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You know them from software home pages and from the ads between your reels: a voice that sketches a problem in a minute, shows a solution and ends with a button. That is an explainer video. Most explainers are animated, which is why people also call them animated videos.
The goal is always the same. Someone who does not yet know what you do gets it after the video. That makes it useful wherever people decide whether to read on: at the top of a landing page, in an ad or in the first email after a sign-up.
Where an explainer video makes the difference
An explainer pays off when your product is hard to photograph. Software, a service with many steps, a technical part that disappears inside a machine, a rule your customer has to follow. A camera then shows a laptop or someone at a desk. Animation shows what happens inside.
If you sell something people grasp at once, like a meal, a room or a car, you do not need one. There a filmed corporate video or good photography works better, because the viewer wants to see the real thing.
Explainer or corporate video?
Two formats that often get mixed up. They solve a different problem.
- What it shows
- Explainer videoHow something works, including what you cannot film
- Corporate videoWho you are, your people, your place
- Length
- Explainer videoOne to two minutes
- Corporate videoOne to three minutes, plus short cuts
- Image
- Explainer videoDrawn, animated or screen recordings
- Corporate videoFilmed on location
- Changing it later
- Explainer videoA scene or a line can be changed
- Corporate videoReshooting is expensive
- Strong for
- Explainer videoSoftware, services, processes
- Corporate videoTrust, atmosphere, recruitment
If you need to explain something, choose an explainer. If you need someone to feel who you are, choose a corporate video.
The styles side by side
Not every explainer is a cartoon. The style decides what it costs and how it comes across. Vidico lists the market prices for a 60-second video like this:
| Style | What it looks like | Market price for 60 seconds |
|---|---|---|
| Whiteboard | A hand draws the story on a white surface | 1,500 to 5,000 dollars |
| Motion graphics | Shapes, icons and text in motion | 1,500 to 6,000 dollars |
| 2D animation | Drawn characters and sets | 2,500 to 10,000 dollars |
| Live action with animation | Real people with graphic layers on top | 5,000 to 20,000 dollars and up |
| 3D animation | A product or space in three dimensions | 5,000 to 25,000 dollars and up |
A screen recording of your software with a voice and a few animations is the cheapest format that still looks professional. For a product that disappears inside a factory or a wall, 3D is often the only way to show it. What you pay and where the difference lies is in our explainer video cost guide.
How long an explainer video should run
One to two minutes. A minute of spoken text is about 130 to 150 words, so every word in your script counts. A strong explainer follows four steps: the viewer's problem, what you do differently, how it works and what they should do next. If you have more to say, two videos beat one long one.
For social media you cut versions of 15 to 30 seconds in portrait format. The sizes per platform are in our social media image sizes guide. Put the long version on your YouTube channel too, and work out how heavy each export gets with the video file size calculator. Colours, typeface and voice follow your branding, so the video reads as your brand from the first second.
What goes into it, step by step
Blue Carrot breaks down the cost of a minute of 2D animation by part: the script, the storyboard, the illustrations, the animation itself, the voice and the sound. Illustration and animation together take the largest share. A voice costs relatively little, but a poor voice makes the whole video look cheap. Allow four to eight weeks from briefing to delivery in total.
What people ask about explainer videos
Is an explainer video the same as an animated video?
Almost always. An animated video can also be a mood film or a logo animation, but most animated videos for businesses explain something.
Where do I put the video on my site?
At the top of the page that sells the product or service, next to the first button. On your home page only if you sell one thing. A dedicated landing page for your campaign works best.
Can I run ads with it?
Yes, with a short cut of 15 to 30 seconds. An explainer works well with people who do not know you yet, in Meta ads or on YouTube.
Should I add subtitles?
Yes. Many people watch on their phone without sound. Burn the text in or deliver a subtitle file with it.