There is no doubt today that explainer videos are the most effective form of communication. Just looking at how video content engagement is growing exponentially on social media confirms it.

See the “The Top 10 Video Marketing Stats to Know in 2017”

If you think the guys at Facebook know what they’re doing, consider the weight they’ve given to native videos over other content. That is to say, if you upload your own video files directly to Facebook, they’ll rank it higher, resulting in even more views than it would receive on YouTube.

Find more reasons to share your videos on Facebook

Short story: I learned the concrete power of video when one of my clients called from a conference where he was pitching to 100 potential clients, right after playing the explainer video I had made for him. “Hi Agus! People are still clapping and I haven’t even said a word about the product yet! Thanks!”

We are not talking about being trendy or using new technologies just because. To be clear: VIDEOS GET RESULTS, creating measurable Return On Investments for your business. You can read some of our clients’ success stories here to confirm this.

That said, I want to share what I think are the top reasons to use explainer videos to pitch your services:

Multi-sensorial

Video appeals to more than one human sense at a time, creating more stimulation than text, images, or sounds can alone. Video does a better job engaging the viewer simply because you connect to them through more than one sense at once.

This makes the message easier to understand and more likely to be remembered. The latter is something designers call “pregnancy” when we talk about brands.

Self-explaining

Just like my client did in his presentation before potential clients, you can simply press play and leave the video do its job. Then you can use the time you have left to answer questions or talk about specifics instead of pitching from zero.

Explainer videos can also be used to sell even when you’re not there in person. This makes the strategy scalable. A lot of people can learn about your value proposition at the same time without you having to be physically in all those places. And it never hurts to save some time, right?

Portable and multi-platform

Once you have a video, you’ll be surprised by how many ways you can reuse it on different platforms!

It works everywhere. Showcase it on a big screen at an event, play it on a loop at a trade show, share it on social networks (of course), use it to boost email marketing campaigns, and so on. At Wideo, we’ve successfully tested how an image with a play button in the center significantly increases the click through rate (CTR).

You can also take your explainer video wherever you go. It’s a good idea to keep it on your phone.That way, if you’re at a networking event, you can take it out of your pocket and let the video work its magic.

Spreadable

As with other online content, videos can reach a wider audience as they spread. Of course, it helps to do certain things to help widen its reach, but it can also be spread organically by people who want to share it because it’s relevant to them.

Facebook and Google are a great help in this way simply because their engines love videos and rank this kind of content more highly.

Brains love videos

Although we’re all different, our brains have some common characteristics. They love shortcuts, they love knowing things, and they love stories.

You can test this yourself by sitting in front of any image, text, music, or video. Your brain will naturally be drawn to the video because it’s telling a story. And you can use this fact to your advantage for your business.

My clients used to say, “When I try to explain my product, everyone starts yawning.” But that’s not your product’s fault. You don’t have a boring product. Instead, what you need to do is create a story that communicates your product in an engaging way. It helps to include characters and concrete actions that the viewer can quickly empathize with.

I know many people think you need to spend a lot of money or master a complex program in order to produce a video. But there are so many great, affordable, and easy-to-use programs now, you don’t have any more excuses.

If you don’t know where to start, check out Wideo. Start by editing a video template with your text, logo, and images, and you’ll have an awesome explainer video in a matter of minutes.

Find more reasons to use explainer videos for your business

Watch this example of an Explainer Video Template.

Have you already tested using explainer videos to pitch your product or service? What other benefits did you find that I didn’t mention in this article? I’d love to hear about your results!

Agus Esperón Wideo.co Co Founder & Head of UX/Design @agustinesperon