How To Make An Explainer Video

Strategic Advisor at Synthesia

Explainer videos are at the center of any good product marketing strategy.

They've been used to spin up Kickstarter empires, unpack complex B2B software, and even sell simple services such as food delivery.

This post will teach you how to make the explainer video possible, but also:

When to use the explainer video format
The 7-step video creation process
How to speed up video production using specific software

Let's dive in 👇

What is an explainer video?

Explainer videos are short-form videos that explain a product or service to potential customers. An explainer video can sometimes be called a 'how-to video,' but their meanings differ slightly based on context:

Explainer videos are typically promotional and explain the big picture of a product or service.
How-to videos are more educational and get into the details of completing a task.

Explainer videos are an essential marketing strategy for most companies and are mainly featured on relevant landing pages throughout the website. However, it is also common to feature explainer videos on social media, crowdfunding pages, and even at online/offline events and conferences.

Think of your explainer video as a quick overview of the product you're trying to sell. You can create it using one of the following visual styles:

Animated explainer video: A 2D or 3D animated explainer video, or even a whiteboard video, can create more memorable visuals and a more engaging experience.
Live-action explainer video: Showing a real actor or a talking head in a professionally filmed video can help create a stronger emotional connection with the audience.
Screencast explainer video: Sharing your screen while using a digital product is a great way to create an explainer in the product demo video category.

How to make an explainer video in 7 easy steps

When trying to understand how to create a great explainer video, the most powerful aspect to focus on is storytelling. Even a poorly filmed video with a great story can effectively sell your product or service. To get your storytelling skills started, it all starts with step 1, do your research.

Step 1: Do your research

Understanding who you're talking to, their pain points, and what they respond to can influence the style of your explainer video, messaging, and tone. This initial research should inform your choice between live-action videos, 2D/3D animated explainer videos, screencast or whiteboard video, etc.

To create an effective explainer video, it's also important to think about its purpose or goal. Here are some questions to help you define this:

What's the key message, feeling, or knowledge you want your audience to walk away with?
Will your video content focus on selling, educating, or inspiring?
What action do you want viewers to take after watching your video?

Did you know? 🤔

Marketers deal with a big data gap. Less than 50% of them know what their audience cares about, and only 31% know where their audience spends time online. Doing your research right means your video creation could get you ahead of half of your competitors.

Step 2: Choose a video type

Animated explainers, whether in 2D, 3D, or whiteboards, work best for more abstract ideas and intangible software or services. By contrast, live-action or talking-head explainer videos better connect with viewers and are more engaging.

Step 3: Write the script

An engaging script is just as important as the video visuals. Your video has to tell a compelling story to get the results you want from your audience.

Here's what you should include when writing your explainer video script to increase your chances of driving action:

Pinpoint a problem your audience is facing
Introduce your product/service as a solution/answer to it
Keep it fun with humor (if it fits your brand)
Feature a call to action

Step 4: Gather assets

You will need a different set of assets depending on your chosen explainer video type.

Screen recordings, recorded demonstrations of your products, animated shorts, images, stock footage, logos, and music should all be sourced at this stage.

Many video makers give you access to royalty-free images and audio, so check what your chosen software provides.

Keep all your assets organized in a dedicated folder, clearly labeled, and in an order that makes sense for your workflow. Sorting them in one place will make the production part much easier.

Step 5: Create or film the video

This is the time to put your planning into practice by creating your video with the tool of your choice.

If you're using Synthesia, here's what to do:

Choose a template that fits your video's theme.
Select your desired language, accent, and tone.
Paste your script.
Customize the video with your desired images, shapes, on-screen text, brand assets, etc.
You can add music tracks, sound effects, and other multimedia elements or use the built-in screen recorder to create a software walkthrough.
Give it a polished final look with animated elements.
Generate the explainer video.

The video below dives into the process in greater detail.

Step 6: Edit

This is the part where you make your idea truly come to life.

This step has largely been completed if you're using a video maker like Synthesia. All that's left to do is refine and revise your generated video. First, cut unnecessary information and add transitions if required. Then, if you haven't done so yet, add in your assets, like animations, sound effects, and music.

However, if you're filming a live-action video, editing is a more intensive process that requires editing software like Davinci Resolve. Check out this guide on video editing to understand the nitty-gritty involved in editing live-action footage.

Step 7: Promote the finished video

Now, it's time to show your audience the fruit of your labor.

You can add the video to your website's landing page, in a blog post explaining the product, in your newsletter, or on social media. You can even upload it on your YouTube channel or on any other video hosting platform.

The key is to pick a video platform or any other distribution channel where your audience is active. This way, you'll capture their attention and promote your content more effectively.

What makes a good explainer video?

Creating an impactful explainer video that captures attention and drives action is both an art and a science.

Over the years, explainer videos evolved from simple PowerPoint presentations in the '90s to the game-changing rustic animation by Dropbox in 2008, which famously gained 70,000 new users overnight, to the impressive video clips that crowd our feeds daily.

Industry experts have spent millions of hours researching what makes explainer videos truly engage and convert audiences. Below, you'll discover 9 characteristics that the best explainers seem to have in common. Keep them in mind whenever you're creating explainer videos.

1. One big problem is exposed from the start

The most compelling explainer videos begin by addressing a problem that deeply resonates with the target audience.

The PAS formula — Problem, Agitation, Solution — can effectively hook viewers. It taps into their immediate pains, making them more receptive to your solution.

2. A clear and concise script

A clear, concise, and persuasive script sets explainer videos for success.

3. Focus on benefits instead of features

All customers want is to see how you can improve their lives. That's why the best explainers focus on how a product or service changes the viewer's life.

4. Human faces

Human faces in videos and thumbnails have been proven to increase engagement and brand recall.

5. More visuals than narration

Videos are meant to show and make you feel things. They should do this even when you hit play without volume since up to 78% of viewers watch videos on mute.

6. Audience-optimized formatting

This formatting is more of a marketing nuance but is very important.

7. Optimal length

Keeping explainer videos under two minutes ensures they are concise enough to maintain viewer engagement without sacrificing key information.

8. Just-enough editing

Too much editing can make your finished video look overly polished and less smooth than you'd wanted. Less is more when it comes to editing; the best explainer videos have this raw, natural look.

9. Just the right music track

When people hit the play button, they should have an experience that stimulates all their senses. Whether you want to create animated videos, live-action explainer videos, or hand-drawn whiteboard explainer videos, the right music should perfectly complement the visuals and not override the narration.

Ready to create explainer videos?

We hope this guide has helped you understand the creative process of producing good explainer videos. Now it's time to take action and start making your own explainer video.