Explainer video for startups and services: how to explain a product in 60–90 seconds

An explainer video is a short film, usually 60–90 seconds long, that uses plain language and clear animation to show what problem a product solves, how it works and why it is worth trying. For startups and digital services it is one of the most effective ways to get the essence of a product across: instead of long website copy or a complicated pitch, the viewer grasps the idea in a minute. An explainer that works follows the pattern problem, solution, how it works, benefit, call to action.

Let us look at the available formats, how to write the script, which stages production goes through and which mistakes make a video confusing.

When a startup or service needs an explainer

An explainer is especially useful when a product is new, unfamiliar or hard to show in a single photo. Typical situations:

• A new kind of service. People do not yet know the option exists and are not searching for it.
• Complex logic. A SaaS platform, fintech or B2B service where a multi-step process needs to be shown.
• A mobile app. Key screens and usage scenarios need to be shown quickly.
• Pitches and investors. A short video at the start of a presentation saves minutes of explanation.
• Onboarding. New users find it easier to watch a video than to read instructions.
• Ads and social media. Short cuts of the video work as ad creatives.

If the product is already familiar to the market — an ordinary shop or café, for example — an explainer is often unnecessary: showing the product itself in live-action video is more effective.

Explainer video formats

The choice depends on the product, the audience and the budget. The main options:

• 2D character animation. A character faces a problem and solves it with the product. Works well for broad audiences and emotional stories.
• Motion graphics with interface. Animated app or website screens, icons and diagrams. Suits digital products and B2B where showing how things work is key.
• Infographic animation. Diagrams, figures and processes — for complex services and analytics products. The figures must be real.
• Whiteboard or hand-drawn animation. A hand draws the diagram as the story unfolds. A simple, clear style for educational topics.
• 3D animation. For physical products, devices and equipment that need to be shown from the inside or in cross-section.
• Mixed format. Live-action footage of people with animated elements layered on top.

How do you choose a format in practice? Ask three questions. Who is the viewer: mass-market buyers respond better to characters and emotion, while technical specialists or procurement teams respond to diagrams and interfaces. What needs to be shown: if the essence of the product lives in app screens, interface animation is essential. How often does the product change: if the interface is updated every few months, choose a style where screens are easy to swap or show them in a simplified way without fine detail.

For more on what animation can do for brands in general, see motion design and animation for brands.

Script structure: five blocks of meaning

The classic structure of a 60–90 second explainer looks like this:

1. Problem (10–15 seconds). A recognisable situation in which viewers see themselves: spending hours on something, struggling to find something.
2. Solution (10–15 seconds). The product appears: its name and one sentence on what it does.
3. How it works (25–40 seconds). Three, at most four steps. Not every feature, just the main use case.
4. Benefit (10–15 seconds). What changes for the user: time saved, fewer errors, convenience, peace of mind.
5. Call to action (5–10 seconds). What to do next: download the app, leave a request, try it free, visit the website.

The key principle is one audience and one main idea. If a video tries to explain the product to customers, investors and partners all at once, it works for none of them. It is better to make the main video for the primary audience and separate short versions for other tasks.

A good explainer does not list features; it tells the user's story: there was a problem, a solution appeared, life got easier. Anything that does not help this story is superfluous.

How to write the voice-over copy

The copy is the foundation of the video and is written before animation begins. A few rules:

• Count the running time. At a calm pace a narrator speaks roughly two to two and a half words per second. A one-minute video means a short text, not a page.
• Write conversationally. Short sentences, no bureaucratic language and no jargon the audience does not know.
• Talk about benefits, not technology. Users care about what they get, not which stack the service is built on.
• Test it on an outsider. Read the copy to someone who does not know the product. If they cannot retell the essence, simplify.
• Prepare language versions. In Uzbekistan you often need Uzbek and Russian voice-overs, and English for international investors. Adapt each version rather than translating word for word, and remember that phrase length differs between languages.

Explainer video production stages

1. Brief. Product, audience, the video's goal, where it will be shown, languages, brand constraints.
2. Script and copy. Structure by block and the final narrator text.
3. Style and style frames. Several key frames in the chosen style: characters, colours, fonts and graphic elements consistent with the brand identity.
4. Storyboard. A sketch of every scene tied to the copy.
5. Scratch voice-over and animatic. The storyboard cut to the voice, which lets you check the rhythm before costly animation.
6. Animation. The bulk of the work: movement of characters and interfaces, transitions.
7. Sound. Final voice-over by a professional narrator, music, sound effects.
8. Versions. Full version, short ad cuts, vertical formats, subtitles.

Changes are cheapest at the script, style frame and animatic stages. Once the animation is done, changing even one scene takes noticeable time.

Where to use the finished video

• The first screen of a website or landing page — next to the main call-to-action button.
• The app store listing — a short version as a preview.
• Investor presentations — at the start of a meeting or as a link in an email. How to build the pitch itself is covered in investor pitch deck design.
• Social media ads — 10–20 second cuts for different hypotheses.
• Onboarding and support — in the welcome email, the help section, inside the product.
• Exhibitions and conferences — a silent version with subtitles for the stand screen.

To know whether the video works, look beyond view counts. Useful indicators are the share of viewers who reach the how-it-works block and the call to action, the conversion of the page with and without the video, and the number of support questions after an onboarding video goes live. If most viewers leave in the first seconds, rewrite the opening: the problem is not described recognisably enough.

Common mistakes and a checklist

An explainer most often fails for one of these reasons:

• the video runs over two minutes and tries to show every feature;
• the problem is described abstractly, so viewers do not recognise themselves;
• too many terms and abbreviations;
• the animation style is unrelated to the product's brand identity;
• no clear call to action at the end;
• the interface in the video is outdated and does not match the real product;
• no versions in the required languages or for silent viewing.

Before launch, check: does an outsider understand the product after one viewing; are there no more than three or four steps; do the visuals match the website and app; are short and vertical versions ready; are there subtitles?

If you need an explainer for a product or service, the Dasta Creative team produces animated videos end to end — from script and style to voice-over and ad versions.