If you’re reading this, you’re well aware of the power of explainer videos. You probably also know that there are great videos out there… and there are some terrible ones, too! So how can you be sure that the company you engage is going to create something that delivers the outcome you’re after?
Finding the right explainer video company is crucial to getting a quality product. The right partner will help you bring to life a message that is complex, dry, or has not yet been fleshed out; they’ll transform your story into an compelling narrative that engages viewers, drives behaviour change, and has a real impact. And all the way through, the team will ensure you feel supported, listened to, and proud of the end product.
So what’s the difference between Wow! and Ugh? In one word: process.
Why a Robust Production Process is Crucial for Success
If the explainer video company you engage has years of experience, it’s likely they’ve developed their own process that is unique to the industry. Red flags to look out for include:
- haphazard approach to working with or involving the client
- jumping straight to solution mode without really understanding the problem (or the target audience)
- giving advice, rather than listening and facilitating a solution that is co-created with the client
- lack of a clear process at all!
If your initial inquiries reveal any of the above, it may be that the explainer video company you’re engaging is not up to the task. A mature production process demonstrates:
- an ability to tackle a range of videos. Your video may be designed to sell, educate, inspire, persuade, raise awareness, or something else. Each of these types of videos requires different skills to deliver a product that achieves your goals.
- experience. If the provider you’re working with has been in the business for a while, they’ll know how to navigate different hurdles that come up along the way
- big picture thinking. It’s important that your explainer video company be able to look beyond a standalone video and understand how to help your wider campaign succeed.
What to Look for in an Explainer Video Company
When considering which explainer video company to work with, having a solid process is your first port of call. Once you’ve identified that they have a solid process, other elements that may determine whether they’re a good fit for you include creativity, production quality, and values alignment.
In addition, it’s critical that the production team employ professional storytellers who are able to craft a narrative that resonates with the target audience.
Sketch Group: Your Partner in Crafting Impactful Explainer Videos
At Sketch Group, we’re extraordinarily proud of our process for creating explainer videos. In particular, the workshop that we conduct at the start of every project is something that we developed in-house after 10+ years of creating whiteboard animations. It’s been so popular with our clients that we even published an article about it on a popular User Experience Design website, and included a chapter about it in a book.
We strongly believe that this workshop, which is unique to Sketch Group, is our differentiator. There are tons of creative explainer video companies out there, and plenty of them can tell a story. But none of them follow our process for getting clarity over why, what, and how your video should make an impact. Our unique co-creation workshop helps to:
- identify the target audience
- refine the key message, and
- determine language that will resonate
More often than not, this is the hardest part of a project!
FAQs
Which is the best Australian explainer video company?
Sketch Group has been around for 12 years, has a unique story-finding workshop, and a diverse range of illustrators to deliver the best explainer video for your needs. We believe we’re the best in the business, and testimonials from our clients back this up!
What is a company explainer video?
A company explainer video is a short animation running 1-3 minutes in length, that educates, inspires, or persuades the audience about a topic specific to the company. It could be an educational video about the company’s policies, a motivational video encouraging employees to embrace the company’s vision, or an awareness building message relating to safety, human resources, or other internal communcations. At Sketch Group, our distinctive approach to creating explainer videos means that we are well placed to tackle any of the above.
Who makes the best explainer videos?
The best explainer company for you is the one that is the right fit for both parties. Not every vendor is going to be right for every client—so spend the time to get to know your supplier, and determine whether you have the confidence that they tick all of the boxes listed above. Do they possess the experience, visual storytelling skills, creativity, and empathy to work with you and deliver the outcome you’re after? Do you share their core values and ways of working? And is their process mature, well structured, and well articulated? If so, there’s a high chance that your project will be a success!
Are explainer videos profitable?
Calculating the ROI on some explainer videos is harder than others. For an externally facing sales video, there may be metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions that can help you determine whether a video has been profitable or not. But for videos that are focussed on other outcomes, like awareness, education, or behaviour change, it can be harder to discern what impact a video has made, as there are likely to be so many other factors.
Likewise for internal videos, it may be possible to measure the change in employee engagement, employee satisfaction, or employee behaviour, but tying it specifically to one video is a long bow to draw.
For this reason, it’s best to define your success metrics for an entire campaign at the start, and know what is reasonable to measure, and what is not. It can also be helpful to compare an approach that leverages explainer videos with one that uses live action footage—a much more expensive production that would require significantly increased outcomes in order to be deemed profitable.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen in this article, partnering with an explainer video company that is experienced, has a robust process, and employs a team that is creative, empathetic, and fits your culture is the best way to ensure a successful outcome.
If you’d like to learn more about Sketch Group’s process for creating explainer videos, give us a call or get in touch through our Contact Us form.