What’s not to love about easy-to-digest videos with animation, made to deliver information in a way that’s fun to watch? According to Forbes Magazine, not only is the typical attention span shrinking, but when presenting information to a group (for instance, in a professional setting, such as a group of teachers who would much rather be in their classroom than be here right now), engagement is higher when there is a video involved, and if it’s an animated video, so much the better. The subject of the Forbes article, Rohan Kale, says that there are five main examples of Explainers that he and his company produce:

• Benefits –What are the upsides of working with your company? What are some of the good things your product might bring to the lives of your viewers?
• “How To” videos–Explaining step-by-step instructions on how to use a product. These are especially great for goobers like me who nearly always refuse to “read” the manual, and invariably muck something up in the attempt!
• Testimonial videos – Why not ask your past customers about their experience with your product or service? In these days of Yelp, nothing boosts your brand like a few words from happy clientele.
• Demo videos – Not too far from “How-To” videos, these get deeper into the subject of the product or service.
• FAQ videos – Whether you call ‘em FAX or Eff-Aay-Cues, we all have the same questions about a product or service. Frequently Asked Question pages are ubiquitous…and can come in pretty handy

I was lucky to be the voice of Boosted Boards for their “How-to’s” on their electric Mini Skateboard and their more recent Rev Electric Scooter.

A featured article on Forbes.com explains what you really need to know about explainer videos.