Explainer videos exist to make what you sell immediately understandable. They compress a complicated offer into a short, watchable piece that a prospect actually finishes.
That matters because most people would rather watch two minutes than read two pages. A video gets you attention that a wall of copy won’t.
There are several styles to choose from, each suited to different messages, audiences, and budgets. Here are five, and how to pick between them.
What Is an Explainer Video?
If you’re struggling to communicate the value of your product, this is the format built for that problem. Explainer videos are short, usually character- or narrative-driven, and designed to carry one specific story: what you offer and why it matters.
Their strength is compression — turning a complex proposition into something a prospect grasps in ninety seconds, which is why they work so well for generating and nurturing leads.
The numbers back this up: 96% of people report watching an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 89% of those say the video influenced their decision to buy.
They’re also comparatively cheap to produce and work well on mobile, which means you can meet your audience wherever they already are.
1. Animated Explainer Videos
Animation is the most widely used explainer style, and for two solid reasons.
First, familiarity. Animation carries positive associations for almost everyone — it’s a format people grew up enjoying, and that goodwill transfers.
Second, distinctiveness. In a feed full of stock footage and talking heads, animation stands out.
Add to that animation’s core advantage — it can visualise things that don’t physically exist, like a process, a data flow, or an abstract benefit — and it becomes the most flexible communication tool of the five.
2. Stop Motion Explainer Videos
Stop motion, sometimes called stop frame, builds movement by photographing an object, moving it a millimetre or two, and photographing it again. Played in sequence, the frames read as motion.
It’s labour-intensive — a second of animation needs at least twelve frames, and smooth work needs more — but the result has a tactile, handmade quality nothing else replicates. Worth the effort when the product is physical and the craft is part of the story.
3. Live-Action Explainer Videos
Live action uses filmed footage, stock assets, or a combination of both.
Its advantage is human connection. Real people on screen build emotional proximity faster than any animated character. The trade-offs are practical: filming takes scheduling, locations, and people who are comfortable on camera, and reshoots are expensive in a way that revising an animation isn’t.
4. Whiteboard Explainer Videos
Whiteboard animation shows an illustration being hand-drawn as the narration explains it.
It’s one of the most affordable styles to produce, which is a large part of its popularity. But the appeal isn’t only budget — watching an idea get built line by line has a classroom quality that suits teaching, and it’s genuinely effective at breaking a large concept into steps a viewer can follow.
5. Animated Infographic Videos
Data is everywhere and most of it is unreadable. Animated infographics fix that.
They turn static charts into a narrative — figures appearing in sequence, comparisons building, a trend resolving into a point. For any business whose argument rests on numbers, this is the style that makes those numbers land.
How to Choose the Right Style
Five styles, one decision. Four things to weigh:
Your Brand’s Personality
Is the brand warm and playful, or serious and precise? Character animation suits the former; clean motion graphics suit the latter. The style should be recognisably you before it’s anything else.
Your Budget
Costs vary widely. Live action carries the highest overhead — cast, locations, crew, and effects. Whiteboard and typography-driven styles are the most economical, and both can produce genuinely effective videos at modest cost.
Your Message
What are you actually explaining? Motion graphics handle complex processes and systems best. If the goal is building trust and showing there are real people behind the business, live action does more.
Your Audience
Match the style to who’s watching. A consumer audience responds to character and humour; a procurement committee at an enterprise responds to clarity and precision.
Conclusion
An explainer video makes your offer easy to understand — but only if the style fits the message, the budget, and the audience.
Get that match right and the video earns attention, builds trust, and moves people to act. Get it wrong and you have a well-produced video that speaks to nobody in particular.
Not sure which style fits your brief? Tell us what you’re explaining and to whom — we’ll recommend the format.