2021 PR Predictions: An 'explainer video' for everything

It's that time of year: Marketing and PR projections for 2021 are here. And already we're seeing one consistent theme:

Video will be BIG this year.

Take this from PR Daily, for example:

"The most successful communicators will lean into video. With employees 75% more likely to watch a video than to read text, and up to 22 times as likely to retain the information, video communications are the best way to build culture and community within the workforce.”

Or, consider this advice from Muck Rack:

Videos will overtake the importance of websites. Are websites essential? Yes, and we need to think about "explainer videos for everything." The video creation landscape has changed and it no longer costs thousands for quick turnaround videos.

That message bears repeating: "We need to think about 'explainer videos for everything.'"

So what is an explainer video, exactly?

Explainer videos are short, easily digestible videos that quickly and simply summarize a product or service.

Here's a great one Brian made for Canvas On-Demand's self-adhesive, removable wallpaper:

Launching a new product this year? Adding a new service line? A brief explainer video may be key to helping potential customers understand its proper use and value.

Another great application for the explainer video? When you have a product or service that consistently confuses your customers.

For example, when I worked in health care, almost none of our potential clients understood what "palliative care" was. It was an incredibly valuable service (basically, helping people with serious illnesses like cancer control their pain and symptoms), with an equally confusing name.

At the time, we did not have the resources to create an explainer video for palliative care. I still think about how useful it would have been for our admittance nurses to have a video to show potential clients that clearly, quickly, and consistently explained this service.

With advances in technology, it's now fairly easy to get a high-quality, professional explainer video with minimal investment.

If you're interested in seeing how Watts Filmmaking can help you get ahead of this trend, contact us today.