Ah, the elusive art of crafting the perfect B2B explainer video. Diving into the world of B2B explainer videos can be like entering a labyrinth of creativity and strategy. What is a product features explainer video? Are explainer videos still effective? Let's simplify this journey, shall we?
Let's begin by examining the very essence of what constitutes a great explainer video and, equally important, what categorically does not.
So let's start with that, shall we?
At the end, we'll present what we consider the best B2B explainer video of all time.
There are many misconceptions revolving around explainer videos.
First things first, not everything has to be an animated explainer video. Explainer videos come in many shapes and sizes. We'd even wager that the best ones,crème de la crème, often manifest as live-action videos or mixed media.
Moreover, hurling a barrage of features and benefits at your audience is less an explainer video and more akin to a PowerPoint presentation gone rogue.
Similarly, if your explainer video's star attraction is the dashboard of your product, dominating the screen time, you've veered off into product demo territory, not an explainer video.
And here's a reality check: assuming your target audience will stick around for a dull video just because they're interested in your product is wishful thinking.
The true purpose of an explainer video is to spark interest and to make viewers want to dive deeper into what your brand offers.
In its purest form, an explainer video is a short, engaging piece of marketing that distills your brand's essence, clarifying your product or service, how you stand out, and why it matters – all while being captivating enough to secure that all-important second meeting.
Yet, the road to a good explainer video is littered with the skeletons of overly ambitious projects that fail to grasp the viewer's attention past the opening act, resulting in wasted resources and missed opportunities.
They explain how things work. Duh!
Explainer videos are not just about explaining; they're about engaging.
Positioned at the heart of the sales funnel, they navigate the turbulent phase of the buyer's journey, brimming with active research and comparisons between solutions and brands.
Here, your explainer video isn't just conveying information; it is competing for your audience's attention with a myriad of other b2b content.
If the explainer video does a good job, the buyer will want to learn more, visit your product website, read PDFs, join a webinar, and consume more and more content.
Hence, if your video sucks, you risk losing engagement with potential customers.
The craftsmanship behind an explainer video is, without question, an art form. A harmonious blend of information, engagement, and intrigue stands at the crossroads between a promotional ad and a technical demonstration.
The challenge with creating explainer videos is that they are often a product of multiple stakeholders, each with their own agenda, pulling the reins toward their own vision.
So, instead of a simple and exciting story, you get a list of features and benefits.
The art lies not only in the design but in harmonizing the concepts of various stakeholders into a coherent, compelling narrative.
Explainer videos serve as the beacon for the informed buyer, offering a brief overview of your product or service without the need for deep dives into technical documentation or lengthy webinars.
They aim to strike the perfect balance between informative content, visual appeal, and brand authenticity, ensuring that your audience remains engaged and, most importantly, trusts your brand.
A good explainer video must wear many hats, which might explain why quite a few fall short of the mark.
When learning, drawing from stellar examples is key. That's why we're rolling out our handpicked selection of the top B2B tech explainer videos ever crafted.
Let's start with animated explainer videos, which represent the bulk of the genre.
Kicking off our exploration with animated explainer videos, which, let's be honest, dominate the scene. The allure of animation? It's perceived as both cost-effective and straightforward to produce.
Indeed, the path of least resistance involves enlisting freelancers armed with a library of ready-made graphics to stitch together a video. It's a viable route, no doubt.
But here's the rub: opting for this approach means your explainer video risks becoming the 1,100th clone to roll off the digital assembly line.
If blending into the sea of sameness sounds like a strategy, far be it from us to dissuade you.
However, the moment you pivot towards crafting an identity that elevates your brand, ensuring it earns a coveted spot on your buyer's shortlist, the complexity of animation reveals itself.
It's akin to orchestrating a ballet—every movement, every frame, needs to contribute to a narrative that's uniquely yours.
We're looking at a stripped-back, minimalist take on the animated explainer video here. The messaging? Sharp and concise.
As for the visuals, they're straightforward, effortlessly digestible, and sidestep the visual chaos often seen elsewhere.
It carries a hint of the familiar yet gracefully avoids tumbling into the abyss of that ubiquitous "Corporate Art Style" that plagues so many explainer videos.
I'd say it's what your average animated explainer video should look like.
Ah, this one injects more pizzazz, even as it navigates through dashboards.
The tone? Unmistakably warm and accommodating, yet it speaks in a language tailored to resonate with the brand's Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
Visually, it's an exercise in simplicity, yet in concert with the narrative voice, these elements enrich and uplift the storyline. The dashboards transcend mere decoration; the video cleverly demonstrates functionality through a handful of carefully chosen scenarios.
It's a masterclass in not just showing but informing.
How do you convey a complex message without a voice-over? Just like this.
Crafted by BluBlu Studios, one of the premier design powerhouses, this piece is a testament to animation's profound capability.
At first glance, the design seems straightforward. Think again.
It's a sophisticated blend of 2D and 3D concepts, executed with such finesse that it appears deceptively effortless. Here, art isn't just art—it's art harnessed to distill the complex topic. Art in the tireless service of business (marketing :) ).
A great example of that marrige of aesthetics with utility.
Advancing a notch in creative complexity, we encounter a piece that dabbles in character animation. Yet, these characters aren't relegated to performing mundane tasks (like most of the explainer videos out there); they're invested with distinct personalities and communicate in their own unique voices.
