13 Factors That Show What Makes a Great Explainer Video

Understanding what makes a great explainer video is becoming increasingly important for businesses that need to communicate clearly in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Whether introducing a new product, explaining a service, simplifying a technical process, or educating employees, an explainer video helps transform complex information into content that is engaging, memorable, and easy to understand. When produced strategically, it can improve customer confidence, strengthen brand credibility, and support more effective communication across every stage of the customer journey.

Businesses often have only a brief opportunity to capture attention before potential customers move on to other options. Rather than relying on lengthy documents or complicated presentations, a professionally produced explainer video combines storytelling, visuals, animation, and clear narration to present information in a format that audiences prefer to consume. The most successful videos are built on careful planning rather than visual effects alone, ensuring every creative decision supports a clear business objective while delivering lasting value for employers, employees, and customers.

1. What Makes a Great Explainer Video Easy to Understand?

An explainer video is designed to make information easier to understand without removing the important details that viewers need. Rather than overwhelming audiences with lengthy descriptions or technical terminology, it presents ideas through a combination of narration, visuals, animation, or live-action footage that keeps the message focused and accessible. The objective is to educate first, allowing viewers to understand the value of a product, service, or process before being encouraged to act.

Businesses use explainer videos for far more than marketing. They can support customer onboarding, employee induction, workplace training, health and safety communication, product demonstrations, and internal process improvements. Creating content that simplifies information while maintaining accuracy is a defining characteristic of what makes a great explainer video, as it provides employers with a versatile communication tool and employees with a consistent resource they can rely on when engaging customers or colleagues.

2. Know Exactly Who the Video Is For

Every successful explainer video begins with a clear understanding of its intended audience. A video created for business owners will differ considerably from one aimed at technical specialists, new employees, or first-time customers. Understanding who will watch the content influences every creative decision, including the language, visual style, pacing, examples, and level of detail used throughout the production.

Audience research also helps businesses focus on genuine challenges instead of assumptions. Identifying common questions, frustrations, and objectives allows the video to address real concerns in a way that feels relevant and helpful. Knowing the audience remains one of the most important aspects of what makes a great explainer video, because viewers are more likely to remain engaged when the content reflects their own experiences. Employers benefit from more effective communication, while employees receive messaging that supports clearer conversations with customers and stakeholders.

3. Begin with a Clear and Measurable Objective

Every successful explainer video starts with a clearly defined purpose. Before scripting begins or visual concepts are developed, businesses should decide exactly what they want viewers to think, understand, or do after watching the video. A production without a specific objective often becomes overloaded with competing messages, making it more difficult for audiences to retain important information or know what action to take next.

Establishing measurable goals also creates a clear framework for everyone involved in the project. Writers, designers, animators, voice artists, and business stakeholders can make decisions that all support the same outcome. Defining a precise objective is a vital part of what makes a great explainer video because it shapes the video’s structure, messaging, visual style, pacing, and final call to action while ensuring the finished production contributes to wider business goals.

Common objectives for business explainer videos include:

• Educating prospective customers about a product or service.
• Generating qualified sales enquiries.
• Increasing brand awareness and credibility.
• Explaining complex products or technical services in simple language.
• Supporting customer onboarding.
• Improving employee induction and workplace training.
• Introducing new internal procedures or organisational changes.
• Reducing repetitive customer support enquiries.
• Demonstrating how a solution works in practice.
• Encouraging viewers to request a consultation or contact the business.

Choosing one primary objective allows the production to remain focused from beginning to end. Rather than trying to educate, promote, recruit, and train within a single short video, successful explainer videos concentrate on one measurable outcome. This makes the content easier to understand while allowing businesses to evaluate whether the production achieved its intended purpose after publication.

A clearly defined objective also creates lasting value for employers and employees. Employers gain a communication asset that supports strategic business priorities instead of becoming generic marketing material. Employees receive a professionally developed resource that strengthens customer conversations, presentations, onboarding programmes, and internal communication by ensuring important information is delivered consistently.

4. Write a Strong and Focused Script

Every memorable explainer video begins with an excellent script. While visuals attract attention, the script determines whether viewers fully understand the message and remain engaged until the final scene. Clear, conversational writing creates a natural flow that is easy to follow, while unnecessary jargon or complicated language can quickly reduce audience interest and comprehension.

