What Is an Explainer Video and Which Businesses Need It Most?

Every business eventually faces the same challenge: how do you explain what you do to someone who has never heard of you? This is the problem an explainer video solves.

An explainer video is a short-form video, typically 60 to 120 seconds, designed to communicate a product, service, process, or idea clearly and compellingly. It combines visuals, narration, and motion to take a viewer from confusion to clarity in the shortest possible time.

At Sixteen By Nine Media, we have produced explainer videos for clients across sectors ranging from renewable energy and fintech to pharmaceuticals and industrial manufacturing. This article breaks down exactly what an explainer video is, the different formats it takes, and the specific types of businesses that get the highest return from investing in one.

What Exactly Is an Explainer Video?

An explainer video is not a brand film, a product demo, or a testimonial reel, though it can borrow elements from all three. Its singular purpose is explanation: to move someone from "I do not understand this" to "I get it, and I want to know more."

The classic explainer video follows a four-part structure that we have refined through several productions:

• Problem: Open by identifying the audience's pain point. This immediately earns attention.

• Solution: Introduce your product or service as the answer to that specific problem.

• How It Works: Give a simple, visual walkthrough of the process or product in action.

• Call to Action: Tell the viewer exactly what to do next.

This structure works because it mirrors the way humans naturally process information. We pay attention to things that affect us, and we remember solutions to problems we recognise.

Have a look at the Explainer Videos Made by SBN Media

2. Waaree Radiance Solar Kit B2C Campaign

Industry: Solar

Watch the Solar B2C Campaign video

3. Waaree | Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS)

Industry: Solar

Watch the Waaree BESS video

4. OneAssist Appliance Protection Campaign

Industry: Insurance

Watch the Last Mile Ad Film

Watch the TV Protection Plan Ad Film

Watch the Accidental & Liquid damage Laptop plan Ad Film

Watch the Washing Machine Extended Warranty Ad film

5. Harkesh Rubber Cryogenic Deflashing Showcase

Industry: Rubber Parts Manufacturing

Watch the Cryogenic Deflashing showcase video

What Are the Main Formats of Explainer Videos?

Explainer videos are not one-size-fits-all. The format you choose depends on your audience, budget, timeline, and the nature of what you are explaining. Here are the formats we work with most frequently at SBN Media:

2D Animation

Clean, character-driven, and highly versatile. Ideal for software products, financial services, healthcare, and any offering that is abstract or difficult to film. 2D animation gives you complete creative control over visuals and is cost-effective to revise.

Motion Graphics and Infographic Video

Data-rich and precise. Best suited for B2B products, technical processes, and industries where accuracy and credibility are paramount, such as manufacturing, logistics, or infrastructure. Motion graphics turn complex statistics and processes into visual flows that are easy to follow.

Live Action with Graphics Overlay

Combines real footage of your product, team, or environment with animated text and graphics. This format builds human connection while still explaining the offering clearly. We use this frequently for corporate services, real estate, and healthcare brands.

Screencast and Product Walkthrough

For SaaS platforms, apps, and digital tools, a screen recording with a voiceover is often the fastest way to explain functionality. Simple to produce and highly effective in onboarding flows and sales decks.

Whiteboard Animation

A hand-drawn-on-whiteboard style that has proven effective for educational content, internal training, and step-by-step process explanations. It conveys complexity without overwhelming the viewer.

Explainer Video Formats at a Glance

Which Businesses Need Explainer Videos the Most?

Almost any business can benefit from an explainer video, but certain sectors and business models see a particularly strong return. Here is how we assess fit when a new client comes to us:

1. B2B Software and SaaS Companies

If your product lives on a screen, a static image cannot do it justice. SaaS companies often struggle with the "landing page bounce" problem: a visitor arrives, reads a paragraph of feature copy, and leaves without ever understanding the core value. An explainer video placed above the fold can resolve this in under 90 seconds.

We have worked with technology and fintech clients, including platforms serving institutional users such as Alphagrep, where the challenge is always the same: complex functionality, sophisticated audience, very little patience for confusion. An explainer video that respects the viewer's intelligence while making the offering immediately clear is a significant competitive advantage.

2. Financial Services and Fintech

Finance has a trust problem and a complexity problem simultaneously. Explainer videos address both by making products feel approachable and easy to understand, while the quality of the production builds credibility. Whether the product is a mutual fund, an insurance offering, or a trading platform, a well-crafted explainer video helps potential customers feel confident before they ever speak to a sales representative.

3. Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Brands

Medical products and services often require a patient or healthcare professional to understand a mechanism of action, a treatment pathway, or a procedural step. This is content that cannot afford to be misunderstood. Explainer videos let healthcare brands control the narrative with precision while making clinical information accessible.

4. Renewable Energy and Infrastructure

Solar panels, energy storage systems, and industrial equipment are all physical products, but their value proposition is often abstract: savings over time, environmental impact, and long-term reliability. Explainer videos bridge the gap between the tangible product and the intangible benefit.

We have produced video content for Waaree Energies and Finolex Cables, and in both cases, the brief involved communicating technical merit to an audience that was evaluating multiple suppliers. A clear, professional explainer video that breaks down how a product works and why it performs the way it does is one of the most effective tools in that sales process.

5. EdTech and Online Learning Platforms

Explaining a learning platform is circular if you do it poorly: you are using text to explain why your platform is better at teaching than text. Explainer videos let EdTech brands demonstrate the experience rather than describe it. Animation and motion graphics are particularly well-suited here because they can show learning outcomes, platform interfaces, and student journeys simultaneously.

6. Real Estate and Property Development

For under-construction projects, an explainer video is often the only way to show a buyer what they are investing in. Walkthrough animations, project overview videos, and lifestyle explainers help buyers visualise value at a stage where there is nothing physical to visit. This significantly shortens the consideration phase.

