How To Create Relatable Explainer Video Characters For Your Videos

When preparing to make an explainer video, you must consider how to create relatable characters and make them shine. The truth is, no one wants to watch a boring explainer video. Characters bring the story to life and make it enjoyable for the audience. You can create a meaningful connection through characters that help humanize your business and message. In this article, we’ll explore how to make an explainer video with relatable characters. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a solid understanding of attracting your audience and keeping them engaged with relatable characters.
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Perks of Using Animated Characters in an Explainer Video

Animated characters can help your audience connect with your video through emotional responses, such as nostalgia. Good vintage cartoons can jog people’s recollections of simpler times when they were young and carefree. 

Your audience will appreciate the opportunity to relive those feelings once more! Using animated characters in your explainer video can help you humanize your brand and foster good vibes so your viewers associate those pleasant feelings with your company. 

Flexibility: Animated Explainer Video Characters Can Fit Your Brand’s Needs

Animated explainer video characters are highly flexible. Using animated videos can expand your consumer base with little effort. They facilitate the development of a humanistic approach even for brands that operate in tech-oriented industries. 

Customization: Tailor Your Marketing Message with Animated Characters

Using an animated character allows you to tailor your marketing message to each consumer. Using visuals and animation in the video, you can create the illusion of a one-on-one conversation. 

For example, if you were to create an animated character to help explain a SaaS solution, you could customize your approach to target specific industries, such as:

• Healthcare
• Manufacturing

When healthcare professionals view your video, they’ll see a character that looks like them and identifies with their particular challenges. This helps draw them into the video and makes your marketing message more relatable. 

Versatility: The Many Uses of Animated Explainer Video Characters

Explainer videos can be used with other types of videos for a campaign. Try combining an animated explainer video with motions or a whiteboard; I assure you you’ll be amazed by the results.

6 Types of Explainer Video Characters

1. Cartoony Characters: The Fun Side of Explainer Videos

Cartoony characters look nothing like real humans. Their exaggerated features and dimensions create humor, perfecting them for entertainment and light-hearted explainer videos. 

You may also use these characters to emphasize specific product or service features. Cartoony characters make explainer videos fun and engaging, helping to keep your audience’s attention on the story. 

2. Cartoon Realistic: Finding a Balance Between Real and Animated

Cartoon realistic characters resemble ordinary people, with realistic body dimensions, proportions, and facial features. They look almost like your target audience, which allows you to reach a specific consumer group since customers can connect emotionally with such animated beings. 

Although animating such characters may be time-consuming (and consequently budget-consuming), they have the advantage of having a more detailed appearance than other character types. 

3. Photorealistic Characters: Enhancing Realism in Explainer Videos

Photorealistic characters look like real people. They are mostly pictured in the videos for medical and health services to increase the realism of the situation and bring the characters closer to reality. They usually play the role of design elements, so they are relatively simple. 

4. Business Casual Flat 2D Characters: The Perfect Balance Between Formality and Approachability

Business casual flat 2D characters have the facial features and body dimensions of a human. As a rule, these animated characters are vector-based, making a “friendly yet professional” impression on the audience. 

5. Stylized or Conceptual Characters: Abstract and Generic

Stylized or conceptual characters are meant to appeal to a broad audience rather than one specifically defined. They do not look like real people but are more generic characters well-suited for explainers or those used in various demographic groups. A good example is our animated App Explainer Video Case Study for Handle. 

6. Stick or Iconic Characters: Simple Yet Effective

Stick or iconic characters are simple representations that may be preferred for the explainers 

where the story is about an abstract system, conceptual idea, or something like that. “A person” is a structural element you must refer to, but not an actual “the person.” Such characters are also used when the audience is undefined, or you don’t want to specify any particular group to address. 

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Related Reading

• What is an Explainer Video
• What is the Purpose of a Storyboard
• Animation vs Live Action
• Explainer Video Script
• Explainer Video Types
• Explainer Video Cost
• How Long Should an Explainer Video Be
• Types of Motion Graphics
• Video Production Checklist

How To Create the Right Explainer Video Character for Your Videos?

Creating the right explainer video character is key to crafting engaging and effective videos. A well-designed character can connect with viewers, convey messages more effectively, and leave a lasting impression. 

Understanding the target audience is the foundation of a compelling explainer video character. The character should reflect the audience's demographics, challenges, and desires, making them relatable and engaging. 

Research Your Audience

The first step in creating a relatable character is conducting thorough research to build a buyer persona. This persona includes details about the audience’s likes, dislikes, buying habits, and pain points. 

For example, suppose your target audience consists of small business owners looking to implement a new software system. In that case, your character might also be that of a business owner nervous about the transition. 

Mirror Their Journey

Once you’ve researched your audience, design a character who experiences the same problems as them and benefits from the product or service being showcased. In our example, the character struggles with transitioning to new software and feels apprehensive about it. But, as the video progresses, the audience will see how this character:

• Implements the new system
• Discovers its benefits
• Improves his operations 

Craft a Resonant Script 

Use insights from your buyer persona to write a script that addresses the audience’s concerns and speaks directly to their needs. For instance, you’ll want to ensure the character’s dialogue reflects the audience’s tone and language and alleviates their specific fears. 

Define the Character’s Role in the Story 

Before diving into the design, determine how the character will function within the narrative: 

• Main Character: If the goal is to evoke empathy or tell a personal story, make the character the focal point. This approach works well for emotionally driven messages or when you want viewers to relate deeply to the character’s journey. 
• Supporting Character: For videos that share broad concepts or general information, use characters to help the narration creatively rather than being the central focus. This provides flexibility in storytelling. 

