What Is an Explainer Video? Structure, Length and Examples
What is an explainer video? Learn the six-part structure, ideal length by use, popular styles, honest cost ranges, and a sample 60-second script outline.
An explainer video is a short video that explains one thing clearly: what a product does, how a service works, why a problem matters or how to do something. It usually combines a voiceover with animated illustrations, motion graphics or simple footage, and it usually runs between one and two minutes.
The name says it. The job is explaining, not entertaining or impressing. A good explainer leaves the viewer thinking “oh, that’s what it is” and knowing what to do next.
Small businesses use them on homepages, in ads, in sales emails, on product pages and for customer onboarding. Educators and coaches use them to teach a single concept. Creators use them as the backbone of faceless channels.
What is the structure of an explainer video?
Nearly every effective explainer follows the same six-part shape. You can stretch or shrink each part, but skipping one usually leaves a gap the viewer feels.
- Hook. One line that earns the next ten seconds. A question, a surprising fact or a familiar frustration.
- Problem. Describe the situation the viewer is in, in their words. The more specific, the better.
- Solution. Introduce your product, service or idea as the answer. Keep it to one sentence at first.
- How it works. Walk through three steps or three features, no more. This is the longest section.
- Proof. Show why the viewer should believe you: a real result, a customer quote you have permission to use, a demo, a guarantee or a credential.
- Call to action. Tell them exactly what to do next. One action, not three.
If you want ideas for that first line, our list of hook formulas that stop the scroll covers ten patterns with examples.
How long should an explainer video be?
Shorter is usually better, but not so short that you skip the “how it works” part. Here’s a practical guide by use:
| Where it lives | Recommended length | Approximate words at 2.5 words/s |
|---|---|---|
| Social ad or short | 30–45 s | 75–110 |
| Homepage or landing page | 60–90 s | 150–225 |
| Product page or feature tour | 60–120 s | 150–300 |
| Sales email or pitch | 45–90 s | 110–225 |
| Onboarding or training | 2–3 min | 300–450 |
| Concept lesson for students | 2–5 min | 300–750 |
The word count matters more than people expect. Most first-draft scripts are too long. If your script runs past the word budget, cut features before you speed up the read. A rushed voiceover is harder to follow than a short one.
What styles of explainer video are there?
The style should fit your brand and your audience, but it also affects cost and turnaround. These are the most common:
- Whiteboard. A hand draws simple sketches on a white background as the narrator talks. Friendly, clear and great for step-by-step processes.
- Motion graphics. Shapes, icons, charts and kinetic typography. Clean and modern, well suited to software, data and finance.
- Illustrated. Full scenes with characters and settings, often with parallax depth and camera moves. Warmer and more story-driven.
- Line art. Minimal drawings that etch or draw themselves on screen. Elegant and calm, good for wellness, education and premium brands.
- Live action. Real people and real footage. Best when trust depends on seeing your actual team, location or product in hand.
- Screen recording. A walkthrough of software with callouts. Essential for app tutorials, though it often pairs well with an animated intro.
Etchly’s illustration styles cover several of these looks, including Whiteboard Sketch, Editorial Motion Graphics, Fine Line Draw-On, Etched Engraving and Watercolor Chronicle, along with cinematic modes that use camera moves and talking characters.
How much does an explainer video cost?
Prices vary widely by region, style, length and revisions, so treat these as commonly quoted ranges, not quotes.
| Option | Typical cost for ~60 s | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animation agency | Often $5,000–$20,000+ | 4–10 weeks | Flagship brand videos with custom characters and strategy work |
| Freelance animator | Often $500–$5,000 | 1–4 weeks | A single polished video when you can manage the brief yourself |
| DIY template tools | $0–$50/month plus your time | Days | Simple motion graphics if you’re comfortable editing |
| AI explainer tools | A few dollars per video plus a subscription | Minutes to hours | Frequent videos, testing ideas, social content on a budget |
Agencies earn their price when you need strategy, original character design and many rounds of feedback. Freelancers are a strong middle ground. AI tools make sense when you need volume or want to test several versions before committing money to one.
On the AI side, there are two very different approaches. Full generative video models bill per second of footage and often need several rerolls to get a usable clip, which adds up quickly for a full minute. We cover the math in our AI video cost breakdown. Etchly takes a different route: it writes the script, records an AI voiceover, generates a small set of still illustrations and animates them with its own motion engine. A 60-second video with 16 new illustrations is about 25 credits from idea to MP4, roughly $4–6 depending on your plan. Generative video is still the better choice for photoreal live-action motion. For illustrated explainers, stills plus motion get you very close for far less.
A sample 60-second explainer script outline
Here’s a template for a 60-second explainer at about 2.5 words per second, which comes to roughly 150 words. The example is a neighborhood bakery launching online preorders.
| Section | Time | Words | Example line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 0–5 s | ~12 | “Ever shown up for our cinnamon rolls and found the tray empty?” |
| Problem | 5–15 s | ~25 | “Our best bakes sell out early. If you work mornings or have kids to drop off, you miss them, and we hate that.” |
| Solution | 15–25 s | ~25 | “So now you can preorder online. Pick your bake, choose a pickup time, and we’ll set it aside with your name on it.” |
| How it works | 25–45 s | ~50 | Three steps: browse tonight’s menu, reserve by 9 p.m., pick up warm the next day. One visual per step. |
| Proof | 45–53 s | ~20 | A real detail you can stand behind, such as “Everything is still baked here, every morning, starting at 4 a.m.” |
| Call to action | 53–60 s | ~18 | “Tap the link, reserve tomorrow’s rolls, and skip the disappointment. See you at pickup.” |
A few notes on using this template:
- Keep proof honest. Use real reviews you have permission to quote, real numbers you can verify, or a concrete fact about how you work. Never invent testimonials.
- One visual per idea. Each sentence in the script should map to one illustration or motion moment. If a sentence needs two visuals, it probably contains two ideas.
- Read it aloud with a timer. If you can’t say it comfortably in 60 seconds, cut words rather than talking faster.
If you’d like the script drafted for you, the AI script writer can take a one-line idea, pick a structure such as problem-agitate-solve or how-to steps, and pace the words to the voice you choose.
Where should you use your explainer video?
Once it’s made, put it to work in more than one place:
- At the top of your homepage or main landing page
- Pinned on your social profiles, recut as a vertical short
- In the first email new customers receive
- On product or service pages, next to the buy button
- In ads, trimmed to the hook, solution and call to action
More ideas for local shops and service businesses are in our small business marketing guide.
Make your first explainer
An explainer video doesn’t need a big budget. It needs a clear problem, a simple answer and a script that respects the viewer’s time. Write the outline above for your own business, then decide whether to hire it out or build it yourself. If you want to try the AI route, Etchly gives you 10 free credits at signup, no card required, so you can see how it handles your script before choosing a plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an explainer video be?
Most explainer videos work best between 60 and 90 seconds. Social versions can be 30 to 45 seconds, while onboarding or training explainers can run two to three minutes if every section earns its place.
How many words is a 60-second explainer script?
At a natural speaking pace of about 2.5 words per second, a 60-second script is roughly 150 words. A calmer read lands closer to 130 words; a fast, energetic read can fit about 175.
Do explainer videos need a voiceover?
Not strictly, but most do. A voiceover carries the story while visuals illustrate it. If you skip narration, rely on clear on-screen text and captions, since many viewers watch with sound off.
