Feel intimidated by the notion of creating an explainer video? There’s no need to be — they just represent another excellent way to get your content out to your target audience. Besides the really big brands that we are all familiar with, a lot of lesser-known companies and even small start-ups are using them.

Explainer videos are a great way to engage potential customers and familiarise them with your business. The hard part is to get them right. Since an explainer video may be smack dab on your homepage, and the first thing your visitors experience, it’s essential to nail it the first time. Here are some tips for creating a killer explainer video that clearly describes your business and drives more sales.

According to writer and creative director, Helen Klein Ross, “the less you say, the more likely people are to remember.” We realise you have a lot you want to tell people about your business, but this video is meant to be an overview, the “hook” that gets people interested in taking the next step. The typical rule of thumb in the industry is 150 words per minute. You might be able to read faster than that; but remember, you need breathing room and time for the message to sink in. Not to mention, the longer your video is the less people will pay attention to it:

Explainer videos should be 30-90 seconds in length which translates into a written script of around 200 words or less in most cases. To get a good feel for crafting yours, just examine the work of others. You’re bound to find something that resonates with you as a good example for brainstorming your own.

Many professional video companies will have you fill out a creative brief first. It helps you think about your business at a high level and makes you define what really matters. Make sure you go through a similar exercise before you get started.

According to a recent survey conducted by Video Rascal, 85 percent of people are more likely to buy a product once they see an accompanying explainer video. Explainer videos help budding business owners keep tally of how many visitors on their sites could become actual customers. Although most businesses manually count sales to see what products are most popular, explainer videos keep track of what product or service potential customers are interested by displaying the number of views on each video.

Clarify the Objective of Your Product

Text can be tricky since there are so many ways people can interpret what they read. Explainer videos take the guess work out of explaining the usefulness and basic function of a product or service. People gain a better understanding of a product or service once they see and hear someone explain it. An explainer video helps you to connect better with your potential customer by explaining what your business can do for them and why they should choose you over other competing businesses.

Generate Increased Interest

More and more businesses are choosing to use social signals to spread the word about their businesses. They do this by using media such as images and videos to generate interest in their product. According to a study published in The C100, over 70 percent of Internet users watch videos online, and over 50 percent of the population will watch videos this year!

Help Your Audience Retain Information

The average person retains only 10 percent of what they hear, but 50 percent of what they see according to a study conducted by Wharton Research Center. What does this mean for your business? An increase in word-of-mouth advertising. Word-of-mouth continues to be the main way that businesses attract customers. If the customer likes your product, they’ll share your video.