After producing both documentaries and television commercials, I’ve realized that both kinds of videos have the same objective: to inform and entertain the target audience. A well-produced documentary strengthens the narrative and engages more people in the discussion. On the other hand, the most effective commercial is considerably more likely to be popular when the viewers get hooked and informed in the shortest time.
Educating the audience while taking care of their attention span needs an entirely new kind of content that could feed two birds with one scone. And it’s possible only through explainer videos.
What People Want
I recently heard Rob Ainbinder’s podcast, where one of his guests, Phillip Oakley, gave this brilliant example. I hope you have watched Mel Gibson’s film What Women Want. if not, here is the logline I am copying from Netflix, “When a sexist advertising executive is suddenly able to hear women’s thoughts, he realizes that he’s not nearly as charming as he thinks he is.” However, it’s a Rom-Com idea, but it has a profound hidden message for marketing people. Like Nick (Mel Gibson), most marketers run algorithms to guess consumer behavior. Very few of them try to get into their minds.
People buy on emotions and justify with logic. What if we give them enough reasoning so they don’t dangle between heart-mind war and make wise decisions? This could make their life much more convenient, and they will get what exactly they want.
So Much Information
On average, a person spends approximately 7 hours on the internet daily and consumes information in different forms. To meet such high demand, companies and individuals are uploading millions of new content on websites and social media platforms daily – precisely what I am doing right now. According to statistical data, around 70,000 hours of visual content are uploaded daily on Youtube.
Is the abundance of information really helping us to navigate the solutions to the problems, or are we getting more baffled in the decision-making process?
Well, just singing a product name or playing with it is not enough to enlighten the audience. Documentaries, however, provide pertinent information, are lengthy, and mostly avoid making any call to action. Both types of videos engage the audience but in different ways. Commercials move emotions and convince people to make purchase decisions. While on the other hand, documentaries impart the necessary information, so the viewers interpret, discuss, and explore the topic. Anything between information and persuasion would be ideal for enlightening people on how to solve a problem. And that could be achieved through optimal explanation.
A Debate That Educates
Narrating facts and figures like a story enhance the engagement rate. Like movies, docu-films remarkably explain the complicated relationship between different or opposing topics in act breaks. This is why a documentary demands relatively less cognitive exertion from the audience. It enables us to see the other end of the spectrum and build a new perspective.
Documentarians start a debate that convinces the viewers to explore the subject matter and confer it with others. The writers research common problems and accentuate them in their content so that more people attach to their message. In the same way, a compelling explainer video guides its targeted audience by discussing the core issues. What are the specific reasons behind the problem? How do people tackle the problem firsthand, and why do their remedies not work? What is their blind spot? What is the ideal approach to tackle the issues? Typically, an explainer video begins with a debate on recurring problems, suggests a solution, and introduces the idea – product or service. That way, the viewers feel that the enterprises acknowledge the issues and are serious about addressing the answers rather than selling their brand.
A Glance That Convinces
One practice that advertisers always do when presenting the product is to place it next to the things we already feel optimistic about – often referred to as “Affective Conditioning.” Rather than explaining the use, this exercise imparts positive feelings about the product.
The same practice somehow works in explainer videos as well. Content creators go a long way to pick what they know about their targeted audience and incorporate different scenarios that could create good vibes. After highlighting the key problems, they then draw the end results the viewers are looking for. The ability to get access to someone’s mental world and create situations that connect someone with the message is an effective cadence for explainer videos to have when suggesting what product/service is ideal for them.
Above All, Awareness
Different from information, giving the target audience awareness means businesses are willing to empower people to pick what is beneficial. Through explainer videos, the audience feels more enlightened, meaning they have received the most pertinent knowledge without putting much effort into the process.
In fact, awareness must be regarded as the main agenda of any marketing campaign. By suggesting to the audience what is ideal for them, the business doesn’t just try to sell them anything; instead, it educates them about their actual problems and needs, even if it’s not in favor of its sales. I call it honest communication, which significantly enhances the company’s credibility.
It’s All About Problem-Solving
At the end of the day, producing an explainer video should be about suggesting a solution. In documentaries, we use facts and figures to initiate a debate. In commercials, we inspire through affective conditioning, but it all happens on the marketing principles. The main objective is to connect the audience with content and educate them about the challenges and solutions. So, one way or another, it’s all about problem-solving.