It's a subtle touch, yet it significantly enhances the narrative. The voice-over strikes a perfect balance—assertive yet likable, guiding viewers through a journey that precisely highlights specific problems and their solutions.
The incorporation of mixed media here is for more than just show. It amplifies the message, adding layers of meaning and engagement to the narrative.
This one is a unique explainer video. Imagine a blend where stop-motion animation, 2D animation, collages, dashboard simulations, alongside both live and stock footage, converge to weave an enthralling narrative.
It's a symphony of all possible visual techniques coming together to craft a singular, compelling story.
The narrative structure is meticulously crafted, beginning with the problem before transitioning into the brand's unique perspective.
This approach is more than just creative; it's strategic, delaying the introduction of the product until 47 seconds into a 75-second video.
And yet, this storytelling choice pays off, entertaining and captivating the audience's attention and building interest before the big reveal.
Our fondness for this animated explainer video is only mirrored by our clients, many of whom have pointed to this as their benchmark of inspiration.
You may have picked up on the absence of people-centric animation in our roundup of top-tier animated explainer videos.
This omission is deliberate.
The truth is that animated characters engaged in various activities no longer set a video apart.
Indeed, a scroll through any compilation of the best B2B explainer videos will reveal their omnipresence. Why is that? Simply put, because it's convenient.
However, if you aim to forge a genuine emotional bond with your potential customers, animated figures may not cut it anymore.
The real magic happens when you pivot to using actual people.
That's where live-action videos enter the stage, offering a medium that can connect, resonate, and engage on a level an animation strives to reach but often miss.
Boom. This live-action video puts the spotlight squarely on the customer—showcasing their diversity alongside their clientele.
Every character featured in this explainer video is carefully chosen to illustrate the web of connections that underpin the business world: the intricate dance of interactions between people that drives success.
And really, what else would one anticipate from a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) explainer video? It's precisely this focus on human connections that you'd expect it to emphasize.
The video's tone might lean a tad towards the American style, yet it remains universally approachable, not straying so far that it loses its relatability across different markets.
Once more, we're given a front-row seat to the product in action, expertly navigating the fine line between a glorified tech demo and a pain point video.
This time, the cast is streamlined to just three key players: the narrator, a customer, and their client. Through this focused lens, we observe how the protagonist leverages the solution to tackle his most significant challenges, enhancing his work and leaving a memorable impact on his client.
The video delivers a lighthearted tone of voice with a fun and engaging introduction. Then, clearly explains the product's functionalities and benefits for the viewers.
And it's not just the informative aspect we appreciate; the twist at the end adds an element of surprise that we find particularly delightful. :)
Behold, the mother of explainer videos.
A true classic that has stood the test of time brought to life by the iconic Sandwich of San Francisco. Their masterpiece for Slack isn't just good—it's a seminal work in the genre, rivaled only, perhaps, by the last entry on our list. 😎
This video is a masterclass in storytelling, authenticity, and engagement.
The individuals you see aren't actors; they're the real customers, the people who created the video with a quirky appearance by the brains behind the brand, Stewart Butterfield, the Founder of Slack.
A rarity and a bold move that remains unmatched in its audacity and impact.
It's not just informative; it's entertaining, injected with humor, and articulates the product's use in a manner so fluid that by the end, viewers feel as though they've been longtime users.
Truly, a remarkable feat.
We use Slack. Don't you?
And now, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present what we consider the pinnacle of B2B tech explainer videos to date. Why does it claim the top spot? It nails every essential for an impactful explainer video.
Foremost, it showcases a profound understanding of its target audience and the industry it operates within.
What better way to structure an IT explainer video than to talk to the rubber duck.
For those unacquainted, "rubber ducking" is a renowned method for debugging code, inspired by a narrative from "The Pragmatic Programmer." In this story, a programmer explains their code to a rubber duck, line by line, as a means of troubleshooting.
This technique mirrors the quintessential purpose of an explainer video: to clarify, to explain, to make the complex accessible.
But the journey doesn't end there. Viewers are whisked away into a universe crafted from an eclectic mix of visual styles and techniques.
his exceptional video weaves elements of product demos and explainer content with a flair for awareness marketing, adeptly addressing the pain points of its intended audience.
It's evident that GitHub doesn't just understand its audience; it connects with them on a deeply personal and emotional level. It demonstrates an astute awareness of what they like and how they consume content.
In short, this video sets a benchmark.
It exemplifies how explainer videos should engage with their audiences, treating them not just as viewers but as integral participants in a shared narrative. Brilliant, indeed. This is the standard to which all explainer videos should aspire.
We've showcased a selection of standout explainer video examples, offering a glimpse into what sets them apart. Let's examine the common threads that weave through each masterpiece so you can replicate them on your own and make amazing videos for your brand.
For those keen on delving further into the intricacies of crafting explainer videos, I highly recommend browsing through our guide, "9 Do's and Don'ts of a Good Explainer Video".
Moreover, if you're interested in elevating your explainer video efforts and curious about how Black Rabbit can contribute to your success, don't hesitate to reach out.
We're here to discuss your project's unique needs and tailor a quote specifically for you. Embark on your journey to exceptional explainer videos with us—get started today!
You've gone further into to depths of the footer. You're an adventurous type.
I like you :)
Since you are here, please visit our pages and our blog, where you'll find information that can come in handy on your video marketing journey.