A strong script should focus on one central message, ensuring every sentence contributes to the overall objective rather than introducing unrelated ideas. Maintaining this discipline forms an essential part of what makes a great explainer video, particularly when explaining specialised products or services. Employers benefit from content that reflects their expertise clearly and professionally, while employees gain a valuable communication tool that presents approved messaging consistently across customer interactions, demonstrations, and internal learning.

5. What Makes a Great Explainer Video Tell a Compelling Story?

People naturally connect with stories because they provide context, emotion, and progression. Instead of presenting a series of unrelated facts, a well-structured story gives viewers a reason to stay engaged from beginning to end. By introducing a relatable situation and demonstrating how it can be improved, businesses create a stronger emotional connection while making information easier to understand and remember.

Storytelling also allows organisations to communicate their value without relying on aggressive sales messaging. Rather than immediately discussing products or services, the narrative focuses on the audience’s experience before introducing an appropriate solution. Developing a meaningful story is a defining part of what makes a great explainer video, helping employers communicate more persuasively while giving employees a consistent framework for customer conversations, presentations, and training.

A compelling explainer video story should include:

• A relatable problem that immediately captures the viewer’s attention.
• A clear understanding of the audience’s frustrations or objectives.
• A logical progression from challenge to solution.
• A natural introduction to the product or service without forcing a sales message.
• Practical demonstrations that show how the solution works.
• Benefits that explain the positive outcome for the viewer.
• A memorable ending that reinforces the main message.
• A clear call to action that encourages the next step.

A structured narrative makes even technical subjects easier to understand because each scene builds naturally on the previous one. Instead of asking viewers to process large amounts of disconnected information, the story guides them through a logical journey that explains why the problem exists, how it can be solved, and what success looks like afterwards. This approach improves understanding while making the message more memorable.

For employers, storytelling creates a more engaging way to communicate products, services, and organisational expertise. Employees also benefit because a story provides a practical framework for explaining value during customer meetings, onboarding sessions, and workplace training. Rather than memorising features, they can demonstrate how the organisation helps solve genuine problems.

6. Focus on the Customer’s Real Problem

The opening moments of an explainer video determine whether viewers continue watching or move on to something else. Beginning with a challenge that customers already recognise immediately establishes relevance and demonstrates that the business understands their circumstances. When audiences feel understood, they become more receptive to the information that follows.

Addressing customer needs before discussing the organisation itself is another important characteristic of what makes a great explainer video. Instead of focusing on achievements or technical capabilities from the outset, successful productions concentrate on the audience’s frustrations, goals, or obstacles. Employers benefit from stronger customer engagement, while employees gain a communication approach that feels more consultative than promotional.

7. Present Benefits Before Overloading Viewers with Features

Every product or service includes features, but customers are generally more interested in the outcomes those features create. An effective explainer video demonstrates how specific capabilities solve problems, improve efficiency, reduce costs, save time, or make everyday tasks easier. This keeps the conversation focused on practical value rather than technical specifications alone.

Presenting benefits before features is a valuable element of what makes a great explainer video because it helps viewers understand why the solution matters to them personally. Employers communicate their value proposition more effectively, while employees gain a clearer understanding of how to position products and services during customer interactions. This approach also prevents information overload by keeping the message focused on meaningful results.

8. Choose the Right Visual Style

The visual style of an explainer video should always support the message rather than distract from it. Different subjects require different approaches, and selecting the appropriate animation or production style can significantly improve audience understanding. The goal is to choose visuals that simplify communication while reinforcing the organisation’s professionalism and brand identity.

Animation is particularly effective for explaining abstract concepts, digital services, workplace processes, and technical systems that are difficult to film. Live-action productions often work well when businesses want to showcase people, facilities, or real customer interactions. Choosing the most appropriate format is another important aspect of what makes a great explainer video, ensuring that the visual presentation enhances understanding rather than simply providing decoration.

9. Maintain Strong Brand Consistency

An explainer video should feel like a natural extension of the organisation’s wider brand. Colours, typography, imagery, messaging, and tone of voice should all remain consistent with other marketing and communication materials. This consistency strengthens recognition and helps audiences associate the message with the business delivering it.

