A good explainer video is 60 to 90 seconds long, covers one problem and one solution, and ends by telling the viewer exactly what to do next. Most explainers that fail do so before any animation starts, because the brief tried to fit a whole brochure into a minute.
- Keep it to 60–90 seconds, about 140–160 words of voiceover per minute.
- Use the structure: problem → solution → how it works → proof → next step.
- Choose the style from what you're explaining: 2D for people, motion graphics for software, 3D for physical products.
- Agree the script and storyboard before any animation. Changes after that are slow and costly.
- Add subtitles. Most social video is watched with the sound off.
What an explainer video is for
An explainer does the job of the sales conversation you keep having: it explains, the same way every time, what you do and why it matters. It works best when your product takes more than a sentence to understand — software, a technical service, a new kind of product — and when you find yourself explaining it twice on calls.
How long should it be?
| Where it's used | Length | Voiceover |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage / sales pitch | 60–90 seconds | 140–220 words |
| Product or feature page | 30–60 seconds | 75–150 words |
| Social media ad | 15–30 seconds | 35–75 words |
| Training / onboarding | 2–5 minutes, in short chapters | As needed |
Viewers drop off steadily as a video goes on. If your script runs past two minutes for a sales explainer, cut it in two, or cut the second half.
The structure that works
- The problem (first 10 seconds). Show the viewer their own frustration. If they recognise it, they keep watching.
- The solution. Introduce what you do, in one sentence.
- How it works. Three steps at most. Any more and people stop following.
- Proof. A number, a client name, or a quick result.
- The next step. One clear action: book a call, start a trial, get a quote.
Which style: 2D, motion graphics or 3D?
| Style | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 2D character animation | Services and stories about people: healthcare, education, consumer products. | Characters need a consistent style, which means more design time. |
| Motion graphics | Software, SaaS, data, processes and technical explainers. | It can feel cold without a human voice or example. |
| 3D animation | Physical products, engineering, parts, and anything you need to show from the inside. | Needs accurate models or CAD files. Takes longest to produce. |
| Live action + graphics | Venues, restaurants, teams and anything people should see in real life. | Needs a shoot: location, people and good weather. |
Technical explainers: making complex things simple
For software, engineering or B2B products, the risk is explaining everything and leaving the viewer with nothing.
- One idea per scene. If a scene needs two sentences of voiceover, it's two scenes.
- Show the outcome, not the architecture. Viewers care what changes for them, not how the system is built.
- Use a real example. "A dental practice with three branches" is easier to follow than "multi-site organisations".
- Cut the jargon unless your audience actually uses it.
The brief: what to send your studio
Copy this. A brief that answers these questions produces a better first draft and fewer rounds of changes.
| Question | Example answer |
|---|---|
| Who is watching? | Practice managers at small UK dental clinics. |
| What problem do they have? | Patients miss appointments and the diary has gaps. |
| What do you do about it? | Automated reminders and online rebooking. |
| Why you and not a competitor? | Set up in a day, works with their existing system. |
| What should they do after watching? | Book a 15-minute demo. |
| Where will it be shown? | Homepage, sales emails, LinkedIn. |
| Tone? | Friendly and reassuring, not salesy. |
| Brand assets? | Logo (vector), colours, fonts. |
| Deadline? | Trade show on 15 November. |
How the production process runs
- Script — written from your brief, edited by you until it sounds right.
- Storyboard — rough frames of every scene, so you see the whole video before it's animated.
- Voiceover and music — recorded and licensed for commercial use.
- Animation — the full video built from the approved storyboard.
- Delivery — widescreen for your site, plus square and vertical cuts for social, with and without subtitles.
From brief to final file is typically two to four weeks. The script and storyboard stages decide almost everything, so that is where your review time is best spent.
Mistakes that make people stop watching
- Opening with your logo and company history instead of the viewer's problem.
- Trying to cover every feature, so none of them stick.
- No clear call to action at the end.
- No subtitles, so it plays silently and unnoticed on social media.
- Asking for major changes after animation has started.
Where to use it once it's made
- At the top of your homepage, beside the main call to action
- In sales emails, as a thumbnail linking to the video
- As a pinned post on LinkedIn and Facebook
- As a paid social ad, in the 15–30 second cut
- On a screen at trade shows and events
See examples
Watch real client work in our promotional videos portfolio — including a 3D product animation and a filmed restaurant brand video — and our logo animations. Our video animation service covers the script, voiceover and subtitles as standard. You can also send us a brief using the template above.