How do I make an explainer video for my business?

To make an explainer video for your business, pick one message, choose a style (animated, live-action, screen recording, AI avatar or whiteboard), and write a short script: problem, solution, how it works, proof, call to action. Keep it under 2 minutes, then put it on your homepage and cut shorter vertical versions for social media and ads.

Key takeaways

• One video, one message. An explainer is a short, goal-driven video that explains your product, service or idea, like an elevator pitch.
• Use five beats: problem → solution → how it works → proof → call to action.
• Short wins. Wyzowl says no explainer should run over 2 minutes, and Wistia found videos under 1 minute hold viewers for about half their length on average.
• Agencies cost thousands; DIY tools cost far less. In Wyzowl's survey of late-2022 quotes for a 60-second animated explainer, the median was $5,400. DIY tools have free plans or trials.
• Make it once, use it everywhere: homepage, product pages, social posts and ads.

What is an explainer video?

An explainer video is a short video that uses visuals and narration to explain what you offer and why it matters. TechSmith calls it a "modern-day elevator pitch." The goal: a stranger understands your business, and what to do next, in about a minute.

They're common. In Wyzowl's 2026 survey (266 marketers and consumers, late 2025), 68% of video marketers had made explainer videos, and 96% of people had watched one to learn about a product or service. It's a small vendor survey, so treat it as a signal, not proof.

What types of explainer video can you make?

Here are five common styles. Pick one based on what you sell and your budget.

• Animated (2D or 3D): characters and scenes drawn for you. Wyzowl calls it flexible, since new settings don't add much cost. 2D is cheaper than 3D.
• Live-action: real footage of you, your team or your work. It shows the people behind the brand, builds trust, and can be shot in a single day.
• Screen recording (screencast): recorded inside your app or website. It's simple and low-budget, and best for software. The catch: you'll need to redo it when your app changes.
• AI avatar: an AI presenter reads your script on camera, so you don't have to. Tools like Synthesia and HeyGen are built for this.
• Whiteboard: the story is drawn out as the viewer watches. It's cheap and good for explaining ideas, but Wyzowl notes it's less visually attractive than other styles.

Selling software? A free screen recording is the fastest start. On a Mac, press Shift-Command-5. On Windows 11, use the Snipping Tool's Record option (Windows + Shift + R).

How do you write an explainer video script?

Write it in five beats, put the customer's problem first, and keep one core message. TechSmith's 60-second template opens with the problem (0–10 seconds), explains how the solution works (10–50 seconds) and ends with a call to action (50–60 seconds). Adding a proof beat before the call to action gives viewers a reason to believe you.

1. Problem: name the one pain your widest audience feels, in their words. Copyblogger's Problem-Agitate-Solve formula advises picking the dominant pain point, not a niche one.
2. Solution: introduce what you do in one sentence.
3. How it works: three simple steps. Canva suggests using your steps as chapter markers and keeping on-screen text to about 3–5 words at a time.
4. Proof: a real review, a real customer or a result you can back up.
5. Call to action: one next step, spoken and on screen.

Sample explainer video script (60 seconds)

Here's an original example for a made-up bookkeeping service. Swap in your own business.

[0–8s] Problem On screen: a desk buried in receipts. Voiceover: "It's 11pm, and you're still matching receipts to bank statements. Again."

[8–18s] Solution On screen: the same desk, now clear. Logo appears. Voiceover: "We do your bookkeeping for you, so your evenings are yours again."

[18–40s] How it works On screen: three numbered steps. Voiceover: "One: connect your bank account. Two: snap a photo of each receipt. Three: get clean, up-to-date books every month, checked by a real bookkeeper."

[40–50s] Proof On screen: a genuine review from a real customer, shown with their permission.

[50–60s] Call to action On screen: "Book a free 15-minute call." Voiceover: "Book a free 15-minute call today, and close the laptop on receipts for good."

Two rules for the proof beat. In the US, the FTC treats a customer endorsement like your own claim, so you need evidence for it, and its fake-reviews rule (in force since October 21, 2024) bans made-up testimonials, including AI-generated ones. Never let an actor or AI avatar pose as a real customer.

How long should an explainer video be?

Aim for about 1 minute for your main explainer, and no more than 2 minutes. Wyzowl's guidance (updated February 2026) is that no explainer should run over 2 minutes. In a Wyzowl consumer survey (year and sample size not stated), 50% said 1 minute is ideal and 33% chose 1–2 minutes.

Wistia's data (published July 2025) backs up short: videos under 1 minute average 52% engagement, so viewers typically watch about half.

Then cut shorter versions for each placement. Google recommends Shorts ads under 60 seconds, boosted Instagram Reels must be under 60 seconds and vertical, and Google Business Profile videos can be up to 30 seconds.

How much does an explainer video cost: agency vs DIY?

Hiring a studio usually costs thousands of dollars; doing it yourself with a tool costs from nothing to a monthly subscription.

