10 Factors That Define What Makes a Great Explainer Video

Understanding what makes a great explainer video begins with recognising that successful business communication is built on clarity rather than complexity. An effective explainer video transforms products, services and processes into engaging visual stories that are easy to understand, allowing businesses to educate audiences without overwhelming them. By combining thoughtful scriptwriting, purposeful visuals, professional audio and a logical narrative, explainer videos help organisations communicate information in a way that is memorable, credible and easy to act upon.

For South African businesses, explainer videos have become valuable assets across marketing, customer education, onboarding and internal communication. Whether introducing a new service, explaining a technical process or strengthening brand awareness, a well-planned video can simplify complex ideas while creating a more engaging experience for viewers.

1. A Clear Understanding of What an Explainer Video Is

An explainer video is a short, focused video created to explain a product, service, idea or process in a way that is simple, engaging and easy to follow. It usually combines scriptwriting, visuals, narration, music and storytelling to guide viewers from a problem to a solution. Instead of trying to say everything, it concentrates on the most important message and presents it in a format that feels natural to watch.

There are several types of explainer videos, including animated videos, live-action videos, motion graphics, whiteboard videos and hybrid formats. Animation is useful for abstract or technical topics, while live action can add a personal, human element. Motion graphics work well for data, systems and processes, while whiteboard videos suit educational explanations. Choosing the right format is part of what makes a great explainer video because the style must support the message rather than distract from it.

2. What Makes a Great Explainer Video Valuable for Businesses

Explainer videos have become an important business communication tool because they allow organisations to educate audiences quickly while presenting information in a format that is both engaging and memorable. Marketing professionals consistently highlight that customers are far more likely to trust a business when they clearly understand what it offers, how it solves a problem and why it is different. An effective explainer video removes uncertainty by presenting information logically, allowing viewers to make informed decisions without feeling overwhelmed.

This value extends far beyond marketing alone. Businesses use explainer videos throughout the customer journey, from attracting new enquiries to onboarding clients and supporting existing customers with educational content. For organisations operating in competitive South African industries, this ability to communicate clearly helps establish credibility while reducing misunderstandings that can slow down purchasing decisions. This demonstrates what makes a great explainer video because its greatest strength lies in helping people understand rather than simply promoting a product or service.

Benefits of a professionally produced explainer video include:

• Improving audience engagement.
• Strengthening brand awareness.
• Making products and services easier to understand.
• Building trust through clear communication.
• Supporting sales conversations.
• Reducing customer confusion.
• Improving onboarding and training.
• Creating versatile marketing content for multiple platforms.

These advantages often continue long after the video has been published because one professionally produced explainer video can be reused across websites, presentations, email campaigns, sales meetings and social media. Rather than creating separate explanations for every audience, businesses can rely on one carefully developed piece of content that communicates consistently wherever it is shared.

Another important benefit is that explainer videos encourage consistency throughout an organisation. Sales teams, customer support staff and marketing departments can all communicate the same message using a single visual resource. This improves customer experience while ensuring the business presents itself professionally at every stage of the buyer journey.

3. Scriptwriting as the Foundation of the Video

The script is the foundation of every effective explainer video because it controls the message, tone, structure and pace. Before any visuals are created, the business needs to understand who the video is speaking to, what the audience already knows and what they need to understand by the end. Strong scripts avoid unnecessary detail and focus on a single clear message that supports the video’s objective.

Good scriptwriting also depends on plain language. Viewers should not feel as if they are listening to a technical document being read aloud. A conversational tone makes the message easier to follow, while a logical structure helps move the viewer naturally from the problem to the solution. In many ways, what makes a great explainer video starts with a script that respects the viewer’s time and makes the message feel effortless.

4. What Makes a Great Explainer Video Start Strong

The opening seconds of an explainer video are critical because viewers quickly decide whether the content is worth their attention. A strong opening hook can introduce a relatable problem, ask a practical question or present a familiar situation that immediately makes the viewer feel understood. This creates relevance from the beginning and encourages the audience to continue watching.

