If you've ever tried to explain a complex idea, you know it's not easy. This is where explainer videos come in. They're not just about making things look cool; they're a powerful way to turn tricky concepts into something anyone can grasp in a couple of minutes. The whole process boils down to four main stages: planning and scripting, recording, editing, and finally, getting it out into the world.
When you nail this workflow, you're not just creating content—you're building a powerful communication tool.
So, Why Bother With Explainer Videos?
A few years ago, explainer videos were a nice bonus. Now, they're an essential part of any solid marketing plan. Let's face it, nobody wants to sift through dense product descriptions or long-winded articles anymore. People prefer to watch and learn. Explainer videos meet them where they are, delivering your core message quickly and in a format that actually sticks.
This is a game-changer, especially for SaaS companies. A sharp, well-made video can demystify a complex feature, showcase what makes you different, or walk a new user through their first critical actions. It’s the classic "show, don't tell" principle in action, and it works wonders for building user confidence and turning curiosity into a conversion.
The Real-World Impact on Conversions and Engagement
The numbers don't lie. A staggering 98% of people say they've watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. This isn't just a passive activity, either; it directly fuels business growth. Think about it: 87% of viewers report being convinced to buy a product after watching a brand's video.
This is why 73% of video marketers lean on explainer videos as a top priority—they just get results. Putting a video on a landing page can even boost conversions by as much as 80%.
The message is crystal clear:
- They drive sales. Videos directly influence buying decisions.
- They make things simple. Complex ideas become accessible, helping customers see the value.
- They keep people watching. Visuals and storytelling are far more engaging than plain text.
More Than Just a Marketing Trick
While marketing is where explainer videos often get their start, their true value spans the entire customer journey. Sales teams can use them for personalized outreach or as a consistent, high-quality demo that saves time and keeps the message on point.
On the support side, explainer videos are a lifesaver. Instead of a clunky knowledge base article, you can offer a clear, step-by-step visual guide. This slashes support tickets and leaves you with happier, more self-sufficient users.
This is why learning how to create explainer videos is such a valuable skill for any business looking to grow. They’re a fantastic tool to engage visitors and can seriously help to improve your website's conversion rate. By bridging the gap between what your product does and what your audience needs, these videos become an essential asset for education, persuasion, and long-term retention. They're not just content; they're strategic tools that deliver real ROI across your whole company.
Your Blueprint for a High-Converting Video Script
Let’s be honest: great explainer videos don’t happen by accident. They aren't born from expensive cameras or flashy editing software. They start with a solid plan. Before you even think about hitting record, the most important work is done right here, in the scripting phase. This is your blueprint. It ensures every single second of your video has a purpose and nudges your viewer toward a specific goal.
At the heart of any truly effective script is a clear, compelling story. If you don't have one, you're just listing features, and that rarely connects with anyone on a human level. The real goal is to shift from explaining what your product does to showing why it matters to the person watching.
The Classic Problem-Solution-Benefit Framework
I’ve seen a lot of scripting formulas over the years, but the one I always come back to is the classic Problem-Solution-Benefit model. It's a simple but incredibly powerful narrative that just works because it mirrors how people naturally think and make decisions.
Here's a quick breakdown of how to apply it:
- Problem: Kick things off by hitting on a specific pain point your audience knows all too well. Use language they’d use themselves, something that makes them nod and think, "Yep, that's me." You're building an instant connection.
- Solution: Now, smoothly introduce your product or service as the clear, obvious answer to that problem. This is where you show how it works, but keep it focused on the key actions that make the pain go away.
- Benefit: This is the payoff. Paint a vivid picture of their new reality. Don't just list what your product has; describe how their life gets better. Will they save time? Feel less stressed? Finally achieve that big goal? That’s the stuff that sticks.
This approach forces you to stay customer-centric instead of just rambling on about your product. It’s a core principle of good direct response copywriting and it's gold for video scripts.
Defining Your One Core Message
Before you write a single line, you need to answer one question with absolute clarity: What is the one thing you want your audience to remember?
This is your core message, your north star. Trying to cram too much information into a short video is the most common mistake I see, and it completely waters down the impact. Decide if this is a high-level concept video or a detailed demo of one feature, because that choice will dictate everything else in the script.
A high-level video might focus on the "why" behind your company's mission. For a product demo, the core message could be as simple as "this feature saves you five hours a week." Every line of dialogue, every visual, should support that single idea.
To give you a better feel for structuring this, we've put together a resource you can use as a guide. You can find some great starting points in our sample script outline.
From Script to Storyboard
With your script drafted, the next step is to create a storyboard. Don't worry, you don't need to be an artist—stick figures and basic shapes are all you need. The whole point of a storyboard is to map out the visual flow of your video, scene by scene.
