A 30 Second Explainer Video, Is That Even Possible?

Does length matter? With video content, it sure does. Here at Yum Yum Videos, we always say that the ideal length for explainer videos is around 90 seconds because it is enough time to communicate a complex message in its entirety – but rules are meant to be broken.

In fact, in many cases, a 90-second explainer video is way too much for the topic that needs to be communicated! Explainer videos should explain a topic, yes, but they are also meant to be interesting and catchy, so your prospect is left wanting to know more.

And this is why a 30-second explainer video is not only possible but completely necessary in certain cases!

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30-second videos are perfect if your product or service is easy to explain or if your leading need is to create brand awareness.

And shorter videos can be communicated so much better on social media – because people don’t usually watch long videos on these platforms.

But… as I’m sure you guessed already… it’s not easy to make a 30-second explainer video!

Long videos vs. short videos

Usually, brands tend to incline towards longer videos, especially if they’re just starting out. We get it; it’s very difficult to decide which info to leave out!

What these brands don’t get is that longer videos usually make your audience stop looking too soon! People’s attention spans are short – very short. Shorter than a goldfish’s! (And no, we’re not kidding).

This is all thanks to the internet. By having so many distractions, it’s very easy to switch from one thing to another (or to do many things simultaneously) very fast. Take yourself as an example; how many tabs do you have open while you read this? More than one, for sure.

And this is a normal thing; it’s just the way our brains work when you have so many different things happening at once – it’s very difficult to focus on just one. For internet users, the magic number is 8 seconds. Your audience’s attention span is just 8 seconds.

So, this is why longer videos lack engagement. Long videos can’t keep your audience hooked for long, and if they’re not hooked, they’ll scroll down to the next piece of content without looking back.

Short videos, on the other hand, will keep your audience captivated. Why? Well, it includes a lot of factors, but if you’ve written a good story, there are more chances that your audience will stay for all of it… instead of just dropping out in the middle or skipping the important parts, because it’s just too long.

If you want to maintain your audience’s attention throughout the whole video and keep their interest up, then a 30-second explainer video is your best choice.

Let’s take a look at an example:

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I know; that’s a lot of information to get in 30 seconds! Let’s see how you can do this, too.

How to make a 30-second explainer video… the right way

As we said before, a 30-second video is not easy to make! So, let us give you a couple of tips on how to choose the right kind of information and how to make an engaging video that keeps your audience hooked from the beginning all the way to the end.

1.   Keep count of your words

How many words should a 30-second explainer video have? In order to fill this lapse, you should have around 80 words in your script – no more.

Yes, we know: it’s hard to communicate a whole message in just 80 words! But it’s important to prioritize clarity and quality over quantity. In the end, it’s better to have an engaging 80-word script than a long video that no one will watch. So, keep it short!

2. Your script should be short and sweet

Keep it direct, simple, and to the point. The basic concepts that you should communicate with it are these:

• What’s your audience’s problem?
• How can they solve them?
• Why should they choose your brand?

That’s a lot of information to get in 30 seconds, but if you think about it, it’s completely possible! Especially because you’ll be helping the script with powerful visuals that will fill in the details of what you couldn’t cover with words!

3. Think about it like a TV commercial

Of course, it’s not the same. But for the sake of the comparison, think of your 30-second explainer video as a way to introduce your brand to the audience, just like a TV commercial – clear, concise, and in an interesting way.

The only difference is that you’ll actually provide info to this audience instead of just a cute jingle paired with an animation that’s just trying to sell the brand.

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4. Create a storyboard, and stick to it!

Storyboards are extremely important, especially if you’re trying to stick to a limited timeframe. This is what will help you avoid wasting time – you’ll be setting each frame ‘in stone,’ so there’s no way you’ll end up with a scene that fails to communicate something important.

In the storyboard, there shouldn’t be frames left without information: everything that ends up being in the storyboard must be essential. This is a job for the director of the video!

You see? A 30-second explainer video is much harder to make than a longer one because every second is precious, and every detail needs to be carefully thought out.

If you’re curious, this is what a storyboard should look like:

Looking for a Perfect 30-second Video?

It goes without saying, but making a 30-second explainer video that works is no light task! Especially when you lack experience in video production. But fret not; that’s what professional video production companies are for.

A talented and experienced team can find the right way of conveying your company’s value proposition in half a minute or less. And even if you decide to go with a longer video, they can help you make it compelling enough to make viewers watch it till the end.

That’s what we here at Yum Yum Videos always strive to achieve.

With a team of skilled scriptwriters, illustrators, voiceover talents, and animation artists, we create customized explainer videos built around our clients’ needs. Most importantly, we develop each of these projects with a passion and the keen attention to detail that has always set us apart.

Some of the advantages of partnering up with us:

•         Our quality is top-notch — one of the best in the industry.
•         Our video production process is not only excellent but also flexible to our client’s needs.
•         Every video we make is 100% customized.
•         We offer the best price-quality guarantee.

This is why we have created high-quality animated video content for over 20 companies around the globe, including renowned brands such as Walmart, Fox, RedBull, DocuSign, and McKesson, to name a few.

Why did they choose us? Well, take a look at our latest reel and see it for yourself:

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But why take our word for it? Here’s how the Phelps Group team felt about working with us!

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But enough about us! What about you? Are you envisioning a video for your brand? Get in touch today and learn how we can help you bring it to life!

Let’s wrap it up!

30-second explainer videos are not only possible but necessary in some cases. Not every brand needs more than a minute to communicate what they do – and for some marketing goals, it’s better to keep your audience engaged than to lose them in the middle of the video because of too much information!

So, we recommend you try shorter videos for your brand, too. Everyone can benefit from short, powerful, and engaging videos. And, because they’re really versatile, they’ll work great as a part of your social media strategy (as normal content and as an advertisement).

But if you’re going to do it, then do it right. Keep your script short and concise, create a professional storyboard, and always work with a great animated explainer video company: only a high-quality one will be able to create high-quality videos!