Spotify has one, Airbnb has one, and so does just about every app fighting for a spot on your home screen: the explainer video, a bite-size pitch that can demystify a product in a couple of minutes. The irony is that if we had an explainer video about explainer videos, you could watch it and learn how to make one in no time. Since we don’t, you’ll have to make do with this article. But who knows? Read carefully enough, and maybe you can make one for us.
Broadly speaking, an explainer video is a short video that explains a concept to an audience. In content creation, explainer videos usually introduce an app, product, service, or specific website feature.
An explainer video’s goal is to get viewers interested in the subject, but it should remain informative and stop short of a hard-sell advertisement.
Why make an explainer video?
Brands may hire creators to make explainer videos for their products or services. But you don’t have to wait for a brand to come knocking. You can also make an explainer video to introduce your own product, service, project, or idea to your audience.
The format works well when you need to convey information quickly. If your audience needs to understand what something is, how it works, and why they should care, an explainer video can cover the basics without a lengthy tutorial.
Essential components of an explainer video
- Clear information: If the primary function of an explainer video is to convey information, start there. If you’re working with a brand, you’ll likely receive a list of talking points or requirements. If you’re creating the video on your own, answer three questions:
• What is the product or service?
• How do you use it?
• Who might want to use it?
Explain the product or service in terms your intended audience will understand. Don’t feel pressured to get hyper-specific: Explainer videos are meant to be an overview, not a full tutorial.
- Easily digestible runtime: An explainer video should be pretty short, only around two to three minutes. While there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to runtime (unless the brand gives you a specific one), it’s best not to get too long-winded. Explainer videos should be quick, breezy, and low-stress for the audience.
- Entertainment value: An explainer video can quickly become boring if it’s little more than product specs or instructions. Once you've covered the information, consider how you’ll keep viewers interested. Eye-catching graphics can help, but even the less tech-savvy among us can still use the usual tools in the content creation toolbox: Smooth editing, peppy music, and personality-filled dialogue can all go a long way.
- Balance: The trickiest part of explainer videos is that they’re expected to cover a lot of ground without going too far in any one direction. You want to introduce a product without turning the video into an advertisement, inform without turning into an in-depth tutorial, and engage without tipping into pure entertainment. Check out some examples of effective explainer videos below.
1. Spotify Ad Analytics
While a very corporate explainer video is probably outside the realm of anything you’d be asked to create as a content creator, it can still be helpful to see an “industry standard” version before embarking on one yourself. Take this explainer about Spotify’s ad analytics, produced by video agency Vidico. The video knows its audience (people who already run ads on Spotify but aren’t sure whether those ads are reaching the right listeners). That means it doesn’t have to sell viewers on Spotify in general or explain what the platform is; instead, it focuses on why viewers might want to use ad analytics and walks them through how to access the feature. The video even includes a visual how-to that shows viewers exactly which buttons to press. Bright colors and cartoonish animations add visual interest to what could otherwise be a dry subject.
2. @sam.for.change
The hook for Australian company Samsara Eco’s explainer video doubles as a challenge to anyone else trying to make an effective one: The narrator tells the audience he can convince them to follow the account in just 45 seconds. A lot of information is packed into that brief runtime. The video lays out a problem (the Earth has too much plastic, and conventional methods can’t recycle it indefinitely) and proposes a solution (specially engineered enzymes that recycle plastic more efficiently). It then pairs all that potentially dense—not to mention distressing—information with quirky graphics and sound effects that are perfect for the millennial and Gen Z audience the company likely expects to find on Instagram. Now that’s 45 seconds well spent.
3. @synsation
For a good example of an explainer video that wasn’t commissioned by a brand, look at this video by Katherine Gilligan. Her video isn’t promoting any specific product (or at least not one she’s disclosed); instead, it explains a web design concept her audience might find useful. The video breaks down several types of loading bars and explains which scenarios best suit each one. The reel strikes the perfect explainer balance: It’s friendly, concise, and gives viewers enough information to understand the differences without getting too technical. It’s also engaging, coupling an approachable, straight-to-camera narration style with professional-looking graphics and sound effects.
Ready to make a career out of explainer videos? Our UGC casting calls are a great place to start.
