Derek Gerber, the VP of Explainify, was interviewed on the Mission Matters Marketing Podcast with Adam Torres.
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Derek Gerber works in the video content creation and marketing industry, helping businesses grow and connect with clients through explainer videos.
Watch Full Interview:
What mission matters to you?
“As the VP of Explainify, my job is to emphasize and oversee our main mission of bringing video creation to life,” says Derek Gerber. “Our team works very hard to create the best videos touching upon various topics for the purposes of awareness, education, revenue, and lead generation.”
Videos can be time-consuming from conception to final edit, and most businesses don’t have an in-house person who has all the skills and experiences necessary to produce videos well, much less efficiently. Gerber and his team of animation experts at Explainify have streamlined the process to make it easy for clients to implement professional explainer videos for a variety of purposes to suit their businesses’ needs.
How did the video marketing journey start?
After graduating with a Business Economics degree at University of California, Irvine, Gerber became the first paid intern at CNN, where he witnessed full on-brand experiences and content come to life in real time. Next, he started making branded campaigns ranging from traditional media (television to radio) to digital advertisements.
Gerber has always focused on creating segments of value for brands, and understanding the impact of short-form videos of evergreen content has led to his success at Explainify.
What is an explainer video?
An explainer video is the video showcased on a brand’s website and used in other marketing materials that explains what the brand and/or its products and services are about. Traditional explainer videos are generally one to three minutes in length, which is important since statistics show that most audiences only engage with the first two minutes of a video. So, it’s critical for brands to share their story within this very limited time frame.
“In order to capture your audience’s attention, you need to get in and out as fast as possible,” adds Gerber. “Give them the information quickly and effectively. This is a big part of what makes a great explainer video.”
Explainer videos often contain impactful words that can influence people to take actions, such as downloading an app or clicking through to buy something. However, Gerber notes that clients should keep in mind that it’s not always necessary to make money directly from an explainer video unless that’s part of its express purpose. Explainer videos also exist to help businesses grow in engagement and awareness.
How can explainer videos help a brand?
“Many times clients will approach video creators like myself with a need for a video, but unsure what they want to put into it or what they want it to say,” adds Gerber.
This is when Gerber and his team present the three pillars of explainer videos:
- Awareness – Explaining a brand, product and/or service
- Education – Simplifying the topic at hand
- Revenue – Encouraging a purchase or conversation
Explainer videos often live on brands’ websites, but they can also be amplified on social platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Since each platform has specific resolution and size requirements, Explainify sees to it that clients are equipped with the tools to showcase their videos on social media and communication apps, by providing them with social cuts, GIFS, custom Zoom backgrounds, and other social-friendly content.
What types of companies does Explainify work with?
“Out of the hundreds of brands we work with, 70-80% consist of software technology companies,” says Gerber. “These include SaaS brands with complex value propositions that need to be explained in a simplified manner to their customer bases.
“Explainify also creates content for brands in the medtech, biotech, and healthcare realms,” adds Gerber. “A good example would be animated videos for parents who want to understand the basics of surgical procedures for their children. These types of videos don’t ask people to buy things, but rather, educate the viewer making a complex topic, very simple to understand. In addition, this type of video builds patient trust and loyalty.”
How to connect with Derek Gerber and Explainify
To learn more about Explainify and its video production services, visit Explainify.com.