7. Startups and New Product Launches

Every startup has the same core challenge: they are asking someone to trust a product that does not yet have a track record. An explainer video is arguably the highest-leverage marketing asset a startup can produce, because it establishes what the product does, who it is for, and why it matters in the time it takes to watch a short video.

Investors, accelerator panels, and early customers all respond better to a clear visual explanation than to a slide deck or a product brief. We have seen pitch success rates improve considerably when founders replace a static slide with a 90-second animated explainer in their deck.

8. Industrial and Manufacturing Brands

Industrial products are some of the hardest to explain through static content. The value of a fastener system, an automotive component, or a specialised piece of machinery often lies in its engineering and performance characteristics that are invisible to the eye. Motion graphics and 3D animation can show internal mechanisms, assembly processes, and performance data in a way that no photograph or brochure can.

Our work with clients like Roofix Fasteners and Anand Automotive has reinforced this point: when your buyer is a procurement professional or an engineer, they need to understand how the product works at a technical level before they will trust it. Explainer videos provide that understanding quickly.

Where Should You Use Explainer Videos?

One of the most common questions we hear is: "Where should this video actually live?" The answer is that a well-produced explainer video is one of the most reusable assets in your marketing toolkit. Here is where we recommend placing them:

• Website Homepage or Product Page: Above-the-fold placement on a landing page can reduce bounce rate and increase time on site significantly.

• Sales Decks and Pitch Presentations: A 90-second video in a pitch deck does more explanatory work than multiple slides.

• Email Campaigns: Including links to your explainer videos in emails can help your target audience understand your offerings in a better way.

• Trade Shows and Events: A looping explainer on a display screen communicates your offering to every visitor, even when your team is engaged elsewhere.

• Onboarding Flows: For SaaS and digital products, an explainer video in the onboarding sequence reduces churn by helping new users reach their first success moment faster.

• Social Media: Cut-down versions of explainer videos perform well as paid ads on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, particularly for B2B products.

• Investor and Partner Communication: A well-produced explainer video signals seriousness and investment in the brand, which matters to stakeholders beyond end customers.

How SBN Media Approaches Explainer Video Production

Over years of producing explainer videos across industries, we have developed a process that consistently delivers clarity and impact. Here is how a typical project flows:

• Discovery and Brief Alignment: We start with the business objective, not the creative concept. Who is the viewer? What do they need to understand? What should they do next? These questions shape everything.

• Script Development: Our writers craft scripts that lead with the viewer's problem, not the client's product. The script is the foundation; a strong script makes every subsequent production decision easier.

• Visual Direction and Storyboarding: We map out every scene before a single frame is animated or filmed. Storyboarding ensures the visual story matches the narrative and allows clients to provide feedback before production begins.

• Voiceover and Sound Design: Tone, pacing, and music all contribute to how trustworthy and credible a video feels. We work with professional voice artists and source music that reinforces the brand's character.

• Animation or Filming: Whether we are working in 2D animation, motion graphics, or live action, we bring broadcast-quality production values to every project.

• Review and Delivery: We build structured review rounds into every project timeline. Clients receive the video in formats optimised for every intended use case.

Frequently Asked Questions About Explainer Videos

How much does an explainer video cost?

The investment varies based on format, length, and complexity. A motion graphics explainer video typically requires more production time than a screencast. At SBN Media, we recommend discussing your objective first and then finding the format that delivers the best outcome within your budget.

How long does it take to produce an explainer video?

For most explainer video projects, we work within a 1-2 week timeline from brief to final delivery. Complex animated productions or projects requiring multiple revision rounds may take longer. We set clear milestones at the start of every project.

Do you provide the script, or do we need to write it?

We offer full scripting services. Our writers develop the script collaboratively with your team, ensuring the content reflects your brand voice and product accuracy while remaining engaging and clear for your target audience.

Can an explainer video work for a highly technical product?

This is where explainer videos shine. Motion graphics and animation can visualise mechanisms, processes, and abstract concepts that would be impossible to communicate through live action alone. We have produced technical explainer videos for pharmaceutical, industrial, and financial products.

What languages and markets can you produce explainer videos for?

We produce videos for Indian and international markets. This includes English, Hindi, and regional language versions. Voiceover localisation and subtitle adaptation are standard services we offer alongside primary production.

How do I know if my business actually needs an explainer video?

A simple test: ask five people outside your industry to explain your product or service after reading your current website. If they struggle, an explainer video is worth considering seriously. The faster someone understands your offering, the more likely they are to engage.

Where is SBN Media based, and do you work with clients outside India?

We are based in Mumbai and work with clients across India and internationally. Our production process is built to accommodate remote collabora

The Bottom Line: When an Explainer Video Is Worth the Investment

An explainer video is worth investing in when clarity is the barrier between your audience and conversion. If your product is genuinely good but people do not understand it quickly enough to give it a chance, an explainer video removes that barrier directly.

The businesses that benefit most are those with complex or unfamiliar offerings, long consideration cycles, or audiences who need to see something to believe in it. That covers a wide range of categories: B2B software, fintech, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, renewable energy, real estate, and every early-stage startup trying to earn trust before it has a track record.

At SBN Media, we have seen clients use a single well-produced explainer video to shorten their sales cycle, improve landing page conversion, and walk into investor meetings with significantly more confidence. The video does not replace the salesperson or the pitch deck. It ensures that by the time either of those comes into play, the audience already understands the value.

When clarity is the last thing standing between your audience and a decision, an explainer video is the right investment.

Reach out to SBN Media and let's build an explainer video that does the job right.