A weak introduction often spends too much time talking about the business before addressing the viewer’s needs. A stronger approach begins with the audience’s challenge and then transitions naturally towards the solution. Professional producers and communication specialists generally agree that relevance should come first because what makes a great explainer video is not simply how polished it appears, but how effectively it captures attention from the very beginning.

5. A Simple and Focused Message

One of the defining characteristics of successful explainer videos is their ability to communicate a single idea exceptionally well. Businesses often feel tempted to include every feature, every service and every benefit within one production, but this usually creates confusion instead of clarity. A focused message allows viewers to absorb information more naturally and remember the core takeaway long after the video has ended.

Keeping the content focused also improves storytelling because every scene, sentence and visual supports the same objective. Rather than competing for attention, each element works together to reinforce the central message. This is another reason what makes a great explainer video is closely linked to simplicity, because audiences rarely remember everything they hear, but they almost always remember one clear and meaningful idea.

Ways to keep an explainer video simple and focused include:

• Communicate one primary message.
• Use clear, conversational language.
• Avoid unnecessary industry jargon.
• Prioritise benefits before technical features.
• Remove information that does not support the objective.
• Keep visuals aligned with the narration.
• Reinforce the main takeaway throughout the video.

A focused approach also makes future marketing easier because individual topics can be expanded into separate videos without overloading a single production. Instead of producing one lengthy explainer that tries to answer every question, businesses can create a library of shorter videos that each address a specific customer need.

Ultimately, clarity should always take priority over quantity. When every sentence has a purpose and every visual reinforces the message, viewers remain engaged from beginning to end and leave with a far stronger understanding of the subject being explained.

6. The Right Length for the Right Platform

The ideal length of an explainer video depends on where it will be viewed and what it is expected to achieve. A visitor watching a homepage video has different expectations from someone completing employee training or evaluating a detailed product demonstration. Rather than aiming for a specific duration, businesses should focus on delivering all the essential information as efficiently as possible while maintaining a natural pace throughout the video.

Planning the video’s length should happen during script development rather than during editing. Every sentence should contribute to the viewer’s understanding, and anything that does not support the central message should be removed. This approach helps maintain engagement while ensuring viewers receive enough information to make confident decisions. Understanding this balance is an important part of what makes a great explainer video because successful videos respect both the audience’s time and their need for useful information.

Recommended approaches for different platforms include:

• Short, focused videos for homepage and landing pages.
• Concise edits for social media platforms.
• Longer demonstrations for products or services that require additional explanation.
• Structured internal training videos divided into manageable sections.
• Educational videos that prioritise clarity over unnecessary length.
• Campaign-specific versions adapted to different audiences.

The platform itself should never dictate the quality of the content. Instead, it should influence how the information is presented so that viewers receive the right level of detail in the right environment. Businesses that adapt their videos to suit each platform often create a more enjoyable viewing experience while improving the effectiveness of their communication.

It is also worth remembering that shorter does not automatically mean better. An explainer video should only end once the audience has received enough information to understand the message and know what action to take next. Finding this balance creates a stronger experience and ensures the content remains valuable from beginning to end.

7. Visual Style That Reflects the Brand

The visual style of an explainer video should feel like a natural extension of the business itself. Colour palettes, typography, illustration styles, animation techniques and graphic elements all contribute to how audiences perceive the brand. When these visual elements remain consistent, they strengthen recognition while presenting the organisation as professional, trustworthy and well established.

For South African businesses using video across websites, presentations, social media and sales material, consistency helps create a unified brand identity. Every visual decision should reinforce the message rather than compete with it, allowing viewers to focus on the information being presented. This demonstrates what makes a great explainer video because thoughtful design improves both communication and long-term brand recognition.

8. Animation, Live Action and Motion Graphics Used Purposefully

Choosing the right visual approach begins with understanding the audience and the message being communicated. Animation allows businesses to explain abstract concepts and complex systems that may be difficult or impossible to capture on camera, while live-action production creates authenticity by showcasing real people, products and workplaces. Motion graphics complement both approaches by presenting information in a visually organised and engaging way that supports understanding.

The most successful productions do not choose a style because it looks impressive. Instead, they select the approach that communicates the message most effectively while remaining consistent with the organisation’s branding and objectives. This careful decision-making reflects what makes a great explainer video, because every creative choice should strengthen communication rather than distract from it.

