Introduction
Both explainer and branded videos are essential content marketing tools, but they stand apart for various reasons. Read on to discover their differences, similarities, and how they can work for your brand.
With the army of products and services flooding the market today, it’s no surprise that many firms are turning to video content for their marketing objectives. But as we often surf the web, we tend to come across the terms explainer and branded videos. Usually, these words are used interchangeably and sometimes merged as one term. Yes, it does make things much easier, but that doesn’t make it any less wrong.
Explainer and branded videos do share certain similarities, but in truth, their functions are very much different. You must understand their unique distinctions if you want to make the best of both tools for your marketing needs. As such, let’s check out what both terms refer to, how they’re helpful in your business, and which you should consider the better option.
Explainer vs Branded Video- Definitions
Explainer videos are short marketing clips that talk about a brand or company’s product or service online. They’re often found on the company’s home page, landing page, or the product page. These types have different facets, which we discussed on a previous topic here. But the primary factor to point out is that explainer videos generally focus on telling what a company’s product or service does for you.
A branded or brand video, however, takes a different marketing approach. Instead of discussing the product or service, the content focuses on expressing the company or brand’s principles and values. Brand videos market the brand directly by creating an atmosphere of trust and assurance by discussing the core elements that make the brand different. It’s a crucial tool for solidifying a company’s position in a unique spot on the market.
How is an Explainer Video Different from a Branded Video?
Both explainers and branded videos are short, precise clips placed in strategic locations on the internet. They can also both be used for marketing the brand or company overall. Both videos utilise impressive graphics and stellar production processes to provide their information. And both videos help create a level of understanding and trust between the viewers and the brand.
But the difference between explainer and branded videos is noteworthy. While an explainer video is a prominent marketing video in every sense, a brand video stands more like a testimonial of the brand’s vision, mission, and values. Brand videos tap into viewers’ emotions faster because they indicate a need to connect rather than trade. Also, a branded video broadens the audience’s impression of the brand beyond the product or service, but towards a possibility of identity and personality.
Benefits of Branded Videos
We’ve stated why explainer videos are great in this article, but not everyone knows how beneficial branded videos can be. When properly employed, they can be a paramount turning point in your company’s marketing objectives as they come with tons of advantages, most of which are stated here;
- More Awareness
The primary purpose of creating a branded video is to boost the brand’s awareness, as proven by 72% of brands that make them. And when produced and dropped, brand videos are known to pass the message faster because they’re, well… videos.And since videos are renowned for helping viewers accept and retain information faster, it’s only expected that the message intended by the brand will spread to further reaches than expected from text alone. - High Conversion Rates
According to Wyzowl statistics, 81% of marketers reveal their sales have increased in 2022 alone due to the use of videos. Under the same study, 88% of customers insist they were convinced to use a product or service through its brand video! This proves how powerful such content is for viewer conversion.Because videos spread faster through views, more people will get to know about your brand. Of the vast audience, the number of potential customers watching increases. - Encourages Purchasing Process
As previously mentioned, videos stir emotions, and emotions generally drive purchasing decisions. And because brand videos use an emotional, personalised approach to express the brand’s position, the chances of viewers moving to buy from them are higher. Brand videos catch an audience’s attention, captivate it with an emotional tale, and convince them to trust their products or services enough to pay for them. - High Traffic
Videos are undoubtedly a decisive element for pushing a brand’s traffic and SEO, and for a good reason. Because people love videos and find them best at explaining, websites and landing pages with videos have 50 times more chance to appear on the SERP during a Google search than those without. Brand videos are an elemental avenue for harvesting SEO advantage and site traffic. Their short, emotional, and unique approach makes them so enticing; they work every time, whether on the website, YouTube, or social media! - Improved Brand Identity
Unlike explainer videos that approach intending to showcase a product or service, a brand video comes to you with the impression of personal interest. The content includes alluring visuals of faces and illustrations, while dialogue communicates with the audience as if they’re having a discussion. This emotional exchange builds trust and familiarity between the viewers and the brand, making them see the company more as a face or personality than a seller.
What Makes a Successful Branded Video?
The benefits of branded videos are numerous; any business will be glad to benefit from them. But it takes specific skills to make a good one. We’ve already stated how you can make a successful explainer video here.
After knowing how important these types of video content are to businesses, making them becomes more appealing. But these factors need to be put into place if you want your branded video project to be a success;
Style: Consider your brand’s visual identity when making your brand video, as this will be hinted at in the production style. You want to pass the message in as creative and fun a tone as possible, so don’t sleep on the animations and soundtracks (especially the former). Using the ideal animation and sound adds liveliness and personality to your brand video, giving it a heart the audience can feel.
Message: It’s essential to tailor your news such that it speaks directly to the target viewers for your brand. Your video wishes to connect with the audience, but to do so; it must be relatable and focus on how they identify with your brand. This means when creating a brand video, take note of your language tone, use of jargon, and factual consistency. And remember to align the video’s message with whatever form of marketing media you attach to it.
Brand Positioning: While your branded video is focused on relating your values to the audience, it’s vital to ensure it also positions your USP (unique selling point) in their minds. For instance, if you make sneakers like Adidas, tell the audience why Adidas should choose your product. Clearly stating your brand’s position on the market gives you leverage over other competitors.
Explainer vs Branded Video: Which is Better?
Knowing how amazing branded videos are and what they can do for your business, it’s easy to quickly they’re a much better choice than explainer videos. But it helps to remember that while they’re fantastic in their way, explainer videos still make a significant impact on your marketing project, provided you use them well.
Explainer videos are the ultimate choice if you wish to boost awareness for products and services specifically. And they can be as fluid as you want them, as videos give you a chance to be as creative as you want. Branded videos are best when creating overall awareness for your brand itself and, sometimes, can complement the efforts of your explainer videos.
So, the best option is to make both and use each type where they’re best suited. The combined efforts of both content types mean guaranteed traffic, SEO, ROI, and awareness results for your company.
Who Needs a Branded Video?
Every business needs a branded video, and this must be emphasised. They’re proven to promote your company’s awareness, improve its identity, boost sales and customer conversion, and set your brand’s position on the market. Brand videos are excellent marketing tools for a more assertive approach, so you must consider them a business. But of course, it’s normal to wonder how to g about it, as not every company have the expertise to compile a compelling brand video.
We at Zelios Agency boast years of experience making compelling brand videos for numerous firms and will be happy to assist you with yours. We consider every element, but most significantly, the factors that best identify your brand to the audience when planning your videos. And we keep our projects meticulous from start to finish through professional scriptwriting, storyboarding, animation selection, and other elements. So, if you’re interested in making your brand video today, book an appointment with us, and we’ll be glad to come on board.
The visibility and success of your company or product in the market depends on a high-quality explainer video. Zelios team has realized more than 100 successful projects and knows how to turn video into an effective marketing tool.
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