To create explainer videos that people actually watch, you start with one clear message, write a short script around it, plan your scenes with a simple storyboard, then produce, narrate, and edit the video before you publish it. That's the whole process in one sentence, and the rest of this guide walks through each part slowly enough for a complete beginner to follow.
Most people who want to make an explainer video get stuck at the same spot. They know roughly what they want to say, but they have no idea what order the work happens in or which decision matters most. So they open a tool, click around, and end up with something that feels off without knowing why. This guide fixes that by giving you the steps in the right sequence. You'll spend your time on the parts that actually decide whether the video lands.
What is an explainer video (and why it works)
An explainer video is a short video, usually somewhere between 30 and 120 seconds, that explains a product, service, or idea in plain language. It takes something that feels complicated and makes it simple enough to understand in one sitting. That's the entire job.
The reason explainer videos work comes down to structure, not fancy visuals. The strongest ones follow a simple flow that moves from problem to solution to proof, then points the viewer toward one clear next step. Your audience sees their own frustration on screen, watches you solve it, and gets a reason to believe you. When that sequence is tight, even a plain video does its work. When it's missing, no amount of polish saves it.
Types of explainer videos you can choose from
Before you write anything, you need to pick a format. The main types of explainer videos are animated, live-action, screencast, whiteboard, text-based, and AI-generated. Each one suits a different message and a different budget, so your choice here shapes everything that follows.
Here's a quick way to match the format to your need:
- Animated explainer video: Great for abstract ideas, software, or concepts that are hard to film. This is the most common choice for beginners because you don't need a camera or actors.
- Live-action: Real people on camera. Works well for services, testimonials, and anything where trust and a human face matter.
- Screencast: A recording of your screen. Perfect for apps, dashboards, and step-by-step software tutorials.
- Whiteboard: Looks like a hand drawing on a board. Good for teaching and breaking down a process.
- Text-based (kinetic typography): Moving words carry the message. Useful for short, punchy social clips where people watch on mute.
- AI-generated: Tools now let you turn a script into scenes without filming. If you want to build a scene-by-scene story from a prompt, an approach like AI storytelling video generation handles the structure for you.
As a beginner, pick the format that fits your message and the resources you actually have. If you're explaining software, screencast or animation usually wins. If you're selling a physical product, product-focused video makes more sense, and turning a photo or prompt into a clean AI product video keeps the setup light.
What to prepare before you hit record
Good explainer videos are decided before production starts. If you skip planning, you feel it later when the scenes don't connect and the message wanders. Sort out three things first.
Define your single core message. Write one or two sentences that capture the value you want the viewer to remember. Everything in the video should support that message, and anything that doesn't gets cut.
Know your audience and the one action you want them to take. A video for first-time buyers sounds different from one for existing users. Decide who you're talking to, then decide the single thing they should do after watching.
Set a realistic length and budget. Most beginners overreach and try to say too much. Keeping your video short and your scope narrow gives you a better result than an ambitious plan you can't finish.
How to create an explainer video, step by step
Here's the full process, in order. To create an explainer video, you move through seven steps: message, script, storyboard, production method, audio, editing, and export. Follow them in sequence and you won't get lost.
Step 1: Nail down one core message
Take the value proposition you drafted during planning and sharpen it into a single, plain statement. This becomes the spine of the whole video. If a scene doesn't push that message forward, it doesn't belong.
Step 2: Write a tight script (60 to 90 seconds)
Your explainer video script does most of the heavy lifting. Aim for 60 to 90 seconds of spoken content, which usually works out to around 150 words. Follow the Problem, Solution, Proof, CTA structure so the story moves with purpose.
The difference between a weak and a strong script is easy to see once you compare them:
- Weak: "Our platform offers a range of tools designed to help businesses optimize their workflows and improve productivity across teams."
- Strong: "You waste an hour a day switching between apps. TaskFlow puts everything in one screen, so that hour goes back to real work."
The strong version names a real problem, shows the fix, and speaks to one person. Once your script is locked, turning that written script into finished video is far easier, and an ai-text-to-video approach can carry the script straight into scenes.
Step 3: Build a simple storyboard
An explainer video storyboard is a scene-by-scene plan that maps what the viewer sees against what the voiceover says. It doesn't need to be pretty. Rough boxes with a note per scene are enough for a beginner.
Break your script into scenes, then for each scene jot down the visual idea, the line of voiceover it covers, and any on-screen text. This locks your visuals to the script line by line, so nothing drifts during production. A 60-second video usually breaks into roughly 6 to 12 frames covering the hook, problem, solution, how-it-works, proof, and call to action.