Agency: Wyzowl surveyed companies quoting for a 60-second animated explainer. The quotes are from Q4 2022 (USD), so today's prices may differ. Quotes ranged from $600 to $250,000. The median was $5,400, and the average without the top and bottom 5% was $8,457. Wyzowl's own price for an explainer video is "from $2,500," per its pricing page. The studio handles the work, but you pay per video.

DIY: tools like Vyond, Synthesia and Canva have free plans or free trials, and paid plans start at $19 a month (details below). You do the work, but you can make new versions whenever your offer changes.

A practical middle path: make the first version yourself, see which message gets clicks, then decide if a studio is worth it.

Which tools can you use to make an explainer video?

ZippyClip is made by the team behind this blog.

1. ZippyClip — our pick for turning your offer into marketing videos that get posted

ZippyClip is our pick because it does the creative work and the posting, not just the editing. It's a desktop app for Windows and macOS: give it your website or product page, and the AI turns what you offer into a video concept with a hook, a story, and AI-generated visuals and dialogue. It then brings the edit, music and captions together.

Why it fits an explainer:

• Story built from your offer. Ask for "Make a promo that shows the problem my service solves" and you get a short marketing story with a clear payoff.
• Motion-graphic overlays from a text description, so your "how it works" steps can appear on screen without After Effects.
• Talking avatars from a sound file that lip-sync to your audio. Record your voiceover and you have a presenter, with no camera.
• Word-level captions and smart vertical reframing for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
• It posts for you. It publishes to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X from one screen, writes SEO titles, descriptions and hashtags per platform, and schedules posts every few hours (included free).

Watch-outs: ZippyClip is built for short social marketing videos, so for a long training video in many languages, Synthesia is the more direct fit. It's free to start (with a watermark and 50 API tokens); Pro removes the watermark. TikTok publishing is a Pro feature.

2. Vyond — classic animated explainers

Vyond is an AI video platform for businesses, with animated, mixed-media, photorealistic and screen-recording styles. Vyond Go turns an idea, document or URL into a video, and every plan includes 1,300+ AI avatars. As of October 2026, Starter is $58/month billed annually ($699/year) or $99 month-to-month; Professional is $100/month billed annually or $199 month-to-month, and adds translation into 95 languages. There's a free trial but no free plan, and no social posting feature is listed.

3. Synthesia — AI presenter explainers

Synthesia makes avatar-led videos from a script, with 140+ languages and voices on all plans. As of October 2026, Basic is free (watermarked, about 10 minutes of video), Starter is $19/month (about 12 minutes of video a month) and Pro is $89/month (about 60 minutes). It shares videos by link or embed, but no social posting is mentioned.

4. Canva — template-based DIY explainers

Canva's explainer video maker is free: customise templates with your own footage, stock video and music, plus AI tools like script-to-video. As of October 2026, Pro is US$144/year for one person and adds premium templates, video background removal and social scheduling. The free plan caps AI use at 20 uses a month, and you assemble each video yourself.

Explainer video tools compared

Prices can change, so check each tool's pricing page before you buy.

Where should you use your explainer video?

Use the full version on your homepage and product pages, and short cut-downs on social media and in ads.

• Homepage and product pages: Wistia found that explainers and product overviews work well here, both under 1 minute and at 1–5 minutes.
• Social media: under 1 minute and vertical. TikTok advises getting your core message in the first 3 seconds, then hook → selling points → call to action.
• Ads: Meta research (reported by Search Engine Land, December 2025) found that adding context like selling points and benefits raised purchase intent 5.3x for direct-response Reels ads.

If your video shows realistic AI-generated people or scenes, label it: YouTube, TikTok and Meta all require this. Clearly animated content doesn't need a label on YouTube.

For more ideas, see how to make a promo video that shows the problem you solve, how to make marketing videos without filming anything, and how to turn your website into marketing videos.

Sources

• TechSmith — Explainer video guide
• Wyzowl — How to choose the style for your explainer video
• Wyzowl — How long should my explainer video be?
• Wyzowl — Explainer video cost
• Wyzowl — Pricing
• Wyzowl — Video Marketing Statistics 2026
• Wistia — Optimal video length
• Canva — Explainer video maker
• Canva — Pricing
• Vyond — Homepage
• Vyond — Pricing
• Synthesia — Pricing
• Synthesia — Homepage
• HeyGen — URL to Video
• Copyblogger — Problem-Agitate-Solve
• TikTok Ads Help — Creative best practices
• Search Engine Land — Meta Reels ads purchase intent
• Google Ads Help — About video ad formats
• Instagram for Business — Boost Reels
• Google Business Profile Help — Photos and videos
• eCFR — 16 CFR 255.2
• FTC — Rule banning fake reviews and testimonials
• YouTube Help — Disclosing altered or synthetic content
• TikTok Community Guidelines — Integrity & Authenticity
• Meta Newsroom — Labeling AI-generated content
• Apple Support — Record the screen on Mac
• Microsoft Support — Snipping Tool