Across platforms like Google, Meta, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Programmatic networks, explainer video advertisement provides the highest conversion rates. From cold attention to qualified clicks and conversions.
This guide explains:
- How to choose the right explainer video format based on the platform
- the length that works best, and structuring it to ensure a consistently increasing ROI versus just maximizing impressions.
The reasons why explainer video ads perform so well
What is an Explainer Video? An explainer video is a simple and concise way to increase your customers’ awareness of who you are, what you are offering them, and how to make their buying decision easier.
With explainer videos, you effectively condense your value proposition. So that potential customers ask themselves the questions “What is this?”, “Why should I care?” and “What do I do now?”
Explainer video ads also remove barriers from the buying process. And begin building a positive relationship with the user before they even visit your website.
- About 89% of companies will use video advertising in 2025. Showing that video is no longer a side project for businesses, but rather a major focus for them.
- According to 88% of marketers, video will be crucial to their advertising efforts. And 95% of B2B purchasers view video as something that is vital to aid them through the purchasing cycle.
- 81% of individuals have either purchased/downloaded an app due to watching a promotional video for it. While 83% of consumers desire further promotional videos from various brands by 2025.
The Psychology Behind Explainer Video Ads
Explainer advertisements are effective because they address cognitive overload, are often presented using a narrative format, and visually illustrate desired results or end products from the use of your product.
- The “problem-solution” narrative format allows viewers to quickly identify your product as a solution to their pain points. It increases perceived relevance and helps them remember your product.
- The optimum delivery time of two minutes quickly aligns with current time-based attention spans while still providing valuable insight(s).
What Are The Most Effective Types Of Explainer Video Advertisements? Where Do They Excel?
Depending on which social media/advertising platforms you use to promote your product, the different explainer video ad formats can perform very differently. Therefore, your target audience must be taken into consideration when selecting your explainer ad format. Selecting an appropriate format can be the deciding factor on whether or not your target audience will stop scrolling and engage with your ad.
Additional Read:
How Explainers are Transforming Healthcare & Simplifying Information?
Video Advertising Explainers in Animation
Animation helps explain product (in)formation through the motion graphics, icons, characters and/or straightforwardly understandable visual metaphors.
Best For:
- SaaS, Fintech, API ViewerOffers; Platforms that Serve Users B2B and Services that are technical and/or abstract (but informative).
- Cold and Warm Audiences on (Advertising) YouTube, Meta, and LinkedIn that provide the opportunity for Trial/Demo After Having Consumed Advertisement.
Reasons for Success in Educating Customers about a Product in Video Advertising:
- All Frame Setup – Each Frame in an Animated Ad has a maximum exposure opportunity. The Customer to See Benefits of the Product, Steps to Accomplish Goals, and User Interfaces without Production Challenges.
- Brand Recognition Consistency – The Colors of Your Brand System Used in an Animated Explainer Ad will Improve Brand Recognition. Each Campaign That Uses A Consistent Typography and Illustration Style Similar to the Animated Explainer Ad.
- Localized – The Voiceover and On-Screen Text in an Animated Explainer can Be Substituted for Other Markets Without Reshooting Video.
Live-Action Video Advertising
Great for:
- DTC products, eCommerce, fitness, education, and service-based products in which trust, emotions, and physical attractiveness play an important role.
- The advertising method will utilize social (Meta, TikTok), YouTube (pre-roll ads), landing page (homepage).
Reasons that work:
- Human Connection – Facial recognition/identity = credibility. Client testimonials, founder stories, and the like.
- Social Proof – Using user-generated content or actual customer experiences/feedback allows for a more authentic feel to the advertising.
Product Walkthrough UI/Explainer advertisement examples
UI Explainer advertisements usually contain a screen captureof how an application works. As well as modelled UI visuals of how the application works.
Target Market for UI Explainers
- UI Explainer advertising is ideal for Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings, dashboards, utility applications, no-code tools, and mobile applications.
- When Users are in the consideration/decision-making phases and looking for an application. They want to see that application first before they sign up for a free trial/demo.
Benefits of Advertising UI Explainers
- When potential clients are trying to learn “how does it work?” Seeing the application will take away any doubts about it being difficult to use.