Step 4: Choose your production method or tool
Now you decide how the video actually gets made, and this depends on the format you picked earlier. A screencast needs a screen recorder. A live-action shoot needs a camera, lighting, and sound. An animated explainer video needs either animation software or an AI tool that generates the scenes for you.
For beginners with no design background, AI generation removes the hardest part, which is building visuals from scratch. You describe or upload what you want, and the tool produces scenes you can review.
Step 5: Add voiceover, music, and sound
Audio carries more weight than most beginners expect. A clear voiceover, light background music, and simple sound cues make a plain video feel finished. A muddy or rushed voiceover makes even good visuals feel cheap.
Record your narration in a quiet space, speak at a natural pace, and match the tone to your audience. If you don't want to record yourself, AI voiceovers are a workable substitute. Keep music low so it supports the voice instead of fighting it.
Step 6: Edit, caption, and refine
Editing is where the pieces come together. Cut anything that slows the pace, tighten the gaps between scenes, and make sure the visuals line up with the words. Watch the whole thing back as if you were the viewer seeing it for the first time.
Add captions. A large share of people watch video on mute, especially on social feeds, so captions decide whether your message reaches them at all. Match the caption style to your brand and keep it readable.
Step 7: Export and publish for the right platform
Export in a format that fits where the video will live. MP4 is a safe default for almost everything. Choose the aspect ratio for the platform, such as 16:9 for YouTube and a website or 9:16 for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
Then publish where your audience already spends time. The same video can go on your landing page, in an email, and across social channels, sometimes with small tweaks for each spot.
Common beginner mistakes to avoid
Most first explainer videos fail for the same handful of reasons, and every one of them is avoidable. The biggest mistakes are making the explainer videos too long, burying the core message, opening with a weak hook, over-designing the visuals, skipping captions, and forgetting to tell the viewer what to do next.
Watch for these specifically:
- Too long: If you can't say it in 90 seconds, your message isn't sharp enough yet.
- No clear message: A video that tries to say five things says nothing. Pick one.
- A weak hook: You have about ten seconds before people scroll. Open with the problem, not your logo.
- Over-designed visuals: Fancy motion doesn't fix an unclear script. Story first, polish second.
- No captions: Mute is the default on most feeds. No captions means no message.
- No next step: If the viewer finishes and doesn't know what to do, the video didn't do its job.
How to keep your explainer clear and consistent
Consistency is what separates a video that feels professional from one that feels stitched together. The fix is to keep your visuals tied to the script and your look tied to your brand across every scene.
Match visuals to the script line by line, using the storyboard you already built. When a scene shows exactly what the voiceover is describing, the viewer follows without effort. When they drift apart, the video feels confusing even if each part looks fine on its own.
Keep characters, product, and brand elements steady from scene to scene. The same person, the same product view, the same logo, and the same color feel make separate clips read as one story. This is one of the harder parts of AI video specifically, since holding the same character across scenes takes deliberate effort, so it's worth checking before you export.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an explainer video be?
Most explainer videos run between 30 and 120 seconds, with 60 to 90 seconds being the sweet spot. Shorter forces clarity. If your message needs more time, tighten the script before you add length.
How much does it cost to make one as a beginner?
It ranges widely. A screencast or AI-generated video can cost almost nothing beyond a tool subscription, while a live-action or professionally animated video runs much higher. Beginners usually start cheap and upgrade once they see results.
Do I need to write a script first?
Yes. The script is the foundation of any explainer video, and you can't storyboard or produce properly without it. Write and lock your script before you touch visuals, because every later step depends on it.
Can I make an explainer video without any design skills?
You can. Screen recorders, template-based tools, and AI video generators handle the visual work for you. Your real job is the message and the script, which matter far more than design polish for a beginner.
What's the best type of explainer video for a product?
For physical products, a product-focused video that shows the item clearly tends to convert best. For software, a screencast or animation works better. Match the format to what the viewer needs to see.
Where to go from here
Your first explainer video creation probably won't be perfect, and that's completely fine. The skill isn't in getting the visuals flawless on attempt one. It's in knowing the order of the work, so you spend your energy on the message and the script instead of guessing at the tool.
Start with the one thing that decides everything else, which is your core message. Write it down in a sentence. Build a short script around it, sketch a rough storyboard, then pick the format that fits what you have. By your second or third video, the sequence will feel natural, and you'll direct the process instead of fighting it.