This simple exercise is a lifesaver. A storyboard helps you:
- Check your pacing: You can immediately see if the story feels rushed or drags on.
- Spot visual gaps: It highlights moments where a screen recording, a graphic, or an animation is needed to make a point land.
- Save a ton of time: Catching an awkward transition here is infinitely easier than trying to fix it with re-shoots or complex edits later.
Think of it as a comic strip version of your video. For each key sentence in your script, just sketch what the viewer will see. This crucial step bridges the gap between words on a page and the final video, making the entire production process run so much more smoothly.
Capturing Your Footage Without the Stress
Recording your screen can feel like a high-pressure performance, but let's be real—it doesn't have to be. For software demos and feature walkthroughs, you're not shooting a blockbuster. You just need a clear screen and a calm approach. The goal here is to capture your workflow naturally, not to nail a flawless one-take wonder.
This is a huge mental block for a lot of people. They get caught up trying to make the initial recording perfect, which leads to endless retakes and frustration. Here's a little secret from the trenches: most raw screen recordings, especially the quick ones done with tools like Loom, are 50-100% longer than the final video. That’s not a mistake; it’s just the raw clay you'll sculpt later. The real magic happens in the edit.
Setting Up Your Screen for a Clean Capture
Before you even think about hitting that record button, spend five minutes prepping your screen. Trust me, this tiny bit of prep work will save you hours of headaches down the road. A messy desktop or a random notification can ruin a great take and force you to start all over again. You want a clean, professional, and distraction-free canvas that lets your product shine.
Run through this quick pre-flight checklist:
- Adjust Your Display Resolution: Set your screen to 1920x1080 (1080p). It’s the standard for YouTube, your knowledge base, and just about everywhere else. This keeps your video looking sharp without creating a massive file that’s a pain to upload.
- Clear Your Desktop: Hide every single icon and file. A cluttered background is just noise that pulls your viewer's attention away from your demonstration.
- Close Unnecessary Applications: Get rid of everything that isn't essential for the recording—your email, Slack, extra browser tabs. Everything.
- Silence All Notifications: Nothing screams "amateur" like a calendar reminder or an email notification popping up mid-recording. Mute them all.
This simple setup creates a controlled environment, making sure your audience is focused only on what you want them to see.
The Problem with Traditional Recording Workflows
Alright, your screen is clean. Now what? For years, you were basically stuck with two bad options.
The first was using simple screen recorders like Loom. They're fantastic for quick, informal videos, but easy-to-use recording is often 50-100% longer than necessary, resulting in long, rambling recordings filled with "ums," awkward pauses, and mistakes you just have to live with.
The other path led to professional video editing software such as Camtasia or Adobe Premiere Pro. These are incredibly powerful, no doubt. But they also require expert video editing knowledge. If you’re a product manager or a support specialist, you don’t have time to become a professional video editor just to explain a new feature.
This chasm between "easy but messy" and "professional but complex" is where so many great video ideas go to die. The effort needed to turn a raw recording into a polished, on-brand video was just too much for most busy teams.
A Modern Approach with Tutorial AI
This is where the game has completely changed. With tools like Tutorial AI, you can throw out the old rulebook. Instead of stressing about a perfect performance, you can just record your screen, speak freely, and focus on what you know best—your product. The platform is designed to handle all the imperfections for you.
Tutorial AI specializes in generating video tutorials based on screen recordings for a wide range of needs:
- Demos and explainer videos
- Onboarding videos
- Feature release videos
- Knowledge base videos and support article videos
Tutorial AI's tools let you speak freely without any practice, and still, your video will look professional as if it was edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. It allows the subject matter expert to create on-brand videos extremely efficiently. You no longer have to choose between getting it done fast and getting it done right.
Turning Raw Footage into a Polished Video with AI
You've captured your screen recording. Now comes the part that separates amateur videos from professional ones: the editing. This is where you cut the fluff, fix the inevitable slip-ups, and add the polish that makes your message pop. It’s how a rough take becomes a valuable company asset.
The problem has always been the tools. On one hand, you have simple recorders like Loom, which are great for quick captures. But the raw output is often 50-100% longer than it needs to be, full of awkward pauses and "ums" and "ahs." On the other hand, you have powerhouse editors like Camtasia or Adobe Premiere Pro. They can do anything, but they demand a steep learning curve and a huge time commitment—something most subject matter experts just don't have.
This is exactly where intelligent automation comes in, bridging the gap between dead-simple recording and professional-grade results.
How AI Is Changing Post-Production
Tools like Tutorial AI are completely rethinking the video editing workflow, especially for creating on-brand demos, feature announcements, and knowledge base tutorials. The whole idea is to empower the person who actually knows the product—the subject matter expert—to create high-quality videos without needing a film degree.
