Updated 5 November 2026.
Explainer videos help a business show how a product, service or process works. They combine a focused script with visuals that answer a specific audience question. A useful explainer makes the next step easier to understand, whether that is trying a feature, booking a demonstration or completing an onboarding task.
This guide covers formats, planning, production, budgeting and measurement for UK businesses. There is no guaranteed conversion uplift: results depend on the audience, offer, distribution and quality of the wider customer experience.
What is an explainer video?
An explainer video presents one idea clearly. It might introduce a service, demonstrate a product or walk through a process. Choose the running time around the information viewers need and the place they will watch it. A short introduction and a detailed tutorial have different jobs.
Start with three questions: who is watching, what do they need to understand, and what should they be able to do afterwards? Keep secondary messages for supporting pages or separate videos.
Choose a format that suits the subject
- Animation and motion graphics: useful for explaining processes, abstract concepts or information that cannot be filmed directly.
- Live action: shows real people, locations and physical products in use.
- Screencasts and app demonstrations: show the actual interface and the steps a user needs to follow.
- Whiteboard-style animation: introduces ideas through a sequence of drawn elements.
- Hybrid production: combines filmed material with graphics, screen recordings or animation.
Ask to see relevant work and discuss how the proposed style will explain your subject. A more elaborate visual treatment is only useful if it improves the communication.
Where can an explainer video be used?
Place the video where it answers a real question. This could be a product page, service page, help centre, onboarding sequence or sales presentation. A social edit may introduce the topic and lead viewers to a more detailed demonstration.
Brief the delivery channels before production. Agree aspect ratios, caption versions, thumbnails and cutdowns so the main film can be adapted intentionally. Check that text and interface details remain legible on a phone.
A practical production process
- Brief and script: agree the audience, main message, evidence, desired action and approval owner. Read the script aloud to check clarity and pace.
- Storyboard: plan what viewers will see alongside each line. Confirm that the visuals explain the message rather than repeat it.
- Assets and preparation: gather accurate product information, approved branding, current interface screens and any permissions needed for filming.
- Filming or animation: produce the agreed scenes, voiceover and graphics. Review accuracy before investing in detailed finishing.
- Editing and delivery: check the narrative, sound, captions, branding and call to action, then export the agreed versions.
Keep feedback in one place and agree who has final approval. Changes to the message after animation or filming can affect both the schedule and the scope.
What affects the cost?
Request a quote against a defined brief. Animation complexity, filming days, locations, contributors, voiceover, music licensing, accessibility requirements, revision rounds and the number of deliverables can all affect the budget.
Compare like-for-like scopes rather than headline prices. Confirm what is included, how additional changes are charged, which usage rights are supplied and whether future updates or project files are part of the agreement. This article does not present generic price bands as a quotation for your project.
Plan accessibility from the beginning
Include accurate captions for speech and meaningful non-speech audio, and provide a useful transcript. Consider how essential visual information will be communicated to people who cannot see it. Choose a player with accessible controls. The W3C guide to accessible audio and video explains the different components and why planning them during scripting is useful.
Publishing and search visibility
Adding a video does not automatically improve rankings. If visibility in Google video results matters, follow Google’s video SEO guidance: make the video discoverable, provide an accessible thumbnail at a stable URL and use accurate supporting information. Eligibility for video search features depends on the page and video meeting Google’s requirements.
Give visitors a clear title, useful surrounding copy and a relevant next step. Test playback and page performance on mobile, and check that the embed works without obscuring important content.
Measure the outcome you planned for
Choose measures before publishing. For an introductory film, useful signals may include plays and completion rates. For a product demonstration, track the relevant next step, such as a demo request or completed onboarding task, where your analytics setup supports it.
Compare results over a meaningful period and account for changes in traffic, campaigns or offers. A before-and-after change alone does not establish that the video caused the result. Use viewer feedback and drop-off points to identify sections that need a clearer explanation.
Before commissioning your explainer
- Define one audience and one main purpose.
- Confirm the facts and examples the script can use.
- Choose the format and delivery channels.
- Agree scope, rights, accessibility, approvals and deadlines.
- Plan how the finished video will be published and measured.
Tomorrow’s Creative can help develop and produce your film. Explore our video production services or contact us with your audience, message and intended delivery date.