1. Can you tell us your name, company, and your mission?

Charles Alexander

yourcharlesalexander.com  (clever, I know:)

My mission is to help Insurance Professionals stand out in a crowd and close more leads using Explainer Videos.

2. Why is video so important for marketing and prospecting?

Video pre-sells your prospects and tells stories the way that no other marketing can.

3. How important is it to have some degree of humor or entertainment in a marketing/explainer video?

It’s almost vital.  We will watch an entertaining video that has almost no bearing on our life before we watch a boring video that is vital to our life.

4. Why should an insurance firm outsource their video & marketing generation?

There are only so many hours in a day and you are only an expert in so many things.  It’s a little like asking, why should I work with an insurance firm, when I can just shop online for insurance by myself.  You can do it, however, you will always come out ahead when a professional that does this all the time is in charge.

5. What do marketing professionals get wrong when it comes to videos?

The primary mistake is not making them story-based.  It’s cliche to say, but facts only tell, while stories sell.  A boring video that is fact and figure based is not nearly as interesting to the viewer as a story-based video where they are the star!

6. How did you end up creating explainer videos?

I started out writing website copy and articles for busy professionals but quickly realized that video was trumping everything else and switched gears.  I became self-taught in animated explainer videos and haven’t looked back since.

7. What does a typical engagement with you look like?

I make it very simple.The only work a client of mine has is to fill out a 6 Question Form.  From there I take care of the rest.

I write the script, send it to the voiceover artist, create the video, and my client gets unlimited revisions until they are happy with the final product!

8. Did you have to get permission from Seth Godin to make that fantastic video about sliced bread?

Ha!  I didn’t, not, not get permission .

And if you thought that was cool, you should check out the Purple Cow Video I created before that one – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Qy5siSuhc

9. For some of the video pros out there, what sort of training is required for them to make their own animated explainer videos?

It’s more about practice than training.  There is A LOT of cost-effective software that is out there for even a novice.

And if you really want to learn more, check out this How to Create An Explainer Video That Really Works guide