Explainer Video
Create a video or animation explaining your value proposition and test with end-users for interest, understandability, retention and /or reproduction.
What is Explainer Video?
An Explainer Video experiment involves creating a short, engaging video or animation that clearly communicates your product's value proposition, key features, and benefits to your target audience. This technique allows startups to test whether their solution resonates with potential users before investing heavily in development. By measuring metrics like viewer engagement, comprehension, and retention, you can validate core assumptions about your product-market fit and messaging effectiveness.
This validation method is particularly powerful because it simulates real-world communication scenarios where customers need to quickly understand your offering. The video format allows you to present complex concepts in digestible ways while testing emotional responses and user interest levels. Unlike static mockups or written descriptions, explainer videos can demonstrate user flows, showcase benefits visually, and create memorable impressions that help gauge market demand.
When to Use This Experiment
- Early-stage validation when you have a clear value proposition but need to test market understanding and interest
- Complex or technical products that require visual demonstration to explain benefits effectively
- B2B solutions where decision-makers need quick comprehension of business value
- Consumer products targeting audiences who prefer visual learning over text-based explanations
- Pre-launch phase when seeking investor interest or early customer validation
- Pivot considerations to test new positioning or target market response
- Marketing message optimization before committing to expensive advertising campaigns
How to Run This Experiment
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Define your core message - Write a 30-second elevator pitch focusing on the main problem you solve and your unique value proposition
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Create a simple script - Structure your video with: problem introduction (15-20 seconds), solution demonstration (30-40 seconds), and call-to-action (10-15 seconds)
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Choose your production method - Select between animated explainer videos, live-action recordings, or screen capture demos based on budget and product type
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Produce your video - Create a 60-90 second video using tools like Loom, Vyond, or hire freelancers from Fiverr/Upwork for professional quality
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Set up tracking mechanisms - Prepare surveys, landing pages with conversion tracking, and analytics to measure engagement and comprehension
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Test with target audience - Share with 20-50 potential users through social media, email lists, or user testing platforms like UserTesting.com
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Measure key metrics - Track completion rates, click-throughs, survey responses about clarity and interest, and follow-up questions or requests
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Analyze and iterate - Review feedback for comprehension gaps, emotional responses, and purchase intent to refine your value proposition
Pros and Cons
Pros
- High engagement potential - Video content typically generates better attention and retention than text or static images
- Comprehensive testing - Validates both solution desirability and communication effectiveness simultaneously
- Reusable asset - Successful videos can be repurposed for marketing, investor pitches, and sales materials
- Emotional validation - Captures user emotional responses and enthusiasm levels better than surveys alone
- Scalable distribution - Easy to share across multiple channels and with large audiences for broader validation
Cons
- Production complexity - Requires video creation skills or budget for professional production
- Time-intensive process - Script writing, production, and editing can take weeks to complete properly
- Limited iteration speed - Changes to core messaging require video recreation rather than simple text updates
- Subjective feedback - Viewer responses may focus on production quality rather than core value proposition
- Cultural/language barriers - May not translate effectively across different markets or demographics
Real-World Examples
Dropbox famously used a simple 3-minute explainer video in 2009 to demonstrate their file-syncing concept before the product was fully built. The video showed the core functionality through screen recordings and generated massive interest, helping them validate demand and secure early adopters without expensive development costs.
Dollar Shave Club created a humorous 90-second explainer video that went viral and validated their subscription razor concept. The video tested both their value proposition (quality razors for less money) and their irreverent brand positioning, ultimately proving market demand and leading to their $1 billion acquisition.
Crazy Egg used an animated explainer video to demonstrate their heat mapping analytics tool before launch. The video helped potential customers understand the complex concept of website user behavior tracking, validated interest from web developers and marketers, and became a key conversion tool that contributed to their successful product launch.