Nowadays, video marketing has become a big deal with many businesses, entrepreneurs, and even freelancers trying this not-so-new strategy. Why? Because it works.
A recent survey conducted by Yum Yum Videos to 167 business owners across the U.S. revealed that video marketing is stronger than ever. The majority of businesses are seemingly jumping on the bandwagon and deciding to invest big in video content this year.
Among many impressive video marketing stats, the survey showed that two-thirds of the queried businesses plan to make between three and six videos in 2024. A figure that speaks to the confidence (and results) that these marketing videos have had for them in the past.
Among these, one type of video stood out in the realm of marketing: Animated Explainer videos.
Explainer Videos – General Survey Findings:
It might sound surprising at the outset to read that 83% of business owners are planning to invest in explainer videos this year. But if you’ve been keeping an eye on the most popular types of marketing content, it really makes a lot of sense.
Videos provide a fast and engaging way to convey your message, while text and static images are far less appealing to consumers. Combining fluid animations, excellent photography, talented voice-overs, and meaningful sound design is simply a fantastic way to engage your customers’ attention long enough to deliver your message.
It is one of the many reasons why explainer videos and whiteboard animations perform so well as marketing pieces. How well you ask? Outstandingly so.
35% of the survey’s respondents agreed that explainers where the type of video that generated the most ROI. Video ads came out second with 26%, and Tutorials third at 25%. Add to this that an overwhelming majority of businesses are thoroughly satisfied with their returns after using explainers, and you get a clear picture for their popularity.
There’s Always Something New to Learn:
So, we touched upon why explainers are so popular among marketers and business owners, but how about audiences? Ask yourself this: When you are trying to learn or figure something out, do you look for a video about it? Whether you answered yes or no, the fact is that most people do!
Explainer videos today seem to be satisfying an important service for people, as they respond to a basic human need: the desire to know more. They address this need in a quick and easy format that most people can instantly get into. Explainers act as bite-size, practical encyclopedias delivering fast and reliable information across all niches and audiences.
So, it isn’t really surprising that 95% of the people online have watched at least one explainer video this year.
Audiences have come to expect them – and search for them – regardless of the subject. There’s always someone looking for something related to your business that you can explain.
That being said, putting together a compelling, marketing-oriented explainer video involves much more than just information. Marketing videos (explainers included) need also be aesthetically sharp and meaningful, easy to follow, engaging, and entertaining to be effective!
Video Marketing and Social Media
Social media interactions and performance was also a big part of the survey. It’s the preferred medium for distributing video, figuring out the best one becomes crucial.
When it came to video content performance in social media, YouTube (57%) was the winner of them all in popularity — followed by Facebook (26%) and Instagram (15%). Although Facebook has been trying to capture video enthusiasts when it comes to searching for information, explainers on YouTube remains to be the favorite by far.
That said, while YouTube led the conversation as far as distribution and reach, Facebook stood out as the best at inviting users to interact:
“39% of our respondents agreed that Facebook was the social media channel to generate user interactions with video marketing content. In this regard, Instagram came second with 32% of the responses, and YouTube rounded up the top three with 26%”.
Overall, each one of the three most prominent social media platforms – Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram – had time to shine, each leading the numbers in some way.
The issue, then, of which one is “the best” seems strictly dependent on the company’s particular goals.
Explainer Videos & Social Media
As far as social media performance, explainers seemed to fit right at home. And there are a few reasons why.
People looking for solve a problem or address an issue want to search directly in these social media platforms, bypassing even google searches. Once you have produced a quality explainer with valuable information for your audience, it only makes sense to give it a social media presence. Doing so helps your brand get noticed, building potential consumer trust and establishing it as a reliable source on the subject. Furthermore, explainer videos tend to be short, which fits perfectly with the shorter attention spans and brief sessions that are the norm in social media.
That being the case, it isn’t surprising that Yum Yum’s survey revealed explainer videos to be among the top three types of video for social media. Along with video ads and tutorials. Heading the list were video ads (39%), followed by explainer videos (29%) and tutorials (19%).
This “top three” types of videos act as essential building blocks for businesses wanting a strong video marketing push in social.
The survey also provided a few more insights into the topic of combining video marketing content and social media, namely:
- Social videos should lie between 30 seconds to 1 minute to be interesting and brief enough to capture and maintain the user’s interest.
- Using the platforms promotion services seems like a reliable way to increase the exposure and prominence of your video content.
- Using explainer videos will provide excellent reliability and performance; which leads to an increase in conversations and interactions.
- There is not an absolute “best” social media platform that’s better overall than the others when it comes to video content. Each one seems to excel in different aspects, which leaves the decision to a business’ specific marketing goals.
Summing up…
Explainer videos appear alive and well in 2024, and their relevance seems to show no sign of slowing down.
Businesses and entrepreneurs are finding in the format appealing and interesting new ways to introduce their brand identity, offerings, and mission to new users over a single video. Users that might not have otherwise come into contact with them in the first place.
As the year continues to develop, and companies continue to look for new ways to stand out online, it behooves marketers to keep an eye on video marketing and explainer videos. As they might provide precisely the medium that they’ve been looking for.
