Video Editing

How to make an explainer video for business

Posted March 26, 2021

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Thousands of businesses are now creating business explainer videos to engage and inform their audience faster and more effectively.

If you’ve launched a new helpful product or service, and your audience has a problem that needs solving, showcase how your brand can help through video!

If your business hasn’t joined the trend, you’re missing out on the future of video marketing.

Video is one of the most popular ways customers rely on to learn, but how do you make your very own explainer video for your business?

How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Our ultimate guide on how to create an explainer video for business using our online video editor will assist you with everything you need to know about small business video marketing. 

  • What is an explainer video?

  • How do explainer videos help businesses? 

  • How to make an explainer video with stock footage?

  • How much does it cost to make an explainer video?

  • Best explainer video ideas for small business video marketing 

  • How to make your own explainer video?

What is an explainer video?

Explainer videos are short in length videos that are created for marketing and sales purposes, highlighting a business’s product or service. A high quality explainer video can be found on a company’s landing page or featured within their website and social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Vimeo). Viewers are more likely to watch a video rather than read a long paragraph on a website or reach out using business phone service, so it’s best explainer videos are easily accessible to consumers. 

What is an explainer video? -How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

How do explainer videos help businesses?

Do explainer videos work? Yes! High quality explainer videos stimulate both auditory and visual senses, leaving an opportunity open for small businesses to communicate complex ideas in a simpler way. With the assistance of the storytelling technique, explainer videos can help businesses by influencing and persuading viewers to purchase a product or service.

An explainer video is a key video marketing tool for your business. The video style specifically helps businesses capture the audience’s attention, increases conversation rates, and improves SEO rankings as more people will be checking out your website to watch the video.

If a customer is faced with a problem involving one of your products or services, explainer videos often support these customers by identifying the problem and offering a solution.

This connection made between business and consumers builds a trusting and understanding relationship. Therefore creates sales leads and helps small business revenue. 

How to make an explainer video with stock footage?

You don’t always have to film your own high quality video footage. Video marketers can use an abundance of different techniques such as creating a powerful explainer video purely using only stock footage. How might you ask?

Our online video editor offers a wide range of stock footage (both audio and video) for you to use, and enjoy. Search a keyword relating to the explainer video you want to make, download various clips or audio and start creating. Stock footage is cost efficient and an effective way to make an explainer video in minutes.

Our step-by-step tutorial shows you how to make an explainer video with stock footage below. 

Stock explainer video-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

How much does it cost to make an explainer video?

When we are asked how much does it cost to make an explainer video, the answer varies quite a lot.

Depending on the resources that are available to your business, the cost can range between $500 - $5500 to film, create and publish. If you already own filming equipment or a new smartphone and have a quality backdrop, this will greatly minimize production costs. Our in-browser explainer video maker is free to use, so you don’t have to worry about paying for an external program to edit your explainer video with.

Don’t want to film yourself? You don’t have to! Using stock footage can give the same professional feel to your explainer video.

Best explainer video ideas for small business video marketing

Explainer videos are short. They don’t have to be lengthy in order to be effective. The best explainer videos are actually between 30 seconds and 2 minutes long. We’ve collected 3 of our favorite explainer video ideas for you to take inspiration from.

1. Dropbox Business- Online software Business Explainer Video 

This high-quality animated explainer video highlights how users can securely access, share, and collaborate on all work files when using Dropbox Business. Persuading users with the Dropbox Business handy features, there will be no lost files or full computer storage ever again!

This explainer video has visually pleasing animations, a voice-over, subtitles and presents a clear demonstration of how Dropbox Business can the viewers watching. A clear call to action has also been included in the outro.

2. Patreon - Stock Footage Explainer Video

Patreon has taken explainer videos to the next level. Featuring Patreons CEO and CoFounder, as well as well-known Patreon creators, gives the audience a sense of trust, confidence and helps build the B2C relationship when watching the explainer video.

