Animated Explainer Videos: What They Are & How They Work

James Crawford

Published September 17, 20269 min readUpdated September 17, 2026

You run a small business, and you keep hearing you need an animated explainer video for your website. Nobody has actually explained what one is, how it gets made, or what it should cost.

You want plain answers, not marketing talk. This article walks you through exactly that, in words a busy plumber, dentist, or shop owner can read in five minutes.

An animated explainer video is a short, cartoon-style video, usually 30 to 90 seconds long, that uses drawn art, a voiceover, and background music to show how your business solves a problem. It replaces a camera crew with an artist and a script. Most small businesses put one on their homepage or run it in online ads.

Small business owner watching an animated explainer video being made from script to animation

What Is an Animated Explainer Video, Exactly?

An animated explainer video is a short video made with drawings, shapes, or graphics instead of live-action footage, built to explain what your business does in under two minutes. Think of it like a moving comic strip with a voice guiding you through it.

Every explainer video breaks into three parts. A script is the words someone speaks, the art and animation are the pictures that move on screen, and a voiceover is the recorded voice that reads the script out loud. Music usually plays quietly underneath to keep the mood upbeat.

Explainer videos are also the most common type of video marketers make. Among marketers surveyed, 73% had produced one, according to Levitate Media's video conversion research. If you have not made one yet, most of your competitors already have.

Need an explainer video? Get a 30-second explainer for $297 → We write the script, record the voiceover and animate it, delivered in 7 days.

How Does an Explainer Video Get Made?

An explainer video gets made in five steps: write the script, sketch the storyboard, record the voiceover, animate the scenes, then review and receive the final file. The whole process usually takes about a week with a fixed-price service, or several weeks with a traditional agency.

Step 1: Write the Script

The script is the words that will be spoken in your video, and it comes first because everything else is built around it. A good explainer script has four parts: a hook, a problem, a solution, and a call to action, a pattern outlined by Biteable's script template guide. Your job at this stage is usually just to answer a few questions about your business and approve the draft.

Step 2: Sketch the Storyboard

A storyboard is a rough sketch of each scene in your video, drawn like a comic strip before any animation happens. This lets you catch problems early, before an artist spends hours animating the wrong idea. You approve the storyboard, or ask for small changes, before animation starts.

Step 3: Record the Voiceover

The voiceover is the narrator's voice you hear reading the script out loud. A voice actor records the final script, usually in a style you pick, like friendly, professional, or upbeat. You listen and approve the recording, or ask for a different tone if it does not match your brand.

Step 4: Animate the Video

Animation is the process of adding movement, color, and timing to the storyboard so the whole thing plays like a finished video. The voiceover and music get layered in during this step too. This part takes the longest, but you do not need to do anything except wait.

Step 5: Review and Get Your Final File

Once animation is done, you watch the full video and ask for any changes before it's locked in. Most packages include a set number of revision rounds, so you are not stuck with the first draft. After you approve it, you get the final file to use on your website, in ads, or in emails.

What Should the Script Actually Say?

Your script should follow a simple four-part order: hook, problem, solution, then call to action, so the viewer knows exactly what to do by the end. This order works no matter what your business does.

Here's roughly how much time each part should take up. A common split is problem 30%, solution 40%, proof 20%, action 10%, according to Content Beta's script writing guide. In a 60-second video, that means about 18 seconds on the problem, 24 seconds on the solution, 12 seconds proving it works, and 6 seconds telling people what to do next.

As for length, plan on about 150 spoken words per minute of finished video, meaning a 60-second script runs about 140 to 160 words, based on Breadnbeyond's breakdown of script pacing. That is shorter than most people expect. A script that long fits on half a page.

Example: A 60-Second Script for a Plumbing Business

Here's what a real 60-second script looks like when you follow the hook, problem, solution, call-to-action pattern. Read it once through, then look at how each line does a specific job.

"Nobody plans for a burst pipe at 2 a.m." (This is the hook. It grabs attention with something the viewer already worries about.)

"Most plumbers make you wait days for a callback, while water damage gets worse by the hour." (This is the problem. It names the pain in one sentence.)

"RapidFlow Plumbing answers calls in under 10 minutes, day or night, and we show up with the parts already in the truck." (This is the solution. It shows exactly how you fix the problem.)

"We've fixed over 4,000 emergencies across the city without a single missed appointment." (This is the proof. A specific number builds trust fast.)

"Call RapidFlow now, and we'll be at your door before the damage spreads." (This is the call to action. It tells the viewer exactly what to do next.)

Notice the proof line takes up its 20% slice, matching the split mentioned above. Swap "burst pipe" for "toothache," "gym membership," or "tax deadline," and this same five-line pattern works for a dentist, a gym, or an accountant.

DIY vs Agency vs Fixed-Price Package: What Should You Pick?

The right choice depends mostly on your budget and how much control you want over the process. Here's how the three main options stack up.

