An explainer video helps people quickly understand a product, service, or idea. For a small business, it can answer a common customer question, show how a service works, or introduce your brand.
This guide explains common video styles, shares three illustrative small-business scenarios, and offers tips for planning a clear explainer. The scenarios are ideas to adapt, not finished client videos or case studies.
For a step-by-step plan, see our guide to animated explainer videos for small businesses, or use our 60-second explainer video script template to start writing.
Looking for a low-risk way to explore an animated video for your business? See the free animated video offer.
Three Explainer Video Formats to Adapt
A useful explainer video focuses on one audience question and answers it clearly. These three illustrative scenarios show how a small business might approach its story:
- Show how a service works: A home-services company can walk through what happens from booking to the finished job.
- Demonstrate a product: A maker can show the product in use and explain one feature that solves a specific customer problem.
- Explain an unfamiliar idea: A consultant can use a simple scenario and visuals to clarify a process clients often find confusing.
These are illustrative examples, not promises of results. Keep the story focused on what the viewer needs to understand, and use visual storytelling to make each step easier to follow.
Common Explainer Video Styles
Animation can illustrate ideas, processes, or situations that are hard to film. Live action uses real people, products, or locations, which can help viewers see the service or team. Hybrid video combines filmed footage with graphics or animation.
Choose a style based on the subject, audience, available footage, budget, and where the video will appear. A polished production is not a substitute for a clear message.
How Explainer Videos Can Help Your Business
An explainer video can give customers a quick overview of a product, service, or process. Use it to answer a common question or show what happens next, then track relevant measures such as video completion, clicks, or inquiries to see whether it supports your goal.
Plan the Script and Visuals
A clear explainer video starts with one audience question and a focused answer. Keep the script, visuals, and sound centered on what viewers need to understand.
Write a clear script
Start with the viewer’s problem, explain how your product or service helps, and end with a specific next step. Use plain language and a natural tone. Our video script guide can help you shape the message.
Map the story
Plan a visual for each key point in the script. A simple storyboard can reveal gaps before production begins. See our explainer video planning guide for a practical checklist.
Incorporating Engaging Animation and Graphics
Animations and graphics can clarify ideas that are hard to film and help viewers follow the story.
Choose characters, transitions, and illustrations that match the script’s tone and clarify its main ideas. Use animation and graphics to support the story, not just decorate it.
Match the visuals to your brand voice. A playful brand might use humor or characters, while a more formal brand may prefer a restrained style. The goal is to make the video feel like it belongs to your business.
Using humor can attract more viewers to your content. However, don’t use humor if it doesn’t align with your brand. For example, avoiding humor would probably be a good idea if you are a funeral home, hospital, or military agency.
The Impact of Voiceover and Sound Design
Voiceover is optional. A human performer or an AI-generated voice may suit your project, depending on your budget, desired delivery, and how you plan to use the video. Compare voice quality, editing needs, and usage rights before choosing. For AI voices, check the tool’s commercial-use terms and any disclosure requirements.
Additionally, strategic sound design, including background music and sound effects, enhances the viewing experience, eliciting specific emotions and guiding the audience’s attention.
Clear narration and balanced sound can support the message, but they should not compete with it. Review the script, visuals, and audio together before publishing to make sure each part serves the same goal.
Strategies for Captivating Your Audience
To hold viewers’ attention, learn what your audience needs and shape the message, visuals, and tone around it. Use emotion only when it fits your brand and the subject.
Creating a solid call to action is an essential component that can make your explainer videos genuinely compelling.
Understanding Your Target Audience
Identify your audience’s main question, needs, and concerns before writing. Market research and buyer personas can help you choose a tone, message, and visuals that fit.
Utilizing Emotional Triggers in Video Content
Use emotional cues such as humor, empathy, or reassurance when they suit your audience and brand. Keep the story honest, and connect the feeling to a clear next step.
Creating a Strong Call to Action
End with one clear call to action (CTA), such as visiting your website, booking a call, or signing up for a trial. Make the next step specific and easy to find.
Use direct language and visual cues to make the next step clear. Track clicks or inquiries to see whether the call to action supports your goal.
Tools and Resources for Creating Compelling Explainer Videos
Choose tools that fit your budget, skill level, workflow, and the type of video you plan to make. Features, pricing, and usage rights can change, so check the provider’s current terms before choosing a tool.
Video Editing and Animation
Compare video editing software based on ease of use, supported file types, captions, sound controls, and export options. For animation or graphics, check whether the tool supports the style you need and whether you can revise scenes without rebuilding the whole video.
Before committing, make a short test project. This helps you check the editing steps, export quality, and how well the tool fits your workflow.