Using real-life examples of active users shows viewers what they too can achieve when using the platform. If you love this style of explainer video, but don’t have any pre-filmed footage or your budget is small, don’t worry! You can achieve the same aesthetic by using stock footage. Stock footage is easily accessible, effective and won’t break the bank.

3. RedBull - Whiteboard Explainer Video

We’ve all most likely seen the famous whiteboard explainer video series produced by Red Bull. In marketing terms, this video is a perfect example of a well-put-together, engaging explainer video.

The key element to whiteboard explainer videos is simplicity. All characters are drawn in a very basic illustration but still portray a distinctive character. The hint of fun and humor gives the video charm and possibly convinces people to buy the energy drink.

How to make your own explainer video?

Now let’s create an explainer video using our free-to-use online explainer video maker! Follow along to our step-by-step tutorial below on how to make an explainer video for social media and a website landing page. 

Step 1. Log into Clipchamp

Sign up to Clipchamp or log into your existing account to create an explainer video today. 

Log into Clipchamp-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Step 2. Create a new project

Select the + Create a Video button at the top right corner of your screen. The editor will automatically open. Change the size ratio of your project by clicking on the 1:1 ratio button on the right-hand side. Hover over the ratios and click on your preferred ratio. We are using the Widescreen 1:1 video ratio for this tutorial and easy upload to social media and website landing page. Click on the Rename box at the top left corner to rename your project.

Create a new project-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Step 3. Select stock footage or upload personal footage

If you are wanting to use stock footage, select the Stock Video button on the left sidebar to open the Stock library tab. Either search a specific genre with a keyword in the search bar or scroll through our folders. Once you have found the video files you would like to use, click on the + add button at the bottom right corner of the preview stock video. The stock video will automatically download onto your timeline and appear in your My Media tab.

To upload your personal footage, click on the + white button on the editor. Select the video clips you would like to use in your promo video. You can also Drag and Drop your video file into the library.

Select stock footage or upload personal footage-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Step 4. Create your Explainer Video

To start creating your explainer video, you will need to click the minimizer arrow to hide the media tab. Firstly, rearrange your clips into the correct order by dragging and dropping a clip to a different location on the timeline. The clip will snap into its new location automatically.

You might have to move all of your clips up if there are gaps between them now. 

Create your Explainer Video-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Step 5. Crop stock video to size

Drag the green sidebar left and right to crop the length of each individual clip. Slide each clip up to fill in the gaps once cropped. 

Crop stock video to size-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog
Crop stock video to size 2-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Click Brand on the left sidebar. Click Add Logo and choose your logo from your files. Under the Transform tab, change the size of your logo and position.

Add your logo-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

2. Add filters

To fade or blur your first clip so your logo stands out, click on Filters and then Blur filter. This will create an intro clip to your explainer video. 

Add filters-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

3. Add transitions

Click on Filters & Transitions on the left sidebar. Drag and drop your preferred transition in between each clip. The transition will automatically snap into place.

Add transitions-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

4. Add text

Click Text on the left sidebar, then drag and top your preferred text onto the timeline. Use the green sidebars to drag the text shorter and longer. Click on Text to write your desired text, then change the colour under the colour tab. To alter the size, click the text on the preview screen and freely move the white handles accordingly. To finish off your video, add in a call to action with an outro text style. Add your logo, website and brand name.

Add text-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Step 7. Add stock audio

Add a background tune to your explainer video. Click on Music & SFX. Select an audio file from our folders or search a keyword. Click on the + Add button to select the audio file. The audio file will automatically appear on your timeline. Drag the left and right green sidebars to crop music. Don’t forget to fade your song out! 

Add stock audio-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Step 8. Export your new explainer video

It’s now time to save and publish your video. This is the final step in how to make an explainer video. Click Export in the top right corner. Saving options will appear. Click on the highest resolution 720p for the best quality and compression for fast uploading time. Click Continue when finished. 

Export-How to make an explainer video for business-Clipchamp blog

Want more video marketing tips?

Now you know how to make an explainer video, head on over to our Best budget video marketing tools blog for more tips and tricks on how your small business can improve its marketing strategy in 2021.

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