How to Create an Explainer Video: 7 Steps That Work

James Crawford

Published September 17, 202610 min readUpdated September 17, 2026

You know the feeling. You have a great business, but every time you try to explain what you do, people's eyes glaze over. A website full of text is not cutting it.

You need something people will actually watch, and you need it before your next big push, not next quarter. This guide shows you how to create an explainer video, from the first idea to a finished file you can post today.

An explainer video is a short video, usually under 90 seconds, that shows what your business does and why someone should care. You will get a step-by-step plan, a copy-ready script, a cost table, and an honest answer on whether to do it yourself or hire it out.

Here's the quick version: pick one goal and one viewer, choose a length between 30 and 90 seconds, write a script with a hook, problem, solution, and call to action, record a real voiceover, choose an animation style, animate it, then review and publish. Most small businesses finish this process in about a week.

Small business owner planning an explainer video storyboard next to a laptop

How Do I Create an Explainer Video Step by Step?

You create an explainer video by moving through seven steps in order: define your goal, pick a length, write the script, record the voiceover, choose a style, animate it, then review and publish. Most people get stuck somewhere between the script and the animation, because that's where a clear idea has to turn into words and pictures that actually match.

Step 1: Nail Down Your One Goal and Your One Viewer

Before you write a single word, decide what this video needs to do and who it's for. A video trying to explain everything to everyone usually explains nothing to anyone. Pick one job (get a call, book a demo, explain a service) and one type of viewer (a homeowner with a leaky pipe, a nervous new patient).

Step 2: Pick Your Length (30, 60, or 90 Seconds)

Most explainer videos run 60 to 90 seconds, which comes out to roughly 150 to 225 words of spoken script (Knowlify). Shorter videos of 30-45 seconds work well for ads and awareness, while 60-90 second videos work better on a website or in a sales call, because people there are already paying closer attention (Yum Yum Videos).

Step 3: Write Your Script Using the Hook-Problem-Solution-Action Formula

A simple explainer script has four parts: a hook, a problem, a solution, and a call to action (Biteable). We'll break this down in full in the next section, since it's the part most people rewrite three or four times before it feels right.

Step 4: Get a Real, Human Voiceover Recorded

Your script needs a real person reading it, not a robotic text-to-speech voice, if you want people to trust what they're hearing. A voiceover is the narration track that plays under your video. This is one of those steps that's easy to underestimate, since a flat or rushed reading can undo a great script.

Step 5: Choose Your Animation Style

Your animation style should match how you explain things in real life, not just what looks trendy. We cover the three main styles and who each one fits in the section below.

Step 6: Animate the Video and Sync It to the Voiceover

Animating means turning your script and voiceover into moving visuals that land on the right words at the right time. This step takes the most technical skill of the seven, since timing, pacing, and visual clarity all have to work together.

Step 7: Review, Revise, and Publish Where Your Customers Will See It

Watch the finished video with fresh eyes (or better, someone else's eyes) before you publish it anywhere. Check that the phone number is right, the offer is current, and the video plays well on a phone screen, since that's where most people will see it first.

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.

Copy This 4-Part Script Formula (Hook, Problem, Solution, Action)

When you create an explainer video, a strong script has four parts: a hook that grabs attention, a problem your viewer feels, a solution (your business), and a clear call to action. Skipping the "problem" part is the single most common reason scripts fall flat, because without it your solution has nothing to solve.

One common breakdown splits a script into roughly Problem 30%, Solution 40%, Proof 20%, and Action 10% (Content Beta). Plan on about 150 spoken words per minute of finished video, so a 60-second script should land around 140-160 words (Breadnbeyond).

Here's what each part does, in plain terms:

Hook: one line that makes the viewer think "that's me." Example: "Tired of chasing your landscaper for a call back?"
Problem: name the pain so the viewer feels understood, not lectured. Example: "Missed appointments and no-shows cost you real money every week."
Solution: introduce your business as the fix, in plain words, not features and buzzwords. Example: "GreenPath Lawn Care shows up on time, every time, and texts you before we arrive."
Action: tell the viewer exactly what to do next, with no ambiguity. Example: "Call 555-0134 today for your free quote."

A Ready-to-Use Script Example for a Local Service Business

Here's a full 30-second script you can copy, paste, and adjust for your own landscaping or lawn care business. Swap in your business name, your service, and your phone number, and you're ready to hand this to a voiceover artist. At 150 spoken words per minute, this script runs close to 75 words, which fits a 30-second video comfortably (Breadnbeyond).

[HOOK] Is your lawn the neighbor everyone talks about, for the wrong reasons?

[PROBLEM] Between work, kids, and everything else, mowing and trimming keep slipping down your list. And when you do hire help, half the time they don't show up when they say they will.

[SOLUTION] GreenPath Lawn Care handles the mowing, edging, and cleanup, on a schedule you can count on. We text you the morning we're coming, so there are no surprises.

[ACTION] Ready for a lawn you don't have to think about? Call 555-0134 or visit GreenPathLawn.com for a free quote today.

That's the whole formula in action: a relatable hook, a felt problem, a plain-language fix, and a specific next step.

Which Video Style Fits the Way You Explain Things?

The right animation style depends on how you naturally explain your business to a customer standing in front of you, not on what looks impressive. There are three main styles worth knowing, and each one fits a different kind of explaining (Pexo).

