Thinking about getting a Nutshell for your company or organization, but not sure how to use it effectively? Here are four ideas for sharing your explainer video with the world.

1. On a Landing Page
Explainer videos have often been used to spruce up a landing page and draw in visitors, but not every video is seamlessly integrated into the page design. We love the layout used by City of Hope on the landing page for OurHope, their new fundraising platform. The blue and gold OurHope colors are featured heavily in the video, creating harmony between the video and the website. The balanced layout and attractive graphic design add to the visual appeal, keeping visitors interested and engaged.

2. In an Email Campaign

Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey (CCAH) is a skilled creative agency working with some amazing organizations, including City of Hope. In their latest email campaign for City of Hope, CCAH used our fundraising Nutshell to give their donors tips for running a successful fundraiser. We were thrilled to be included in this campaign, since CCAH and City of Hope have won awards for their email campaigns in the past. While embedding a video directly within the email can be tricky, including numerous links to the video is a great way to encourage your recipients to watch.

3. Within Your App

After we created this Nutshell for Google explaining the Google Wallet app, they decided to incorporate within the app itself. For several months, any Android phone user opening the Google Wallet app for the first time was invited to watch our video and learn more about the app. Animated videos make great tutorials, and including video in your app is a great way to get people excited about using your product.

4. On a Big Screen

Back in February, Foundation Medicine paid a visit to the NASDAQ MarketSite, located in Times Square. As a part of the celebration, which included Foundation Medicine CEO Dr. Michael Pellini ringing the Opening Bell, a special version of the FoundationOne Nutshell played on the NASDAQ tower for all of Times Square to see. We tweaked an existing video for this purpose, and it was an effective way to inform the public about Foundation Medicine and their products, not to mention their stock.

We are thrilled to finally be able to share two fun physics education videos with you! Both videos were created as a collaboration between the WNET Education and Planet Nutshell, with generous funding from NASA. It was such a privilege working with the incredible team at WNET, and we’re really proud of the final product. It’s also pretty exciting to have our work sponsored by NASA!

The first video, “Accelerating Mass: F=ma,” explains the relationship between the mass of an object and the force required for that object to reach a set acceleration. It stars three sweet and stylish rhinos, who also happen to be quite massive.

The second video, “Centripetal Force,” deals with, you guessed it, centripetal force. As the video explains, centripetal force is what keeps an object moving in a circle. Keep an eye out for the adorable pooch!

People love online video. On YouTube alone, new content is uploaded at a rate of 100 hours of video per minute. These videos aren’t only for entertainment purposes. Many companies and organizations are choosing online video over other modes of communication because they understand the potential of video to reach and influence a wider audience. Let’s take a closer look at why online video is so powerful.

1. Video summarizes content quickly for an attention-starved audience

According to DigitalSherpa, “80% of your online visitors will watch a video, while only 20 percent will actually read content in its entirety.” This means that people looking for information are more likely to watch a video than they are to read an article. It only takes 66 seconds for our video below to explain the Mango Health app, giving viewers the answers they need with minimal time and effort on their part.

2. Video drives conversion; it makes people want to take action

Conversion can increase by as much as 80% when video appears on a landing page, according to a study by EyeViewDigital. The key is having a clear call to action. UNICEF Sweden created this tongue-in-cheek video with a strong message: Clicking the like button does nothing to save a life, but donating money does. This campaign successfully raised enough money to give 637,324 children the polio vaccine.

3. Video turns the abstract or technical into something engaging and meaningful

“Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text” (Insivia). Video has the capacity to tell a story, drawing viewers in and connecting them to the subject matter. When trying to understand a global health crisis, overwhelming statistics and medical jargon can make the message too clinical to be effective. This animated PSA for the Against Malaria Foundation uses stunning visual imagery to tell a compelling story about the dangers of malaria.

4. Video creates social/viral potential – something people can share easily

Each minute, more than 700 videos from YouTube are shared on Twitter (ReelSEO). Video was made to be shared. This brilliant video from Water is Life hijacks the social media hashtag #firstworldproblems and turns it on its head. Not only does it make for a powerful message about what is and is not a real problem, its integration of a common hashtag made it easily sharable on social media. This video has nearly 5 million views to date.

5. Video puts people at ease to absorb difficult or uncomfortable topics

Cancer is a tough topic to discuss, especially when you or someone you love has just been diagnosed. We developed this video with Foundation Medicine to help patients and their loved ones better understand their treatment options without inundating them with medical jargon.

One important takeaway from this list is that not just any video will be effective – the video has to be good. It takes time and energy (and the right producer) to make a video that will enhance your message and convert viewers into allies. When you have quality content, your campaign will speak loud and clear.