Strong branding supports what makes a great explainer video by creating familiarity and reinforcing credibility throughout the viewing experience. Employers benefit from a professional presentation that reflects organisational standards, while employees gain a trusted communication resource that accurately represents the business during customer meetings, presentations, and internal training.

10. Use Professional Voice-Over, Music and Sound

The visual quality of an explainer video often attracts attention first, but the audio plays an equally important role in shaping the viewer’s overall experience. Clear narration, balanced sound levels, and carefully selected background music help maintain attention while making the message easier to follow. Poor audio quality, inconsistent volume, or rushed delivery can quickly reduce the professionalism of an otherwise excellent production, making it harder for audiences to engage with the content.

Audio should always complement the visuals rather than compete with them. The narrator’s tone, pacing, pronunciation, and energy should reflect both the target audience and the subject being explained. Investing in professional sound production is another essential aspect of what makes a great explainer video, as it improves comprehension, strengthens credibility, and ensures viewers remain focused on the message from beginning to end.

Professional audio production should include:

• A clear, confident voice-over suited to the intended audience.
• Professional recording equipment that produces clean, consistent sound.
• Appropriate pacing that allows viewers to absorb information comfortably.
• Accurate pronunciation of technical terminology, product names, and industry-specific language.
• Carefully selected background music that supports the tone without distracting from the narration.
• Subtle sound effects that reinforce important visual moments.
• Balanced audio mixing so narration, music, and effects work together naturally.
• Consistent sound quality throughout the entire production.

High-quality audio benefits employers by strengthening the overall perception of the business and reinforcing a commitment to professionalism. Customers are more likely to trust information that is delivered clearly and confidently, while polished narration helps explain products, services, and processes in a manner that feels organised and authoritative. This contributes to a stronger viewing experience and improves the likelihood that audiences will remember the key message.

Employees also benefit from professionally produced audio because it creates a communication resource that can be used confidently across multiple situations. Whether supporting customer presentations, employee induction, workplace training, sales meetings, or online marketing, clear narration and well-balanced sound ensure the information is communicated consistently every time. This reduces misunderstandings while giving staff greater confidence when using the video to support conversations with customers and colleagues.

11. Create Smooth Pacing and Visual Flow

An explainer video should guide viewers naturally from one idea to the next without making them work to understand the sequence of information. Every scene should have a clear purpose and transition smoothly into the next, creating a logical progression that keeps the audience engaged. Well-planned pacing gives viewers enough time to absorb important points while maintaining momentum throughout the production.

Creating a logical viewing experience is another characteristic of what makes a great explainer video because it prevents cognitive overload and keeps attention focused on the message. Thoughtful scene transitions, animation timing, visual hierarchy, and carefully coordinated narration all contribute to a production that feels polished, professional, and easy to follow. Employers gain stronger message retention, while employees receive a communication tool that explains information consistently across every viewing.

12. Keep the Running Time Focused

The ideal length of an explainer video depends on the subject matter and the audience’s needs, but every production should respect the viewer’s time. Rather than trying to include every possible detail, successful explainer videos concentrate on the information that is most important for achieving the video’s objective. If additional information is required, it is often more effective to produce a series of shorter videos than one lengthy presentation.

Maintaining a focused running time forms part of what makes a great explainer video because concise communication improves engagement and information retention. Employers benefit from higher completion rates and more effective communication, while employees can select shorter, topic-specific videos that best support customer discussions, workplace training, onboarding programmes, or technical demonstrations.

13. Measure Performance and Improve Future Videos

Producing an explainer video should not be viewed as the final stage of the project. Reviewing its performance helps businesses understand how effectively the message was communicated and identifies opportunities to improve future productions. Feedback from customers, employees, and stakeholders can provide valuable insight into whether the content was easy to understand, engaging, and relevant to the intended audience.

Reviewing outcomes is an important aspect of what makes a great explainer video because continuous improvement allows organisations to refine their communication over time. Employers can identify which messages resonate most effectively, while employees can highlight common customer questions that may require additional explanation in future videos. Treating every production as an opportunity to learn helps businesses develop increasingly valuable communication assets.

Which Animation Studios Offer Custom Explainer Videos for Businesses?

