An explainer video does one job better than almost any other asset: it takes something complex and makes a stranger understand it in under two minutes. That is why it has become a default first video for so many brands. The data backs it up, adding an explainer to the top of a landing page can lift conversions by around 80 percent. This guide covers explainer video production end to end: what an explainer is, the five types and when to use each, why they convert, what they cost, and the exact process to make one.
An explainer video is a short, focused video, usually 45 seconds to two minutes, that explains what you do, the problem you solve, and why it matters. It is built around clarity rather than spectacle: one core message, a clear structure, and a single call to action. Explainers live on homepages, product pages, in ads, and in sales conversations, and they are often the first thing a prospect watches before deciding whether to keep paying attention.
Animated explainer. Best for abstract or complex products you cannot easily film, like software, finance, or a new process. Animation lets you visualize ideas that have no physical form.
Live-action explainer. Best for services and brands that sell on human trust. Real people, real faces, and a real environment build credibility that animation cannot.
Product or screen demo. Best for SaaS and software, where showing the actual interface is the most honest and persuasive way to explain the value.
Whiteboard or motion graphics. Best for education, process, and data-heavy stories, where a guided visual walkthrough makes a sequence or a set of numbers easy to follow.
Hybrid explainer. Best for combining brand emotion with product detail, pairing live-action storytelling with animated or graphic sequences to get the best of both.
Explainers convert because they reduce the effort it takes to understand you. Pages with video convert at meaningfully higher rates than text-only pages, and an explainer specifically can lift landing-page conversion by around 80 percent. Almost 90 percent of visitors stay longer on a page with video, which gives your message more time to land. And because an explainer delivers your value proposition in one clear pass, it removes the friction that makes prospects bounce before they understand the offer.
Explainer video pricing depends on type and complexity. A high-end animated explainer typically runs $5,000 to $17,500, while a live-action explainer falls in a similar mid range depending on crew, locations, and talent. Animation costs more per second because every frame is built by hand, while live-action cost scales with shoot days and production values. The single biggest way to lower your effective cost is to capture an explainer as part of a larger production rather than a one-off. For the full breakdown of what drives price, see our guide to corporate video production cost.
Strong explainers follow a repeatable process. First, define the single message and the one action you want the viewer to take. Second, write a tight script, usually 150 to 300 words, that states the problem, presents the solution, and ends with a clear call to action. Third, storyboard the visuals so every line has a purpose on screen. Fourth, produce it, filming or animating to the storyboard with professional audio, because poor sound undermines an otherwise good explainer. Fifth, optimize the finished video for search with a transcript, a custom thumbnail, and schema so it works as a marketing asset, not just a file. For more on choosing formats, see our guide to the types of corporate video.
The difference between an explainer that converts and one that confuses is usually strategy, not budget. A good partner starts with your audience and your one message, then builds the script and visuals around it. As a full-service video production company, INDIRAP produces explainers that are engineered to convert and optimized to be found. And because most brands need more than one video, an explainer is often the anchor of a larger library built through our Content Kit.
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An explainer video is a short video, usually 45 seconds to two minutes, that explains what a company does, the problem it solves, and why it matters. It is built around one clear message and a single call to action, and it commonly lives on homepages, product pages, and in ads.
A professionally produced explainer typically runs $5,000 to $17,500 depending on whether it is animated or live-action and how complex the creative is. Animation costs more per second because each frame is built by hand, and capturing the explainer as part of a larger shoot lowers the effective cost.
The five main types are animated, live-action, product or screen demo, whiteboard or motion graphics, and hybrid. The right choice depends on your product: animation suits abstract ideas, live-action suits trust-based services, and screen demos suit software.
The most effective explainers run 45 seconds to two minutes. Viewer drop-off rises sharply past the two-minute mark, so the goal is to deliver one clear message and a single call to action before then.
Yes. Adding an explainer to a landing page can lift conversions by around 80 percent, and pages with video convert at meaningfully higher rates than text-only pages because the video makes the offer faster and easier to understand.
This is part of INDIRAP's video marketing and SEO guide series.
Julian Tillotson is the Founder & CEO of INDIRAP, a full-service video production and creative strategy agency based in Chicago, IL. With 10+ years of experience, INDIRAP has delivered 20,000+ videos to 900+ clients across 40+ industries, making it one of North America's leading digital creative agencies.
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