At Jumpstart Video, we’ve been making animated explainer videos for over a decade. This means we’ve seen a ton of awesome videos and successful outcomes as well as some mistakes along the way that have kept videos from reaching their full potential. So, in this article, we’re going to talk about some of the most common mistakes that are made when trying to create a compelling animated explainer video.
Mistake #1: Failing to consider your audience
One of the most important factors in creating an effective video campaign is knowing your audience. You know the groups and types of people that you’re trying to reach with your marketing efforts, so an animated explainer video should be no different. Make sure the vision, tone, scriptwriting, and overall look would appeal to your target audience.
Mistake #2: Not considering how your video’s length affects your viewers
While the length of a video isn’t the end-all-be-all of its success, it is a factor that should be considered carefully and many times, it isn’t. For example: If you want your video playing in the main feed of Instagram, it can be no more than 60 seconds. If this isn’t considered at all, you may not even be able to use the video you had created for its intended purpose.
Mistake #3: Getting too hung up on the length of your video
This may seem counter-intuitive, but what we’re really wanting to communicate is striking a balance when it comes to length. You don’t want to decide the video has to be 5 minutes long only to be frustrated when you realize it can’t be used on your Instagram feed if that’s your intention. You also shouldn’t base the video on length and length alone. Don’t sacrifice quality content and valuable knowledge in your video only to get it shorter, because if it’s a truly beneficial and engaging video, people will stick around to watch it.
Mistake #4: Trying to say too much
When videos are created to target a specific viewer and that video has a singular message it’s driving home, a potential customer is far more likely to actually remember what you were saying. In fact, when videos are done well, 80% of viewers can recall a video ad they have seen within the past 30 days. Video has a lasting impact, but we have to make sure we are targeting the right customer with a specific message. Even if they don’t make a purchase immediately, the lasting impact from a video could keep them coming back for more. Rarely will someone retain more than one point from a video. Researchers have found that after speaking presentations of 10 minutes, listeners only remembered 50% of what was said. The same is true of videos. That’s why it is crucial to have one main point you want your audience to remember, that way they have a much greater chance of walking away with the information you really wanted them to have.
Mistake #5: Failing to present a clear call to action at the end of your video
This may seem like a “duh” moment, but you would be surprised at how many scripts we receive without any real clear action to be taken after watching the video. A clear call to action is essential for a video’s success. Begin with the end in mind and determine what you want the call to action to be before ever creating the script or beginning the process. This will help shape your video into a tool and will give it the direction it needs to be effective.
Mistake #6: Getting too hung up on aesthetics
While the look and feel are important and should be thought about, the story is far more important. The story you communicate to your audience and how you can compel them to act and engage with your content is more critical than the look of the video. Communicating who you are as a brand or company, how you can help your target customer and the benefits your product or service will bring to their life should be the main focus before any visuals are created. We are big believers in quality and professional design that represents you well, but we when clients become too worried about the aesthetics of the video, the story can suffer. Remember, design is meant to support the story…not the other way around!
We hope sharing these mistakes with you will help you find success when creating your own animated explainer video. Looking for more tip and guidance? We’d love to help you! Feel free to shoot us a message any time or get started on your video today!