Option	Typical Price	Typical Time	Best For
DIY tool	$99+	Days, plus your own hours	Hands-on owners who enjoy learning software
Traditional agency	$5,000-$10,000+	Several weeks	Big brands with large marketing budgets
Fixed-price package	$297 or $497	7 days	Small businesses that want speed and a known price

DIY tools start around $99 but require you to write, design, and edit everything yourself, and custom work for enterprise brand films can run past $50,000, according to Yum Yum Videos' cost breakdown. A traditional North American studio typically charges $5,000 to $10,000 for a 60-second custom explainer, with 3D or character animation pushing costs even higher, based on Vidico's 2026 pricing research.

A fixed-price package sits in the middle: a real company does the script, voiceover, and animation for you, at a set price instead of a quote that depends on how a sales call goes. Our own packages include the script, a human voiceover, and full animation, delivered in 7 days with 3 rounds of revisions and a money-back guarantee. Custom and premium videos start at $1,299 and get planned on a free 30-minute call, with a fixed quote back to you in 24 hours.

Which Animation Style Fits My Business?

Most small businesses do fine with 2D motion graphics, the all-round style that works for almost any animated explainer video. But there are two other common styles worth knowing about.

Whiteboard animation is a style that shows a hand drawing on a plain white background, and it works especially well for step-by-step teaching, like a lawyer walking clients through a legal process. 2D motion graphics is a style that uses flat shapes, icons, and characters that move smoothly, suiting almost anything, from a med spa explaining a new treatment to a SaaS founder showing off a dashboard. Live action is a style that mixes in real filmed footage, like a gym owner talking to camera between animated graphics, adding a real face when trust matters most. This lines up with how Pexo categorizes explainer video styles: whiteboard as the budget-friendly workhorse, 2D as the all-rounder, and live action for adding a real product or person.

If you are not sure which style fits, default to 2D motion graphics. It's the safest, most flexible choice for a first video.

Want something bigger? Book a free 30-minute video call → We plan your custom video with you and send a fixed quote within 24 hours.

Can I Use One Video for Ads and My Website?

Yes, you can get one script written and turned into two edits: a shorter version for ads and a longer version for your website. You do not need to pay for two completely separate videos.

Different lengths suit different jobs. Shorter cuts of 30-45 seconds suit awareness campaigns and ads, where people scroll fast and you have only a few seconds to earn attention, while 60-90 seconds suits website and sales use, where a visitor already wants more detail, according to Yum Yum Videos' research on explainer video length.

A practical approach: get the 60-second version made for your homepage, then trim it down to a punchy 15-30 second cut for Facebook or Instagram ads. Same footage, same voice, same brand, just a tighter edit for the platform where attention spans are shorter.

Ready to Get Your Video Made?

If you know roughly what you want, the fastest path is a fixed-price package: $297 for 30 seconds or $497 for 60 seconds, both one-time payments that include the script, a human voiceover, full animation, delivery in 7 days, 3 rounds of revisions, and a money-back guarantee. If your business needs something more custom, like 3D animation or a longer sales video, custom and premium videos start at $1,299 and get planned on a free 30-minute call, with a fixed quote back to you within 24 hours.

We've made 14,000+ videos for 13,500+ businesses since 2013, across plumbing, dental, legal, fitness, and dozens of other small-business industries. Whichever path fits your budget, the next step is simple: pick a package or book the call.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should my explainer video be?

Most explainer videos run 60 to 90 seconds, which works out to roughly 150 to 225 words of voiceover, according to Knowlify's explainer video guide. For ads, go shorter, around 30-45 seconds, since attention spans are tighter on social media.

How many words should be in the script?

Plan on about 150 spoken words per minute of finished video, so a 30-second script runs about 70-80 words and a 60-second script runs about 140-160 words. Writing more than that usually means your voiceover will sound rushed.

Do explainer videos actually work for small businesses?

Video marketing gets strong results industry-wide: 82% of video marketers report a positive return on video, according to Levitate Media's summary of Wyzowl's survey data. Explainer videos are also the single most common video type marketers make, which suggests most businesses find them worth repeating.

How fast can I get an explainer video made?

With a fixed-price package, you can get a finished 30 or 60-second explainer video in 7 days, including script, voiceover, and animation. A traditional agency working on a custom quote usually takes several weeks instead.

How much does an animated explainer video cost?

Prices vary widely by option: DIY tools start around $99, traditional agencies charge $5,000 to $10,000 for a custom 60-second video, and enterprise brand films can run $50,000 or more. Fixed-price packages offer a set cost up front, with no surprise invoice after the work is done.

What happens if I don't like the finished video?

Fixed-price packages typically include several rounds of revisions, so you can ask for changes to the script, voice, or animation before it's finished. Ours also comes with a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

The Short Version

An animated explainer video is a short, drawn-style video that walks a viewer through your problem and your solution in under two minutes. It gets made in five steps: script, storyboard, voiceover, animation, and final review, and a good script always follows the hook, problem, solution, call-to-action pattern. Your goal is simple: get a clear, professional video on your website or in your ads without guessing at price or waiting weeks for a quote.

Ready to get your own video made? Order a 30-second explainer for $297 and have it in 7 days, or book a free call if you want a custom video from $1,299.

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