Explainer Animations: What they are, benefits and tips for creating them

Businesses and organisations across all industries are continuously looking for innovative ways to communicate their message, explain their services, educate audiences or introduce their products to customers. In today’s fast-paced world, capturing and retaining attention can be pretty challenging.?One effective tool for sharing information and telling stories is explainer animations. These short, visually engaging videos can simplify complex messages or processes and make them more accessible to a broad audience. Regardless of the sector: charity, healthcare, retail, or education, explainer animations can be a powerful tool to increase engagement and understanding.

What are they?

Explainer animations are concise, animated videos—usually two to five minutes long—that aim to communicate complex information in a straightforward, engaging, and visually appealing way. They combine motion graphics, illustrations, text, and narration to break down information in an easy-to-digest format.

These animations can explain how a product, service, or process works or address common customer problems. They’re versatile and can be used on various platforms, such as websites, social media, presentations, email campaigns, or even as part of a product demo or training programme.

Benefits of explainer animations

Simplifying complex information

One of the main reasons explainer animations are so effective is their ability to break down complex ideas into digestible pieces of information. Through the use of clear visuals and direct language, even complicated processes or products can be made easy to understand.?

This is particularly useful for industries like healthcare, where services, procedures or products may be difficult to explain verbally. For example, we created a series of dentist education animations for The Eastman Dental Hospital Education Centre at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to incorporate into their webinars for student dentists. These animations demonstrate detailed dental procedures and patient-dentist interactions. They also guide on communicating sensitive oral health issues and perform exams that may detect serious conditions needing further treatment.

Increasing engagement

Our attention spans are short, so explainer animations present an efficient way to capture attention quickly. Motion and visuals inherently draw viewers in, making them far more likely to stay engaged than reading long texts or watching longer videos.

Enhancing storytelling and brand identity

Videos, particularly animated content for marketing, can drive brand awareness and increase conversions. Using characters, scenarios, and brand-specific colour schemes or illustrations helps create a narrative that aligns with your brand identity. This approach helps to humanise your brand and makes it more relatable. The story-driven nature of these animations makes the content more memorable, which can lead to better messages and brand recall.?

Boosts conversion rates

Including an explainer video on your landing page can significantly increase conversion rates. 30% of the top landing pages incorporate video, and embedding relevant video content on a landing page has been found to increase conversions by as much as 86%. When potential customers understand what you offer and how it benefits them, they’re more likely to take the desired action—whether purchasing, signing up, or requesting more information.

Accessible to a broader audience

Explainer animations are great for sharing a message across different cultures and languages. Their visual storytelling is accessible for everyone to follow, and with voiceover narration and subtitles available in multiple languages, you can connect with a diverse audience. In this animation we created for Fauna & Flora, we adopted English, French, and the local Toma/Loma languages to introduce the carbon market for communities in West and Central Africa.

Tips for creating an effective explainer animation

Understanding the animation process is useful, but you can maximise the impact of your animation by considering several key elements:

1. Keep it short and simple

We find that the most effective explainer animations are usually no longer than two to five minutes. This length encourages viewers to watch the entire video without losing interest. Focus on delivering one key message and avoid overloading the viewer with too much information. A short-form explainer animation script needs clear communication, engaging storytelling, and thoughtful structuring.

3. Use clear and compelling visuals

Visuals are at the heart of explainer animations, so they should be simple, straightforward, and easy to understand. Avoid overcrowding the screen with too much text or overly complex graphics. Use visuals that reinforce your message rather than distract from it. Motion graphics, icons, and illustrations can be powerful tools to make your message clearer and more engaging.

4. Include a strong call to action

After explaining the solution, guide your viewers on what to do next. Whether signing up for a service, visiting your website, or making a purchase, a clear call to action helps direct the viewer towards taking the desired step. Ensure it’s clear, concise, and easy to follow.

5. Stay consistent with your brand identity

The look and feel of your animation should align with your brand’s style. Use your brand’s colours, logo, and tone of voice to create a cohesive message reinforcing your brand identity. This consistency helps build trust and ensures that the viewer associates the video with your brand.

6. Use professional voiceover and sound design

A professional voiceover can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your explainer animation. Choose a voice that reflects your brand’s tone, whether it’s friendly and conversational or formal and authoritative. Additionally, consider the role of sound design—background music and sound effects can add another layer of engagement but should not overwhelm the message.

Explainer animations are great for simplifying complex ideas in a fun, engaging way that creates engagement and raises brand awareness. With clear messaging and good planning, you can make an animation that connects with your audience and drives impactful results for your business.?

If you’re thinking of creating an animation to explain, entertain, or educate your audience, we’d love to hear from you.

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