Voice and Audio
Whether you use a human voice actor or an AI voice, compare sample quality, cost, editing time, and commercial-use terms. For music and sound effects, check licensing and make sure the audio does not compete with the narration.
How to Measure an Explainer Video
Choose measures that match the video’s goal. Views alone do not show whether it helped answer a question or prompted action.
Track relevant video metrics
For awareness, review plays and how long people watch. For action, track clicks on the call to action, sign-ups, inquiries, or sales, as appropriate. Compare results with a similar period or your own starting point, and use the same measurement method each time.
Test one change at a time
If you have enough viewers to compare versions, test one element at a time, such as the opening, thumbnail, or call to action. Keep the audience and measurement window as similar as possible. This can help you learn what to adjust without assuming a result in advance. See our video SEO guide for more ways to support video discovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Explainer Videos
What is an explainer video, and what’s it used for?
An explainer video is a short video that explains what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters. Most are built to answer the questions people are already thinking, just faster than a wall of text.
Common uses include:
- A homepage video that introduces your story in a length suited to the message and audience
- A product or service video for a landing page
- A paid ad that needs to earn attention fast
- A sales follow-up video that saves your team from typing the same email again
How long should an explainer video be?
There is no single ideal length. Aim for the shortest video that answers the viewer’s question and supports your goal. A focused explainer might fit in 60 to 90 seconds, while a complex offer may need more time or a short series.
Test the length and pacing with your audience, then review measures such as completion rate and clicks on the call to action.
What info do you need from me to get started?
At a minimum, you’ll want to bring:
- Your goal: sign-ups, sales calls, demo requests, app installs, or something else
- Your audience: who they are and what they care about
- Your offer: what you sell and how it works (plain English wins)
- Your brand basics: logo, colors, fonts (if you have them), plus any style examples you like
If your messaging is still a little fuzzy, that’s normal. A good explainer project usually includes time to tighten the story before animation begins.
Do you write the script, or do I have to?
Many explainer video projects include script support (or full scriptwriting) because the script is the whole engine. Animation can’t save a script that reads like a user manual.
A solid explainer script usually includes:
- The problem (what’s annoying right now)
- The “aha” moment (why your approach makes sense)
- The solution (what you do)
- The proof (quick credibility, not a novel)
- The call to action (what to do next)
Example: If you’re a marketing consultant, the script shouldn’t list services first. It should start with the headache your client is already living with.
How long does it take to make an animated explainer video?
Timelines depend on video length, style, and the speed at which feedback is shared. In most cases, you should plan for multiple steps, not one magical “render” button.
A typical workflow includes: Script, then storyboard, then voiceover (if used), then animation, then revisions. If you’ve got a deadline, it helps to mention it early so the scope and schedule can match reality.
Can I use the explainer video on my website and in ads?
In most cases, yes. Explainer videos are commonly used across:
- Websites and landing pages
- YouTube and social channels
- Email marketing
- Paid ads (social, display, YouTube pre-roll)
The key detail is usage rights (who owns what, where it can be used, and whether any licensed assets have limits). It’s worth confirming this up front so there are no surprise “you can’t run that as an ad” moments later.
Will there be voiceover, and do I get to choose the voice?
Voiceover is optional, but it can help a lot when your message needs clarity fast. Many brands choose voiceover because it guides the viewer and keeps the pace tight.
If voiceover is included, you’ll usually pick from voice options (tone, accent, style), then approve a read before animation locks in. No one wants to animate to a voice that sounds like it’s reading tax code out loud.
How many revisions do I get?
Most explainer video projects include revisions at key checkpoints, often during the script and storyboard stages, when changes are fastest (and cheapest) to make.
A practical way to think about it:
- Script revisions shape the message
- Storyboard revisions shape the scenes
- Animation revisions are best for fine-tuning, not rewriting the whole plot
If you know your team has lots of reviewers, try to pick one decision-maker. Otherwise, feedback can turn into a group chat where every emoji means “change it again.”
Final Thoughts About Explainer Videos
A useful explainer video starts with a clear message. Focus on your audience’s question, show how your product or service helps, and give viewers a clear next step. Choose visuals, pacing, and a voice that fit your story.
Ready to explore an animated video for your business? Learn about the free animated video offer. If you use the video on a landing page, track measures such as video completion, clicks, or inquiries to see how it supports your goals.
Originally published on January 11, 2024; Republished on December 26, 2025, to update content and add video.
As a Visual Digital Marketing Specialist for New Horizons 123, Julie works to grow small businesses, increasing their online visibility by leveraging the latest in internet and video technologies. She specializes in creative camera-less animated video production, custom images, content writing, and SlideShare presentations. Julie also manages content, blog management, email marketing, marketing automation, and social media for her clients.
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