Generate Empathy and Emotion

Empathy and emotion are powerful tools for influencing viewer behavior. Animated characters, paired with thoughtful narration, can create an emotional connection. 

Design for Emotional Impact

Use relatable expressions, gestures, and storytelling to evoke emotions that align with your video’s objectives. 

Complement with Aesthetics

Enhance the emotional tone through strategic choices in colors, backdrops, fonts, and on-screen text. 

Choose the Right Voiceover 

A voice artist who resonates with the character and audience can amplify the emotional connection, driving engagement and action. 

Add Unique Characteristics 

To make your character stand out, infuse them with distinctive traits: 

• Visual Elements: Incorporate unique features in their appearance, such as bold hairstyles, accessories, or exaggerated facial expressions. 
• Personality Traits: Give your character memorable personalities or quirks that make them stand out, such as a witty sense of humor or a particular way of speaking.
• Memorability: Avoid overly generic designs. A well-crafted, unique character helps your brand message stick with viewers.

By combining relatability, emotion, and unique design elements, you can create an explainer video character that captivates your audience and effectively delivers your message.

Maximizing the Effectiveness of Explainer Videos

Know Your Audience Inside and Out

Before the cameras start rolling, you must understand who you're making the video for. Who is your audience? What are their needs, pain points, and preferences? The answers to these questions will guide your explainer video's messaging, tone, and style. Remember, your video needs to resonate with your audience and present a solution to their problem.

Set Clear and SMART Goals

Why are you investing in an explainer video? Maybe you want to:

• Increase brand awareness
• Drive website traffic
• Boost conversion rates
• Educate your audience about a new product or service

Whatever your aim, ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). Clear objectives will help measure your video’s success and ROI.

Choose the Right Video Company

The explainer video company you choose can make or break your video project. Look for a company with:

• A strong portfolio
• A proven track record
• An understanding of your industry

They should be able to collaborate effectively with you, understand your brand, and translate your goals into a compelling video.

Prioritize Quality Over Quantity

Your explainer video reflects your brand. A low-quality video can damage your reputation and negatively impact your marketing efforts. Instead, aim for one high-quality video that perfectly encapsulates your message and engages your audience rather than producing several subpar videos.

Optimize for Maximum Impact

Creating a fantastic explainer video is only half the battle; you must also ensure it gets seen. Optimize your video for SEO, promote it across your social media channels, website, and newsletters, and ensure it's mobile-friendly. The more visibility your video has, the higher the chances of achieving your marketing goals.

Track, Measure, and Adjust

Tracking the performance of your explainer video is crucial. Use analytics tools to monitor:

• Video views
• Average watch time
• Click-through rates
• Conversions
• Social shares

This data will show you what's working, what isn't, and where adjustments may be needed to improve your ROI.

Related Reading

• Tech Explainer Videos
• Benefits of Explainer Videos
• Explainer Video Examples
• B2B Explainer Videos
• Motion Graphics Explainer Videos
• Healthcare Explainer Videos
• Video Production Checklist
• Saas Explainer Videos
• Startup Explainer Video

5 Examples of Explainer Video Characters

1. Salesforce Desk.com

Salesforce Desk.com features explainer video characters secondary to the video’s core messaging. Through their simplicity, the characters complement the visual so effectively that it makes them stand out. Salesforce used a background with their brand’s colors and highlighted the characters with vibrant colors. This helped bring attention to each character in the video. 

2. Dropbox

Dropbox is a popular online cloud service that saves data. Recently, they remodeled their website and incorporated an explainer video into it. The explainer video was a grand success; it helped acquire millions of customers worldwide.

3. AT&T “Connected” – Seamless Storytelling & Brand Imprint

AT&T’s “Connected” explainer video earns its place among the best explainer videos in 2024 through its breathtaking illustrations, calming color palette, and spot-on voiceover. But what truly sets it apart are the memorable transitions. 

This user-centric design masterpiece seamlessly connects scenes around a central device, subtly yet powerfully imprinting the AT&T brand. This video stands as an explainer video marketing exemplar, demonstrating how compelling storytelling and visual coherence can leave a lasting impression and connect with viewers on a deeper level.

4. Spotify Anchor

Spotify is one of Vidico’s significant clients, and Spotify Anchor’s video explains how podcasters can leverage Spotify’s anonymous audience data to improve new episodes. It is one of the best-animated explainer video examples demonstrating the platform’s features and how they help you gain insights into and best serve the global audience.

5. PayPal

In a fun and compelling way, PayPal uses musical comedy in their explainer video to show how the app is designed to make the sun brighter on payday. PayPal understands that time is of the essence for most people interested in the service. So, in a short video, they explain how easily you can create financial transactions.

Related Reading

• Motion Graphics Companies
• Promotional Video Production Companies
• 30 Second Explainer Videos
• Top Explainer Video Companies
• Product Video Companies
• Stop Motion Animation Examples
• App Explainer Video
• 3d Video Production Companies
• Best Explainer Video Software
• 2d Explainer Video
• 3d Explainer Videos

Start a 3-day Free Trial to Take Your Content to the Next Level with Our Product Demo Video Service

Moonb is a video marketing agency with unlimited video editing subscriptions. Our full-service video production approach and flexible, contract-free model allow us to stand out as a superior alternative to traditional video agencies, freelancers, and in-house production teams. 

We offer seamless integration with popular project management tools like Trello, Slack, and MS Teams to make your editorial process as smooth as possible. With our expertise in creating compelling video content, we can help elevate your marketing and educational initiatives with video. 

Start a 3-day free trial with our explainer video production services to take your content to the next level.

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