- In-feed video ads on LinkedIn and YouTube, and retargeting ads for driving conversions (signups or trials) perform very well.
Hybrid Explainer advertisements
Hybrid explainer video advertisements generally combine different approaches to produce high-performing campaigns
- You can use a hybrid approach to show UI and also convey the importance of human interaction (emotion) and/or brand recognition (founder).
- You can produce one hybrid creative asset that can be used across multiple platforms at the same time and you have many creative options.
the Ideal Length & Structure
Length and structure are key elements that affect the performance of an explainer video ad
Key Concept: The goal of an explainer video ad is to achieve not only brevity but also to have a length and narrative depth that correspond with placement and intent.
Explainer Video Ad Length Recommendations Based on Funnel Stage
- Awareness (Cold Audiences) – For awareness campaigns (i.e., campaigns targeting new or mildly engaged customers), the recommended length is 6 to 15 seconds. The short time frame allows marketers to create very focused advertisements, with a single objective: Present the customer with a core pain point and a clear call to action.
- Consideration (Warm Audiences) – For campaigns targeting customers who are already aware of a product and are considering a purchase, the optimum time frame is 15 to 45 seconds. The time available, however, will allow for sufficient detail to present the problem-solution-benefit format for ads without sacrificing conciseness.
- Decision (Hot Audiences) – For campaigns targeting customers who have already expressed intent to purchase, the optimum time frame for more detailed demos, walkthroughs, or testimonial-led explainer ads, is 30 to 90 seconds. This format works best on YouTube in-stream and LinkedIn feeds when driving trials, demos, and high-intensity leads.
Research on explainer video advertising indicates that shorter, tightly scripted explainer video advertisements perform best. Longer explainer videos (up to two minutes) perform better on landing and product pages.
This is a generic guide to creating an ideal explainer ad (through the structure). Simplifying your explainer ad into a repetitive pattern ensures clarity on the conversion side.
To create your own explainer ads, follow the same basic framework:
- Bait 0 – 3 seconds = Call out pain, Attention-grabbing statement, early interruption.
- Issue 3 – 8 seconds = Show your customers that you understand their pain or obstacle
- Resolution 8 – 20 seconds = Your Product is their obvious solution. You will present it and provide a value proposition
- How it Functions 10 – 40 seconds Must review high priority functions (Visual presentation of each), Number of steps taken, Shared functions of Similar Items
- Evidence = An added piece of proof/validation (your source, such as testimonials/branding from famous companies, would be helpful to build credibility)
- CTA (last 3 – 5 seconds) Be specific, direct, and in line with your marketing funnel
(Continue to learn or Watch For Free or Book A Demo/Shop Now).
This guide should fit well with the structure of High-Performing Explainer Campaigns and support both AEO’s AI Summary and Human Understanding.
The same type of explainer video can be used for more than one outlet, but it is not typically used in its original form. Different outlets have preferred sizes, behaviours of consumption and creative parameters.
YouTube and Google Video Campaigns
Because the user experience on YouTube is video-centric and there are a large number of people who visit YouTube to learn, YouTube is a strong platform for the use of explainer videos.
YouTube help and ad specs:
Skippable in-stream ads:
- Time limit: 12 seconds-3 minutes; the most successful explainer ads are usually under 60-90 seconds.
- The location of the ad: These ads can show up either before, in the middle of or at the end of your video; the viewer can skip this ad after 5 seconds.
Non-skippable in-stream ads:
- Time limit: 15-20 seconds, depending on where the ad is showing.
- Best for short explainer ads with a single clear message.
Bumper ads:
- Time limit: 6 seconds or less; cannot be skipped.
- Best for quick “teaser” videos to promote the product or service and be remembered for future purchases.
YouTube’s Best Video Formats For Explainer Videos
You can create effective explainer videos on YouTube by utilising a variety of formats and styles.
- For instance, if you’re creating video ads for YouTube skippable in-stream ads, the 30-60 second animated or hybrid video format would be considered the best explainer video format.
- If you’re creating video ads for non-skippable YouTube in-stream ads (YouTube shorts) you will want to create 15-second live-action or animation explainers.
- To create a good frequency to remember your explainer video, you may wish to create a 6-second bumper cutdown of your full 30-60 sec explainer videos as well.
