An explainer video is a short marketing or sales video that clearly explains a company’s product, service, or idea. It typically follows a simple structure: present a problem, show the solution, and make the case for choosing a specific brand. Most explainer videos run one to two minutes, and they are designed for landing pages, homepages, ads, and social feeds where viewers expect quick, clear information.

The format works because it does one job very well. Instead of asking a visitor to read through a long homepage or compare scattered product details, a business can place a short video at the top of the page that explains everything in under two minutes. For a startup or small business launching something new, that kind of clarity can be the difference between a visitor who understands the offer and one who moves on.

The Core Purpose of an Explainer Video

At its most basic level, an explainer video is a goal-driven video that uses visuals and narration to explain a product, service, process, or idea. It is not a brand commercial, a customer testimonial, or a cinematic ad. It exists to educate. The goal is to introduce a new product or company to potential customers and answer the questions they are most likely to have.

That is why explainer videos are often described as short and concise. They simplify complex ideas and present them in an entertaining way. Whether the subject is software, a physical product, a service, or an internal process, the video should make the message easy to absorb in a single viewing.

Where You Will See Explainer Videos

Explainer videos are built for the places where people make quick decisions. That is why they show up on landing pages, homepages, ads, and social feeds. Each placement has a different job, but the video itself stays short and focused.

Consider the homepage example that marketing teams often cite. A visitor researching a project management tool lands on two competing sites. The first site has a long homepage with walls of text. The second site has a two-minute explainer video at the very top that describes everything the software offers. The video wins because it gives the visitor the answer faster. The same logic applies to ads, where a short video must earn attention within seconds, and to social feeds, where users scroll quickly past anything that does not grab them immediately.

Why Your Business Needs an Explainer Video

Every business has a lot of useful information to share about its mission, prices, product details, and customer benefits. That information is often spread out across a website, making it difficult for a new visitor to absorb. An explainer video solves that problem by putting the most important facts into one clear, concise story.

Explainer videos are a proven way to convey product value quickly and powerfully. Brands have been using them for more than a decade because they work. A good explainer video can help a business engage any audience, communicate value in seconds, and stand out from competitors who rely on text-heavy pages.

For startups and small businesses, the benefit is even clearer. A new company does not have years of brand recognition to lean on. An explainer video gives it a way to introduce itself, explain what it does, and show why it matters, all within the time it takes to watch a short clip. That makes the format especially useful for companies that are still building their reputation.

Are Explainer Videos Always Animated?

Many people assume an explainer video has to be animated, but that is not strictly true. The definition is about purpose, not production style. An explainer video is simply a short video that explains a product, service, or idea clearly. It can be live action, animation, or a combination of both.

That said, animation is very common in this format. Many definitions describe explainer videos as short, often animated, and there is a good reason for that. Animation makes it easy to show abstract concepts, processes, and ideas that are difficult to film with a camera. An animated explainer video can also feel more entertaining and memorable, which helps the message stick.

The right production style depends on the audience and the message. A software company might use crisp motion graphics to show how its platform works. A service business might prefer live action with a friendly narrator. A product company might use animation to demonstrate something that exists only in digital form. All of these can work as explainer videos as long as they explain clearly and quickly.

A Brief History of the Explainer Video

Explainer videos have been around longer than many people realize. Common Craft published the first explainer on YouTube in 2007, and that moment is widely credited with starting the format. Since then, companies all over the world have made explainer videos a standard part of their marketing toolkit.

The timing made sense. Online video platforms were just starting to make sharing easy, and businesses were looking for ways to stand out in search results and social feeds. The explainer video filled that gap. A little over a decade later, the format is still going strong, which is a good sign for any business wondering whether it is worth the effort.

What Makes an Explainer Video Effective

Not every short video counts as a good explainer video. The best ones follow a proven structure. They start by presenting the problem the customer faces, then show how the product or service solves that problem, and finally make the case for choosing the brand behind the video.

Good explainer videos also answer key questions early. What does the product do? Who is it for? Why should the viewer care? The video should be concise, with visuals and narration that work together. If the visuals say one thing and the narrator says another, the message falls apart. If the video runs too long, viewers will not finish it. If it tries to explain too much, it stops being an explainer and becomes a lecture.

Tools like Canva’s explainer video maker have made the format more accessible. Businesses can spell out the details of their product or service and educate customers in an entertaining way without needing a full production crew. Still, the fundamentals matter more than the tool. A clear script, a focused message, and a logical structure will always beat fancy visuals that say nothing.

How to Get Started With an Explainer Video

Getting started with an explainer video does not require a big budget or a complicated setup. Begin by deciding what you want to explain. Is your goal to introduce a new product, describe a service, or walk through a process? The answer will shape the script and the visuals.

Next, keep the length in mind. If your video runs one to two minutes, you have enough time to cover the problem, the solution, and the reason to choose your brand. If you are aiming for a shorter format, such as 60 to 90 seconds, focus on the single most important message and let everything else go.

Finally, choose a production path that fits your team. An easy-to-use online maker is a great starting point for a simple video. A business with a more complex product or a stronger need for polish might work with a professional video production or design team. Either path can produce an effective explainer video if the message is clear and the video stays true to the format.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an explainer video be?

Most explainer videos run one to two minutes, and some are even shorter at 60 to 90 seconds. A few sources allow up to two or three minutes for more complex topics. The right length depends on how much you need to say, but shorter is almost always safer for keeping viewer attention.

Do explainer videos have to be animated?

No. An explainer video is defined by its purpose, not its production style. Many are animated, and animation is excellent for showing abstract ideas and processes, but live-action videos can work just as well. The important thing is that the video explains the product or service clearly and concisely.

Where should I place my explainer video?

Explainer videos are commonly placed on landing pages, homepages, ads, and social feeds. A homepage placement near the top gives visitors a fast overview before they read anything else. Landing pages and social ads use the same video to support a specific campaign or call to action.

Are explainer videos still effective today?

Yes. Explainer videos became popular a little over a decade ago, and companies around the world still use them as a standard part of marketing. They remain a proven way to communicate product value quickly and clearly, and they continue to appear across websites, ads, and social feeds.