How to Create a Whiteboard Explainer Video: A Savvy Animator’s Guide

Today, making an animated whiteboard explainer video couldn’t be easier.

This is particularly so because of all the incredibly efficient whiteboard animation software that are out there.

Many people are learning how to create a whiteboard explainer video and implementing their knowledge to communicate with their audience daily.

Sadly, due to the increasing amount of users and animators of this style, it can be a tad difficult to stand out sometimes.

Thankfully, though, it isn’t completely impossible. The first thing you need is to get just the right amount of knowledge.

That way, you’ll be able to navigate your way through the waters of communication through animation.

In this whiteboard animation tutorial, I’ll be giving you a step-by-step guide on how to make your very own excellent whiteboard video.

Alongside that, I will list out some of the best whiteboard animation software for you to use as well.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase through my link. Thank you.

How do You Create a Whiteboard Explainer Video?

The presence of various types of software make it particularly easy for you to get through the process.

At the very least, you might need a bit of practice after learning how to create whiteboard explainer videos.

However, you should be ready to communicate with your audience in one of the most cost-effective ways possible in no time.

So, here are the six primary steps you need to create your explainer video:

1. Come up with an idea

Before you even think of getting anything down, either on a script or on the animation screen, ask yourself what you want to do. Most whiteboard videos are pretty basic.

A hand will pop up with a voice-over reading out the long version of whatever the hand writes down.

There’s usually a bit of music in the background and, for some reason, almost everything is underlined for emphasis.

If you want to pass across basic pieces of information, this could be fine.

However, if you want to go the extra mile, you can think of creative pieces that will truly engage your audience.

Creative storytelling in communication, especially advertising, has proven to be incredibly rewarding for engagement and conversion.

So, take the time to come up with a good idea.

If you’re having a hard time doing that, you can try the following:

• Read more books to expand your wealth of knowledge.
• Get enough rest. The human mind isn’t exactly designed to function optimally with sleep deprivation.
• Draw inspiration from things around you like conversations, movies, music, etc.
• Keep a journal so you can trap down everything that comes to your mind.
• Meditate.

2. Write a script

When you’ve successfully come up with an idea, congratulations, you have passed the first step in creating a whiteboard explainer video.

However, you should keep in mind that that idea is merely the rough form.

You still need to write a script and that script has to be, in every sense of the word, good. No pressure, though.

If you’ll be writing a script, you would have to follow the best practices.

You do not need to go and study the production scripts of every Christopher Nolan movie or every installment in the Avengers franchise.

But, you do need to do the following:

Step 1: Write an excellent hook

The hook is what makes your audience decide whether they want to pay attention to the rest of the video.

With it, you can keep your audience engaged long enough to teach them what you want them to know. Among other things, you can use a big pain point.

An example is, “are you tired of never really figuring out how your lawnmower works?” Another way to go is to spark their curiosity.

An example is, “what is the secret to a perfectly functioning lawnmower?”

Step 2: Write your core message clearly.

After drawing them in with your hook, you need to let them know what you want to tell them.

Do you want to sell them the solution to their lawnmower problem? Do you want to sell them new lawn mowers? Whatever it is, let them know clearly.

Step 3: Include a call to action.

Now, you have to include a point where your customers actually take action. Do you want them to contact you for lawn mower repairs?

Do you want them to call you for lawn mower deliveries? Include it there boldly, keeping CTA principles in mind.

If you don’t, you’d have spent all that time just entertaining without selling. However, this is entirely dependent on whether you want to sell or not.

3. Create a storyboard

Remember that you’re creating an explainer video, not a radio script. As such, your audience still needs to see the visual part of what you’ve written down.

So, the next thing to do is to create a physical storyboard with paper and a pen.

They’re to help you figure out what you’ll need to draw in your whiteboard videomaker, free or otherwise. You don’t need anything more than rough sketches.

4. Record your voiceover

Unless you’re only going to be using background music and text, you’ll need to record a voiceover before you begin drawing in your animation app.

If you’ll be using your voice alone, you can go ahead and record it at any convenient time. You’ll need a standard microphone and a quiet place to record without interruptions.

You might also want to get audio editing software. It would be useful if you want to play around with your recording a little bit and add a couple of sound effects.

That is if they aren’t available on your animation app. If you’ll be inviting someone else for the voiceover, the procedure is pretty much the same.

However, you would need to get their schedule, send them their lines ahead of time, and rehearse properly before recording.

5. Create your animation in line with your script

Having gone through all the necessary steps in learning how to create a whiteboard explainer video, the most important thing to do is to actually create the video.

The specific instructions depend entirely on the type of video animation software you decide to use eventually.

Some of them only give you all you need in a few steps and you’ll be ready to publish. Others are more sophisticated to produce better results.

Whichever you choose, ensure that:

• You’re well-acquainted with it. That way, you can fully access all the functions you need.
• You record in line with your scripts and only make necessary changes.
• You only use high-quality gifs, images, and clips.
• You keep to the timeframe you planned initially. That way, your video doesn’t become too long or underwhelmingly short.

6. Share your video

There would be no point in creating the video if you merely keep it to yourself. Of course, this is different if you’re merely practicing.

But, having gone through all the steps, all that’s left is to share with your target audience.

If you wish, you can share with a few relevant individuals to help critique.

However, once you’re sure you’re good to go, send it out to those who need to see it.

What is the Best Whiteboard Animation Software?

Like many other areas of the digital content creation world, there are tons of animation software available for use.

Some of them are free and others might set you back a few dollars.

Doodlemaker is simply the best whiteboard animation video software I have come across.

The reason this software is like no other is that it provides everything a beginner needs to produce stunning whiteboard animation videos.

With it, you can create whiteboard, blackboard, and glass board video animation from scratch or you can pick done-for-you animated videos from hundreds of options available.

Also, it provides access to male and female human-like voiceovers in different languages.

This means you don’t need to have an awesome voice or hire a professional voiceover artist to help read out your script.

Of course, Doodlemaker is not the only good whiteboard animation software available.

Here are some of the other ones that continuously provide satisfaction to their customers:

1. VideoScribe

This is one animation maker that seems to be making a lot of its users excited. Much like it claims, the software helps you to make stunning animations.

The best part is that whiteboard animations with VideoScribe do not require any technical know-how.

It is as simple as any software can be.

To add icing to this already delicious cake, VideoScribe allows you to access upwards of a thousand royalty-free music and images to use for your videos.

2. Moovly

This is another whiteboard animation software that is also particularly impressive. It allows you to add your audio clips.

It easily allows you to add your preferred pictures and audio clips to make your video better.

The best part, however, is the precise editing tools that the software offers.

3. RawShorts

This is another software with an impressive set of whiteboard animation tools. One of the first things you’ll love about the program is its creative graphic template across multiple categories.

Apart from that, the effects and transitions make it easy to keep your video simple, yet attractive to your audience.

4. Easy Sketch Pro

Indeed, this isn’t exactly the most popular of all the others on our list. However, if you’re looking for something simple and easy to use as a beginner, you might find this software very useful.

5. Animaker

This software has five distinctive video styles and more than a hundred different animation types for you to use. With all that creative power at your fingertips, making videos couldn’t be easier.

In Conclusion

Having learned how to create a whiteboard explainer video, you need to be a tad patient, especially if you’re a beginner.

This is important because it will get you through the practice stage. However, once you’ve gotten that part under lock and key, you’re good to go.