This approach takes all the pressure off of recording. You can just talk through your process, make mistakes, and pause to think, knowing that the AI will help you clean it all up in a few clicks. The end result can look like it was painstakingly edited in a complex program, but you never have to touch a confusing timeline.
The biggest game-changer is being able to edit your video just by editing an auto-generated transcript. If you delete a word or sentence from the text, the corresponding video and audio are snipped out instantly. This "edit like a doc" approach makes video editing feel as intuitive as revising a Google Doc.
The demand for these kinds of tools is exploding. The global market for explainer video software was valued at USD 6.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to hit a staggering USD 26.3 billion by 2033. This isn't just a niche trend; it shows how seriously businesses are investing in specialized tools to make complex ideas digestible and engaging for both marketing and internal training.
From Messy Narration to a Flawless Voiceover
Let's be honest: recording a clean, error-free voiceover is a pain. You stumble over a word, cough, or realize you misspoke, forcing you to start the whole section over. It's frustrating and time-consuming.
AI-powered voice regeneration makes this problem disappear. Instead of re-recording, you just fix the typo in the transcript. The platform then regenerates your own voice saying the corrected line perfectly. This feature ensures your final video has a crisp, professional narration, even if your initial recording was a bit messy. It frees you up to focus on the information, not on a flawless vocal delivery.
To make sure your raw footage is as clean as possible for these AI tools, a little prep goes a long way.
Following these three simple steps will minimize distractions and give the AI editor a clean canvas to work with.
Adding Professional Polish with Smart Effects
A good explainer video doesn't just show a screen; it guides the viewer's eye. Modern AI editing tools automate this with features designed for maximum clarity.
Here are a few ways you can add that extra layer of polish in seconds:
- Dynamic Cursor Effects: Don't just show a plain old cursor. Add a highlight, a ripple, or a click animation after the fact to draw attention to exactly what you're doing.
- Smart Zooms: The AI can automatically zoom in on important parts of the screen right when you mention them, making sure your audience never misses a key detail.
- On-Brand Elements: Easily drop in your company's animated intro, custom backgrounds, and logos. This keeps your brand looking consistent and professional across all your video content.
These aren't just fancy add-ons; they are practical tools that help you build better onboarding guides, support tutorials, and other critical training materials. If you want to explore this further, you can check out our guide on the best AI video editing software on the market. This modern approach to video creation ensures everything you produce is not just informative but also perfectly on-brand and engaging for your audience.
Getting Your Video Seen: Distribution for Maximum Reach and Impact
You've created a fantastic explainer video. Now what? Just letting it sit on your hard drive is like throwing away all that hard work. If no one sees it, it can't do its job. A smart, multi-channel distribution strategy is what turns that polished video file into a genuine business asset—one that actually drives engagement and conversions.
Think of your finished video not as a single piece of content, but as the centerpiece of a whole campaign. The full-length, detailed explainer is perfect for your website's landing page or a deep-dive product feature page. But that same video is probably too long for the fast-scrolling world of social media.
Tailoring Your Video for Each Platform
To really get the most bang for your buck, you need to create different versions of your video for different channels. Don't worry, this doesn't mean starting from scratch every time. It’s all about repurposing your main video into smaller, more focused clips.
- Your Website or Landing Page: This is home base. You can embed the full-length video right here, where you have a captive audience actively looking for information.
- YouTube and Vimeo: These are massive video search engines. Upload your main video here, but make sure you’re paying close attention to video SEO (more on that in a bit).
- Social Media (LinkedIn, X): Chop up your video into short, punchy clips. We're talking 15-30 seconds that highlight a single key benefit or a "wow" moment. The goal is to spark curiosity and drive people back to your main landing page.
- Sales Outreach Emails: A personalized video or a quick, concise demo can make your emails impossible to ignore. Try embedding a thumbnail that links to the full video to make your outreach stand out.
- Knowledge Bases and LMS Platforms: For customer support and training, embedding your videos directly into help articles or learning modules is a game-changer. It provides clear, visual answers and takes a load off your support team.
Nailing Your Video SEO
Just like a blog post, your video needs to be optimized so people can find it through search. When you're uploading to platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, don't just hit "publish" and hope for the best. Taking a few minutes to craft the right metadata is critical for discoverability.
A great title is clear, concise, and includes your primary keyword. So instead of "New Feature Demo," try something like "How to Track KPIs with Our New Reporting Dashboard." Your description is where you can elaborate, adding more relevant keywords, a link back to your website, and even a full transcript of the video. Tags help the platform's algorithm figure out what your video is about, so use a mix of broad and specific terms.