Whiteboard animation is a style where a hand appears to draw simple black-and-white sketches as the voiceover talks. It's the budget-friendly workhorse for step-by-step teaching and professional services, so it fits a dentist walking through a procedure or an accountant explaining a tax process.

2D motion graphics uses flat, colorful illustrated characters and objects that move around the screen. It's the all-round style, which makes it a solid default for most small businesses, from a gym explaining membership tiers to a roofer showing how a repair works.

Live action uses real video of real people, either your team or actors, instead of drawings. It adds a real face or product to the message, which works well when trust in a person matters, like a chiropractor introducing themselves or a med spa showing an actual treatment room.

Style	Best For
Whiteboard	Step-by-step teaching, professional services
2D motion graphics	General use, most small businesses
Live action	Personal trust, showing a real product or space

What Should You Budget for an Explainer Video?

Explainer video costs range from about $99 for DIY software up to $50,000 or more for enterprise brand films, with most small-business options falling well below that top end (Yum Yum Videos). Here's how the main options stack up on price, turnaround, and who they fit.

Option	Typical Price	Turnaround	Best For
DIY software	From about $99	Days to weeks (your own time)	Very tight budgets, comfortable with software
Done-for-you 30 or 60 second package	$297 or $497 one-time	7 days	Most small businesses wanting speed and a fixed price
Custom studio	$5,000-$10,000+	Several weeks	Bigger brand campaigns, specific creative needs
Premium/3D or character work	$10,000+	Several weeks to months	Enterprise brand films, complex 3D visuals

A 60-second custom animated explainer from a North American studio typically costs $5,000 to $10,000, with premium 3D or character work priced above that (Vidico). Our own done-for-you packages follow the same pattern shown above: a fixed price, a real human voiceover, full animation, delivery in 7 days, and 3 revision rounds with a money-back guarantee. For anything bigger or more custom, we offer a free 30-minute call and give you a fixed quote within 24 hours, with custom and premium videos starting from $1,299.

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.

Is It Worth Doing This Yourself, or Should You Hire It Out?

Doing it yourself is worth it if you're on a very tight budget and don't mind spending real hours learning new software, writing your own script, and fixing your own mistakes. If your time is worth $100 or more an hour in your business, hiring the work out is almost always the cheaper choice once you count what your own hours cost. Either way, when you create an explainer video, the real cost is measured in hours as much as dollars.

DIY explainer tools start around $99, which sounds cheap on paper (Yum Yum Videos). But that price doesn't include the hours you'll spend learning the tool, rewriting a script that doesn't sound quite right, recording (or re-recording) a voiceover, and fixing animation timing that never quite lines up. For most small-business owners, that adds up to many hours spread across two or three weekends, not one quiet afternoon.

Here's the honest trade: DIY costs you time and a learning curve, but a fixed price. Hiring it out costs a bit more money up front but gets you a professional result with a firm delivery date, and no software to fight with along the way. If you'd rather spend your weekend running your business than fighting with a timeline editor, hiring it out usually wins.

Why Do Some Explainer Video Stats Sound Too Good to Be True?

Explainer video stats sound too good to be true when an article repeats an old, unsourced number like "video increases conversions by 80%" without saying where that number came from or when it was measured. A lot of marketing content still recycles that same figure years after it first appeared, with no current source behind it.

What more recent, credible data actually shows is more modest but still solid. In Wyzowl's 2026 State of Video Marketing survey, 82% of video marketers report a positive return on their video investment (Levitate Media, citing Wyzowl). The same survey found explainer videos are the most common single type of video marketers make, with 73% having produced one, which tells you plenty of your competitors are already using this format.

If you see a specific claim like "this video type increases sales by X%" and there's no named source or survey attached, treat it as marketing copy, not a fact you can rely on. Stick to numbers you can trace back to an actual study.

Frequently asked questions

How many rounds of changes can I ask for on my script or video?

With our 30-second and 60-second explainer video packages, you get 3 revision rounds included in the price. That's usually enough to fine-tune the script, adjust the voiceover pacing, and tweak visual details before final delivery.

Can I write my own script and just have someone animate it?

Yes. If you already have a script you're happy with, you can skip straight to voiceover recording and animation, which can also shorten your total turnaround time.

What file formats will I get when the video is finished?

You'll typically receive your finished explainer video as a standard MP4 file, which plays on websites, social media, and most presentation software without any conversion needed. That means you can upload it almost anywhere as soon as it's delivered.

Do I need a storyboard before the animation starts?

A storyboard is a simple sequence of sketches showing what happens on screen at each point in the script, and yes, it's a normal step before full animation begins. It helps catch timing or clarity problems while they're still cheap and easy to fix.

How long does the whole process take from first draft to finished video?

For a done-for-you 30 or 60 second explainer video, the full process from first draft to finished file typically takes 7 days. DIY timelines vary much more, often stretching across several weekends depending on your comfort with the software.

The short version

Making an explainer video comes down to seven steps: know your goal and your viewer, pick a length, write a hook-problem-solution-action script, record a real voiceover, choose a style that matches how you explain things, animate it, then review and publish. The script is where most projects come together or fall apart, so give it the most attention.

From there, your budget decision is a time-versus-money trade. DIY tools start around $99 but cost you real hours, while a done-for-you package gets you a professional result on a fixed schedule.

Whatever route you pick, the goal is the same: to create an explainer video that explains what you do so well that a stranger understands it in under a minute.

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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