Every second counts when you have a limited time to present the details of your company’s offerings, and there’s even more pressure when you try to limit it to two minutes. Trying to go longer than that time is a mistake when you know that your target audience won’t stick around that long. So instead of trying to fight the trend, you might find it helpful to understand why your explainer video also needs to stay under two minutes in order to be effective.

Some how-to content is best presented in explainer video form

Seize any opportunity you can to create instructional or step-by-step explainer video, especially when it can be accomplished in just a couple of minutes. Your prospects find how-to content extremely valuable because they’re getting information they can use, from a source they respect and trust. Of course, you can also incorporate a product tie-in if it’s natural and non-intrusive.

Your prospects retain more when they visualize content

While still images improve your material by leaps and bounds, they fall behind explainer video content when it comes to your target audience remembering what they’ve seen. Videos boost interaction because they require our brain to keep up with what’s being presented, which results in higher recollection of the information. When you consider that not everyone will make a purchase immediately after consuming your content, it’s in your best interests to produce material that they’ll remember for several days.

Video works well when demonstrating complicated products or services

No matter how descriptive, illustrative or detailed you are when drafting text about your offerings, it doesn’t come close to the impact you make by showing how they work. Complex solutions or products are especially well-suited for demonstration via explainer video, especially when you take screen shots or show an actual graphic user interface.

Prospects don’t have time for lengthy text content

Not only are your potential customers busy with their work and personal lives, but they’re also constantly flooded with marketing messages. This leaves them with little time to consume your content, regardless of how informative or interesting it may be. An explainer video keeps things concise and direct, so your prospects aren’t concerned by taking two minutes to watch. If done well, they should be more worried about what will happen if they don’t hear your message.

Explainer videos increase your target audience’s understanding of what you provide

You know from spending your childhood in a classroom that you’re better able to understand certain concepts when they’re presented visually. The same is true for your company’s products or services, as your target audience can actually see your offerings in action. Even if a demonstration isn’t practical, you can use your two minutes of explainer video to have a satisfied customer talk about how your solutions solved their problems.

A big part of properly targeting your prospects involves understanding their motivations, and it’s clear that some don’t want to invest more than two minutes to a video. You know you can’t beat that trend, so now you need to join it. There’s a lot you can do in a limited amount of time when you take the right approach to this type of video, and explaining the details of your products is a good place to start.