Voice Overs for Explainer Videos

Take this example from Mint.

Its proposition is clearly and simply stated: “The best free way to manage your money,” .

The video does a great job of explaining what the service offers without going into too much detail.

At this stage, a lot of depth would most likely turn viewers off, because what they are looking for is some key takeaways as they explore.

The chosen voice works well because it combines the kind of low resonance that people naturally associate with trustworthiness (current research suggests that we are probably programmed to select our leaders based on the depth of their voices)  with clarity and great command of tone.

The script cleverly begins with a question designed to draw the viewer on.

“How do you keep track of your financial life?”

Then goes on to suggest, “Statements? Spreadsheets? Scribbles? It’s time for something better, something easier, something smarter.”

Questions are great because they make viewers (hopefully) stick around for those answers.

The choice of words here is worth paying attention to if you will be writing your own explainer video.

The script is short, and every word is made to count. Each word has to carry its own weight, and if the same thing can be said with one word instead of five, then one word is used.

It’s a tight script that is punchy, doesn’t waste the viewer’s time, and makes its point clearly.

The phrase, “…empowers you to take charge of your financial life,” says it much better than, “Lets you control all of your different accounts,” for example.

“Empowers” and “take charge” are attention grabbing, and these are the kinds of words you should be aiming for.

If you are hiring a copywriter, then now you know what kind of words you should be looking for.

The structure of this short video is efficient, because it works by:

1. raising the question.
2. stating the problem
3. introducing the answer, and
4. explaining all the benefits.

Simplicity, convenience, practicality, portability, and security are all touched upon, one at a time.

The animations show visual cues, such as spreadsheets and bank statements, while the narration gives an overview of what’s going on.

The wrap-up at the end includes a subtle call to action, “Sign up and get started with Mint in less than five minutes,” and it is quite clever the way that a statement about “the future” is dropped in just before the end.

That sense of looking forward makes signing up seem almost inevitable.

This well thought out and well executed explainer video achieves a lot in only one and a half minutes, and probably delivers better value for the company than if it had spent a lot more on a thirty second TV commercial.