class="star-rating" src="/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/star-rating.png" alt="Google Star Rating">"The video looks great, thank you!"

<img width="79" height="15" class="star-rating" src="/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/star-rating.png" alt="CBSO Star Rating">"The videos did look great and we really appreciate your all of your hard work and help.”

732-943-3337

"The video looks great, thank you!"

"The videos did look great and we really appreciate your all of your hard work and help.”