Explaining Financial Concepts with Video
There are few topics that matter more to people than their finances, and it’s no mystery why. Yet despite the importance of financial security, many of us struggle to understand the intricacies of our finances, and as CNBC reported in 2018, avoid the topic with surprising regularity.
As a financial organization, you need to break through this barrier of anxiety to ensure your offerings are known and chosen by consumers. And there’s no better way to reach modern consumers than with well-made video. So what kind of video will best explain your financial concepts to your audience?
Explainer videos are the answer, which is probably unsurprising given the question. An explainer video is usually animated, fairly short, and helps to put an emotionally positive look and sound to ideas that might otherwise seem dry, complex, or intimidating.
There are dozens of different types of explainer video, but the neuroscientific and psychological research that goes into TruScribe’s whiteboard video services make it the clear choice. Sure, we’re a little biased, but let’s look at some of the reasons why this is true.
A great place to start is the human hand in whiteboard video. It serves a number of purposes: it provides motion, which engages the brain on an unconscious, evolutionary level, and does so consistently; it’s part of the human form, which our minds are also inherently drawn to; and it’s a focal point, making each image relevant at the right time to synchronize with your voiced script.
How does this relate to finance? In short, it humanizes the concepts being discussed. When many of us think of finance, we see nothing but numbers, data, graphs, and charts. Whiteboard explainer videos’ use of the human hand tells the viewer that a person just like them is an integral part of these ideas.
Even if the artist is drawing numbers or images that convey complicated notions, the viewer’s mind can now associate those abstract, potentially intimidating figures with someone else who understands them, and think “Hey, this person clearly has no trouble communicating these ideas—as I learn more, I’ll be able to think of these concepts just as easily.” From there, it’s a short mental journey to “You know, I think I can get control of my finances—and this service will really help me do that.”
Hand-drawn videos are also shorten the mental journey to customer trust. As Lilach Bullock writes, “Promoting your financial services firm via video is a great idea, but given the nature of the business, one of the key things to get across is that you are both competent and trustworthy.”
People trust each other far more quickly than a slogan on a billboard or a banner ad on a website that simply proclaims its services to be the best. Whiteboard’s synchronization of voice and hand-drawn visuals hit the brain in a far more personal manner than either of these examples of other media. This is fantastic, but another question remains: what should you write, draw, and talk about to create trust?
Bullock argues that “case studies are a wonderful place to start,” as they “showcase authenticity and help to bolster you reputation.” This is great advice, since each case study is, by definition, a story, and story is our human coding language. Given a character and their journey through financial frustration to resolution, audiences will more quickly engage with your message and will have a much easier time retaining and acting on it.
There’s more to be done with a financial explainer than case studies, of course, and whiteboard’s personal feel can be truly optimized with a personalized video. Using data analysis to target your video’s script towards your audience’s tastes is a great idea, and including a personal address (by name) is even better.
Again, the scary part of finances tends to be the feeling that it is ‘too big’, or the anxiety that money is an impersonal force that controls us. Defeat this misconception by ensuring your audience feels as much personality as possible in your messaging. Whiteboard’s simple, fun characters can be a great way to showcase your organization’s personality.
There’s more to financial explainer whiteboard than the big, high-level concepts, as well. Think about using video in explaining normal billing, and other day-to-day elements of your business—video is a great way to articulate almost any financial concept.
And don’t forget about user-generated content. When you’re looking for subject matter or a voice that will come across as trustworthy authentic, don’t stop at writing about a case study. Engage your customers directly, and use testimonials and more to inform your whiteboard script. It’s a great way to affordably and honestly show that your services matter to your customers, and one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Explainer videos, particularly whiteboard explainer videos, are a fantastic way to address a topic that matters greatly to almost everyone, but often provokes anxiety and avoidance. With personal, relatable elements like the human hand and identifiable stories, you’ll have your vital messaging in front of consumers, and overcoming any barriers to retention with ease.
Does your financial organization use explainer videos? Have you explored the advantages of whiteboard in explaining financial concepts? In what context do you feel video would have the strongest benefit to your financial organization?