A well-optimized video isn't just a marketing asset; it's a conversion powerhouse. Businesses featuring explainer videos on their websites can see up to 80% higher conversion rates. For IT trainers and SaaS knowledge base managers, this impact is undeniable—videos are 53 times more likely to rank on Google's first page. You can dig into more of these stats over at educationalvoice.co.uk.
Your Pre-Launch Distribution Checklist
Before you push your video out into the world, it pays to run through a final checklist. A little prep work now can make a huge difference in how far your video travels.
- Create a Killer Thumbnail: This is your video's first impression, so make it count. Design a custom thumbnail that's bright, clear, and includes text that teases the video's value.
- Add Closed Captions: This is non-negotiable. Captions make your video accessible to everyone, including people with hearing impairments and the huge number of people who watch videos with the sound off. We have a whole guide on how to add captions to videos if you need a hand.
- Prep Your Promotional Copy: Get your social media posts, email announcements, and website blurbs written ahead of time so you're not scrambling on launch day.
- Pick Your Launch Time: Don't just publish whenever. Post your video when your audience is most likely to be online. Check your platform analytics to find the best days and times.
- Schedule Your Promotion: Don't just share it once and forget it. Plan to promote the video across different channels over several days or even weeks to keep the momentum going.
By thinking strategically about distribution, you ensure your explainer video doesn't just get made—it gets seen, drives action, and delivers a real return on your investment.
Common Questions About Creating Explainer Videos
Even with a solid plan in hand, you're bound to have a few questions as you get started. It happens to everyone. Let's walk through some of the most common hurdles I see teams run into, so you can feel confident heading into your project.
What’s the Ideal Length for an Explainer Video?
The short answer? Keep it short.
For most marketing or sales videos, the sweet spot is between 60 and 90 seconds. That gives you just enough runway to hook the viewer, explain the problem, show your solution, and wrap up with a call to action. Any longer, and you start losing people.
Of course, context is everything. Viewer attention spans change depending on where they're watching:
- Social Media: You've got to be fast. Think under 60 seconds—quick, punchy, and built to stop a scroll.
- In-Depth Tutorials: If you're creating a video for a knowledge base or a support article, you have more leeway. These can comfortably run from 2 to 5 minutes, but the key is to break them down into easy-to-follow chapters.
The golden rule is to deliver as much value as possible in the shortest amount of time. Respect your audience's time, and they'll stick around for the whole message.
How Much Does It Cost to Create an Explainer Video?
This is the classic "it depends" question, but the answer has changed dramatically over the last few years.
Traditionally, the cost could be anywhere from a few hundred bucks for a DIY project to over $50,000 if you hired a high-end creative agency. That’s a massive range.
But the game has changed. Modern AI-powered platforms have put professional-quality video within reach for everyone. Instead of a huge one-time expense, a subject matter expert can now create a fantastic-looking video for the cost of a simple monthly subscription.
This shift means you no longer need to budget for separate voice actors, animators, and video editors. Teams can now produce a steady stream of polished, on-brand videos for a tiny fraction of the old-school cost, making video a genuinely sustainable part of their content strategy.
What Tools Do I Need for a Software Explainer Video?
It used to be that you needed a whole arsenal of software to get the job done. The process was fragmented and honestly, a bit of a headache.
A typical workflow would look something like this:
- Screen Recording: First, you'd capture your screen with a tool like Loom.
- Audio Narration: Then, you’d fire up a separate program like Audacity to record your voiceover.
- Video Editing: Finally, you'd have to import everything into a complex editor like Adobe Premiere Pro and painstakingly stitch it all together.
Today, thankfully, it's a different story. Integrated platforms built specifically for subject matter experts bring this entire workflow under one roof. You can record your screen and your voice at the same time, and the tool will automatically transcribe your audio. From there, you edit the video just by editing the text, generate a crystal-clear AI voice, and add professional touches like zooms and highlights—all in one place.
Can I Create an Explainer Video Without Editing Experience?
Absolutely. In fact, this is probably the single biggest win that new AI-powered video tools offer. The days of needing to learn about complex timelines, keyframes, and audio mixing just to make a simple video are over.
Software like Camtasia or Adobe Premiere Pro has a notoriously steep learning curve; they're built for professional editors, not product experts. In contrast, modern AI editors were designed from the ground up for the people who actually know the product best.
The process is refreshingly intuitive. You just talk through your demo naturally, knowing the AI will clean up your mistakes and make the final video look and sound like it was produced in a professional studio. This "edit-like-a-doc" approach removes the technical roadblocks, empowering anyone to turn their expertise into a high-impact video for demos, onboarding, or feature announcements.
Ready to turn your raw screen recordings into professional tutorials without the steep learning curve? Tutorial AI is the all-in-one platform that empowers subject matter experts to create studio-quality videos in minutes. Sign up today and start creating videos that engage, educate, and convert. Learn more at Tutorial.ai.