When advertising on Facebook and Instagram, your video ads must stand out amongst the fast-paced visual feeds. Here are some tips for creating great Facebook and Instagram explainer video ads.
General Video Creation Tips For Facebook & Instagram
- When creating your video ads for Facebook and instagram use either Square (1:1) or Vertical (4:5, 9:16) format.
- Facebook and Instagram support many formats and video lengths, but short (15-30 seconds) video ads typically perform better when acquiring customers.
Recommended Formats For Explainer Video Ads On Facebook & Instagram
- 15-30 second animated explainers should have captions that are bold and easy to read, and minimal reliance on sound.
- For DTC brands, live-action explainer videos featuring their founder or user-generated content (UGC), are effective for Optimised for Vertical Reels and Stories on Facebook and Instagram.
- To create an easy-to-read video explainer for mobile app Users (UI), use simple on-screen text and thumb-friendly production values.
Tips For Creating Meta Explainer Video Ads:
- Meta ads should be designed for people who will view them without audio. Instead of relying on sound, create animated images, icons, progress bars, and text for the viewer to understand what’s happening in the video.
- Create a visually appealing ad in the first 3 seconds using eye-catching animations and telling the viewer what benefit they’ll receive, which will help prevent them from scrolling away from the ad.
LinkedIn Explainer Video Ads:
LinkedIn is a great platform for B2B explainers and SaaS/consulting/complex services, especially during MoFu/BoFu.
Video specifications/guidelines for LinkedIn Video Ads:
- LinkedIn supports all video formats – Horizontal/Vertical/Square. Square and VERTICAL Video Ads tend to perform the best in mobile-heavy feeds.
- Usually, Sponsored Content Video Ads are best under 30 seconds. If your product is too complex, you may want to create Sponsored Content Video Ads that are 90 seconds long.
The best formats to use are:
- Animated/HYBRID explainers explaining B2B products (average length 20-45 seconds).
- UI/Product Walkthrough Demonstrating Dashboard/Reports/Workflow (“How It Works”).
- Thought Leadership or “In The Market” Video explaining/Presenting Solutions from Founders/Subject Matter Experts.
Tips:
- Start with clearly stating the pain point your industry is experiencing (in the Video and the Headline). For example, “Struggling with X?”
- Combining Video Ads with Lead Gen Forms/Demo CTA works well in Decision Stage campaigns.
Display, Programmatic, and Landing Pages
Video assets that explain your product can also be used in HTML5, CTV/OTT, as well as Leverage CTV/OTT and Embed on a landing page.
- It is best to include an explainer video on Landing Pages, especially if it is placed at the top of the page. This will improve conversion rates over text-only pages significantly.
- Condensed explainers (15–30 seconds long) work well in CTV/OTT due to their Lean-Back Environment.
How to Choose the Right Type of [Explainer] for Your Campaign
Choose an explainer format based on three key elements: campaign goal, target audience, and distribution channel.
Step 1:
Establish the Campaign Goal
- Use an animated or live-action explainer to establish initial awareness of the brand and highlight the issue.
- Use UIs or hybrid explainers to help build the audience’s consideration of your product through increased detail about how it functions.
- When targeting conversions with your explainer, make sure to remove all remaining obstacles to purchase with an in-depth but concise walkthrough or via testimonials.
Step 2:
Match Format to Complexity/Risk
- Use animated and UI focused explainers for products that are high in complexity (SaaS, B2B, Fintech), as this format tends to resonate better with an audience.
- For items of low complexity (consumer tech, beauty products/fitness items) or impulse buys, use a live-action format or UGC (user-generated content) explained style format, as these types of formats tend to convert better in feeds such as Meta and TikTok.
- If the purchase decision is high risk (enterprise software, healthcare, finance), then use longer-form explainers featuring validation points and short snippets of case studies. These explainers tend to have good performance on YouTube and LinkedIn.
Step 3:
Factor in Audience Stage – Creative Fatigue
- Rotate through multiple formats to minimize fatigue by doing the following:
- Use animated explainers for awareness; then, once you retarget your audience, you can use testimonials or live action formats to drive consideration.
- Refresh your hook, call to action, and first five seconds more frequently than the core mid-section(s) of the explainer.
