At the beginning of the pandemic, some of the changes brought by lockdown felt temporary. But, as time passes on, we realize that many of them are here to stay — like using digital platforms to work and learn from home.

The rise of educational videos has also become part of the new normal, an increasingly popular tool for brands that want to engage with their customers while also teaching them something valuable.

However, creating a flawless educational video is an art form. The best animation companies out there carefully craft their pieces to get the look and tone just right, aiming for a perfect balance between branding and educational content.

In this piece, I'm going to guide you through some important steps towards creating that ideal educational video, and a few essential tips and tricks to boost your branding efforts in them.

Let’s get started!

1) Choosing a relevant topic

Every content marketing strategy begins with audience research (or at least it should!). Knowing who are your target customers means understanding their pain points and figuring out ways to help them solve them.

So, once you’ve answered those questions, start coming up with topics that are relevant to their everyday problems and also reflect what your brand is all about.

The key is to think beyond your products or services. Since educational videos are ideal pieces to nurture audiences in the awareness stage of a sales cycle, remember that your goal shouldn’t be to sell; focus on helping your future customers first!

For example, Vivo Life is a plant-based food brand that creates all sorts of educational videos for its audience. They have a great strategy since not only do they explain how to prepare vegan dishes, but they also produce content not directly related to their products such as yoga workouts and house gardening.

2) Branding your video

Since your products or services won’t be at the center stage of your educational video, you have to come up with other and more subtle ways of branding your piece. This step is closely tied with your brand book since you’ll need to work around your company's overall aesthetic and tone.

Branding is especially important for animated educational videos since there are several visual and sound techniques you can use. One of them is to stick to an identifiable color palette throughout your video. Or, if you’re creating a series of videos, use the same animated characters and show them in different scenarios.

Also, pick where to display your logo in a way that’s not invasive. You can include it at the top or bottom of your video, at the beginning, or right at the end next to your call to action… just not all of them!

With this in mind, look at the example below, an explainer video by the beverages company Blume. Notice how the brand logo only appears right at the 35-second mark of the video, and once again at the end of it. The other parts of the video are focused on explaining the benefits of Ceylon cinnamon and super-food drinks.

You may be thinking that subtle branding is a nit-picky process, but it’s essential if you want your audience to remember your brand in a positive way as they go ahead in their customer journey.

3) What do the best educational videos have in common?

Laws for a perfect educational video aren't set in stone, but there are a couple of golden rules that work perfectly for this type of content. So, if you want to create quality content that engages audiences, stick to these tips:

Give easy-to-understand information

Use vocabulary that’s clear and precise without getting overly technical. Even when you’re tackling complex concepts, you can use visual aids such as animation and graphics to make it easier to follow. If your audience ends your video having learned something new, chances are they will return to you when they have a similar problem.

Keep it as short as possible

Everybody is looking for a short solution to their pain points, so you better give it to them! Without rushing, try to cram your message in just a minute or two. Also, keep in mind that most branded content comes in short, bite-sized formats, especially on social media.

End with a strong CTA

Right at the end of your video, include clear instructions so that your audience knows where to go next. For instance, if they still haven’t solved their problem or they have questions about your piece, make sure to include your contact information so they can reach you.

4) Promoting your finished piece

Once you’ve done with the final cut of your video, it’s time to get it out there. So, where are you going to post it? Should you try TikTok? Should you use LinkedIn? Well, it depends if your target audience is using those platforms to consume content.

Of course, you’re probably so proud of your video that you’ll want to post it everywhere. But your efforts should be focused on the sites and platforms you know your audience spends their time on.

Also, make sure you’re using the right keywords on your optimized script (and on your title, descriptions, and hashtags!) when sharing and captioning your video so that audiences and crawlers have an easier time finding it. And don’t forget a captivating thumbnail when uploading to YouTube to attract viewers!

5) Creating your video is just the start

So, you’ve check listed every step of this article, finished your video, and shared it with the world… but the work isn’t over just yet. Your educational video should be just the start of a larger and cohesive content strategy towards building a deep and personal relationship with your customers.

In the current age of digital marketing, the only brands that stand out from the rest are the ones that provide valuable and helpful content to their community. So, start thinking about what your company can do for them, rather than what they can do for you. That, and only that, will guarantee you a loyal base of customers.