Businesses often require more than a generic animation template to communicate their products, services, or expertise effectively. Every organisation has different audiences, objectives, branding requirements, and technical information that must be presented accurately. For this reason, custom explainer videos have become increasingly valuable because they allow every aspect of the production to be tailored to the organisation rather than forcing the message into a standard format.

Oliver Karstel Creative Agency specialises in creating custom animated explainer videos that are developed around each client’s specific communication objectives. With more than a decade of content production experience, cinema-grade workstations, and an in-house rendering farm, we produce professional animation that is both visually engaging and strategically focused. Delivering tailored animation solutions is an important part of what makes a great explainer video, allowing every production to reflect the organisation’s identity while communicating complex information with clarity.

Oliver Karstel Creative Agency creates custom explainer videos using a range of animation styles, including:

• 2D Character Animation: We create fully customised 2D character explainer videos that use original illustrations, engaging characters, and bespoke environments to explain products, services, workplace procedures, customer journeys, and business concepts in an approachable and memorable way.
• 3D Character Animation: Our custom 3D explainer videos use realistic or stylised characters and environments to communicate technical information, demonstrate products, explain processes, and create immersive visual experiences that are both engaging and easy to understand.
• Whiteboard Animation: Whiteboard explainer videos simplify difficult topics by presenting information through custom illustrations that develop naturally throughout the story. This style works particularly well for education, training, compliance, systems, and step-by-step business processes.
• Infographic Animation: We transform complex information, operational data, research findings, statistics, and business insights into visually engaging animated infographics that help audiences understand important information quickly and clearly.
• Motion Graphic Animation: Motion graphics combine animated typography, icons, diagrams, illustrations, and graphic elements to create modern explainer videos that simplify digital services, professional solutions, organisational structures, and technical concepts.
• 3D Accident Recreation: Our custom 3D accident recreation videos visually recreate workplace incidents, hazardous situations, and safety events to support investigations, employee training, safety awareness, and preventative education without exposing employees to unnecessary risk.

Every animation style can be customised to suit the organisation’s branding, communication objectives, audience, and subject matter. Rather than applying a standard production formula, we develop each explainer video from the ground up, ensuring the visual style, script, pacing, and messaging work together to achieve the desired outcome. This flexibility allows businesses across a wide range of industries to communicate with greater clarity while maintaining a distinctive visual identity.

Our team manages every stage of production, from concept development and scriptwriting through to illustration, animation, rendering, voice-over, sound design, and final editing. Working with one experienced creative partner ensures consistency throughout the project while producing a finished explainer video that supports marketing, sales, employee training, customer education, and internal communication.

Creating Explainer Videos That Deliver Lasting Value

Creating an effective explainer video requires much more than attractive animation. Success comes from understanding the audience, defining a measurable objective, writing a focused script, developing a compelling story, selecting the right visual style, maintaining strong branding, investing in professional audio, and ensuring the finished production remains engaging from beginning to end. When these elements work together, businesses create content that informs, builds trust, and encourages meaningful action.

Ultimately, what makes a great explainer video is its ability to simplify complex information without losing accuracy or relevance. Businesses gain a valuable long-term communication asset that supports marketing, customer education, employee development, and organisational growth, while audiences receive information that is clear, engaging, and easy to understand.

Create Your Next Explainer Video with Oliver Karstel Creative Agency

Creating an effective explainer video requires much more than attractive animation. Success comes from understanding the audience, defining a measurable objective, writing a focused script, developing a compelling story, selecting the right visual style, maintaining strong branding, investing in professional audio, and ensuring the finished production remains engaging from beginning to end. When these elements work together, businesses create content that informs, builds trust, and encourages meaningful action. Ultimately, what makes a great explainer video is its ability to simplify complex information without losing accuracy or relevance, allowing organisations to communicate with confidence while supporting meaningful business growth.

If your business is ready to communicate more effectively through custom animation, Oliver Karstel Creative Agency can help bring your ideas to life. Our experienced team manages every stage of production, from concept development and scriptwriting to animation, voice-over, sound design, rendering, and final delivery, creating explainer videos tailored to your objectives and audience. Contact Oliver Karstel Creative Agency today to discuss your project and discover how a professionally produced explainer video can strengthen your marketing, customer education, employee training, and long-term business success.