Explainer Video Ads Format Table by Platform
Creative Best Practices for High-Performing Explainer Video Ads
1. One Core Promise Explainer Ad Script
The performance of an advertisement will suffer if an advertiser tries to convey too many things in a single advertisement.
- Therefore, an advertiser should concentrate on creating a single explainer advertisement that offers the overall promise of the advertisement. Or the overall result of a product or service, which gives that clear focus to the viewer.
- Headlines must also be clear. Headlines in scripts and in on-screen text must be the same. Any secondary features should be saved for retargeting or landing pages after initial income has been generated.
2. Design for a “Mobile First” Audience
Most of the impressions on Meta platforms, and an increasing number of impressions from YouTube and LinkedIn, are from mobile devices.
- This means that advertisements must have larger typeface, catchy headlines, and bold colors.
- When creating an advertisement, keep in mind where the main subject will be placed to reduce the risk of being cut off by different placements.
3. Optimize Your Hook in the First 3–5 seconds
In many cases, the hook for a video will determine the overall CPR more than any other factors.
- All videos should have a strong emotional “pattern interrupt” at the beginning of the video. This could be an unexpected visual experience (camera angle switch) or using an attractive contrast between “before” and “after.”
- When creating a video for YouTube, be sure to include the problem being solved, and then quickly move into the solution (product) prior to the viewer being able to skip ahead.
4. Create a Video Without Sound On
Many feeds autoplay videos without sound (especially on Meta and LinkedIn).
- All information that is conveyed with voice must also be conveyed visually. By adding captions (burned-in), user interface icons, clicks or swipes, and progress indicators.
- Consider building a visual representation of the verbal structure of the video; it will reinforce the story of the advertisement.
5. Add Testimonial and Statistics
Explainer ads that can show actual proof of the benefits of the product outperform explainer ads that only make claims.
- As much as possible, include quick statistics or testimonials from people within the advertisement that represent “trust” and well-known logos.
- Also, consider adding animated snippets of customer testimonials or using overlays of direct quotes to the advertisement.
Strategy for Testing and Optimizing Explainer Video Ads
Without testing plans for your explainer video ads, they tend to get average performance. However, with this framework, you can methodically optimise CTRs, CVRs, and CPAs.
Starting with Your Tests
- Hooks: Use various hook lines; either using different opening approaches, pain points or visuals, to test how effective different hooks perform.
- Length: Perform a side-by-side test between a 15 second, 30 second and 45-second explainer of the same explainer video
- Format: Test animated vs live action vs hybrid format explainer video ads.
- CTAs: Try using the CTAs “Learn More”, “Try Free”, “Get Demo” and “Shop Now” based upon the viewer’s intent
Using Explainer Video Assets throughout the Funnel
- Top of Funnel – Use short teaser explainer videos and bumper-style cut downs for reach and engagement.
- Middle of Funnel – Run longer (30 – 60 second) sized explainer video ads to warm audiences that have viewed videos on your site or engaged, if they have been a visitor to your site.
- Bottom of Funnel – Use detailed walkthroughs, full demonstrations and user testimonials for abandonment issues with cart abandonment users, trial users after dismissal due to too many messages or after they have been contacted to abandon their cart as a CRM segment.
Multichannel Your Explainer Video Assets
A multi-channel system can be created, allowing you to turn a single production’s assets to promote multiple marketing strategies.
Common Mistakes with Explainer Videos
- Fitting your entire pitch deck into a single, 30-second video.
- Not taking advantage of the native behaviours that are common on many of the social media platforms where explainer videos are shown (for example, no captions on Meta, etc., using wider formatting on mobile).
- Using generic images or footage instead of specific images that show the customer’s needs or the features of the product being purchased.
- Relying on one “Hero” explainer and not running the tests for experimentation across the various placements.
By correcting these common mistakes, it may be possible to elicit increased viewer engagement and lower CPA results over time.
Conclusion
KrishaStudio builds strategy-first explainer video ads from start to finish, and always thinks of how they will be seen in the paid media space, vs just thinking about how they are going to look on your brand deck.
The result of this is to work with companies from script to storyboard to build a platform-specific cut-down for various social media networks (YouTube, Meta, LinkedIn, etc.) to convert complicated concepts into convertable, testable creatives that can drive sales, demo sign-ups, and revenue.