Each animation approach offers unique advantages:

• Animation simplifies technical and abstract concepts.
• Live action builds authenticity and human connection.
• Motion graphics explain processes, systems and data clearly.
• Hybrid productions combine multiple techniques where appropriate.
• Purposeful animation keeps viewers engaged without becoming distracting.
• Visual storytelling reinforces key messages throughout the production.

Using visuals strategically also helps businesses create content that remains useful long after publication. Rather than relying on visual effects for impact, successful explainer videos use animation and live action to improve understanding, reinforce important information and guide viewers naturally through the story being told.

When every visual element has a clear purpose, audiences can concentrate on learning rather than interpreting unnecessary movement or decoration. This creates a more professional viewing experience while ensuring the video’s message remains memorable and easy to understand.

9. Professional Voiceover and Audio Quality: What Makes a Great Explainer Video 

Audio quality has a significant influence on how audiences experience an explainer video. Even beautifully designed visuals can lose their impact if the narration sounds unclear or the sound quality feels inconsistent. A professional voiceover should be easy to understand, appropriately paced and aligned with the personality of the brand so that the message feels natural and credible.

Background music and sound effects should complement the narration instead of competing with it, creating atmosphere without distracting viewers from the information being presented. Including subtitles can also improve accessibility for audiences watching without sound or those who prefer reading along. These details quietly shape the viewing experience and demonstrate what makes a great explainer video by making every element feel polished and intentional.

10. A Strong Structure and Clear Call to Action

Successful explainer videos usually follow a logical structure that introduces a problem, presents a solution, explains the benefits, supports those benefits with relevant information and finishes with a clear next step. This progression mirrors the way people naturally process information, making the message easier to understand while maintaining momentum throughout the video.

The final call to action should leave viewers with a clear understanding of what to do next. Depending on the purpose of the video, this could involve requesting a quotation, booking a consultation, making an enquiry or contacting the business for further information. Ending with a specific and relevant next step reinforces what makes a great explainer video because it transforms understanding into meaningful action.

Which Animation Studios Offer Custom Explainer Videos for Businesses?

Businesses looking for custom explainer videos should choose an animation studio with the experience, creative expertise and production capabilities to match each project to the most effective animation style. At Oliver Karstel Creative Agency, we create custom explainer videos using a wide range of animation techniques, allowing us to tailor every production to our clients’ objectives, audience and message. With more than a decade of content production experience, cinema-grade workstations and an in-house rendering farm, we produce high-quality animations efficiently while maintaining the professional standards businesses expect. Whether a project requires rapid 2D animation, fully custom illustrated 2D character animation, detailed 3D character animation, engaging whiteboard animation, infographic animation, motion graphic animation or highly accurate 3D accident recreation, we develop each explainer video around the specific communication goals of our clients.

We believe every business has a unique story to tell, which is why we customise every explainer video rather than relying on a single production style. Our 2D and 3D character animation services bring concepts and characters to life, while our whiteboard animation makes difficult systems and sensitive topics easier to understand through clear visual storytelling. We also create custom infographic animation to transform complex information into engaging visual content, motion graphic animation to simplify ideas with smooth animated design elements, and 3D accident recreation videos that provide detailed visualisations for safety analysis and training. By offering each of these animation services as custom explainer video solutions, we help businesses communicate clearly, educate their audiences and present even the most complex information in an engaging and memorable way.

Turning Great Ideas Into Great Explainer Videos 

Every successful explainer video is built around a clear purpose, a well-structured script and visuals that support the message rather than compete with it. From choosing the right animation style and maintaining the appropriate video length to delivering professional audio and a compelling call to action, what makes a great explainer video is the ability to communicate valuable information with clarity, consistency and confidence. When every creative decision supports the audience’s understanding, the final result becomes a lasting business asset rather than simply another piece of marketing content.

If you are ready to create a custom explainer video that reflects your brand and communicates your message effectively, we are here to help. At Oliver Karstel Creative Agency, we combine creative expertise with a wide range of animation services to produce tailored explainer videos that educate, engage and inspire action. Contact us today to discuss how we can bring your ideas to life through professional animation and visual storytelling.