Reasons why your explainer video didn’t work
Like most businesses that wanted to build a good brand identity, you created an explainer video too with the belief that it will work wonders for you. More so because 85% of all Internet users consume video content every month on any of their devices. Understanding what is an explainer video and its strategic purpose helps frame why simply creating a video isn’t enough, success requires avoiding common pitfalls in planning, production, and distribution.
So you got out of your way to create an explainer video for your brand. But alas, the results didn’t pan out the way you expected it to. While your video might be of high-quality, it did not engage with your audience. Why?
Do not worry, there is always a solution at the end of the tunnel. The first step is to identify the mistakes that you committed. Then rework on it to get the results you always wanted.
Here are 7 reasons why your explainer video didn’t work:
#1 It is too long:
A study by Microsoft says that the ubiquitous use of mobile phones and instant messaging apps is the reason behind our dwindling attention span. In fact, our attention span has reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds, that’s lower than a goldfish.
Did you think that your viewers will sit through your 5-minute long explainer video? No way. Even if it were to solve all their problems, it is difficult to hook them for five minutes. The ideal length for an explainer video is 90 seconds. Anything more and you would end up losing their attention.
Get to the point immediately, be succinct with your words, keep the length at 90 seconds and you are sure to keep them engrossed. An experienced animated explainer video company would be able to add elements that interest your audience without having to create longer videos.
#2 Your targeting is wrong:
Why would someone who is an executive be interested in a product that only CXOs use? They wouldn’t be interested at all. Not everyone is your customer. Find your customer persona and target your explainer video to them with content focused on them.
If your targeting is wrong, then your explainer video will post lower conversions, show awful engagement and will hardly elicit any interest even from your target audience. Craft your content only to a potential customer who would be interested. This way, you will be able to give them something that they are looking for.
Your audience should be able to relate to your explainer video, otherwise, they will never be able to understand the benefits that you offer.
#3 You didn’t talk benefits:
Customers don’t care if you have an uber-cool feature that sends notifications using different fonts and colors. They don’t care. All they would like to know from you is how does it benefit them. If your video only explained about features that you thought they liked but gave them no explanation of how it would benefit them, there will be discord. Always talk about benefits. Always.
Taking pride in your features is fine, but the customer doesn’t care about it. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and think about what would they like to hear from you. Your explainer video should hit the right points where you can emotionally connect with them thanks to the benefits your product provides. A professional animated explainer video company would be able to explain your business benefits clearly and get your messaging right.
#4 Your video was inconsistent:
There are many elements in an explainer video that makes it a roaring success. Consistency in terms of messaging is one. If your explainer video doesn’t feel cohesive, then the viewer might not be able to connect with it. Sure, the explainer video can be loaded with surprises, but it should be consistent in terms of its messaging, look, style, tone and voice.
Get the help of an animated video company that can help create a video that feels that the events shown in the video are related to each other.
#5 Poor script:
If the storyline is bad, nothing else matters. No matter how good your editing and animation team is, if the script is bad, it will be a failure. In fact, a well-crafted script is the centrepiece of your explainer video. If it is not up to the market, do not bother working on the rest of the aspects.
Novice business owners want to save a few dollars on the script and insist on writing it themselves to end up creating a poorly written one. Only a professional animated explainer video company which has an in-house scriptwriter can give you video-worthy scripts. They know the different aspects of an explainer video like the importance of a punch line, storytelling, etc.
#6 You did it on your own:
The first step in creating an explainer video should be to hire a professional animated explainer video company. There are certain things where doing in-house work will only end in disaster for you. This is one of them. You cannot do the voice over for your brand’s video by yourself. Only a professional explainer video company would know which music to use. A novice would end up using music that would lower the value of their brand. Find a company that has the wherewithal to create engaging explainer videos that will help grow your business.
Understanding Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
While the seven reasons above explain why specific videos fail, many underperforming videos stem from broader production errors and false assumptions. For comprehensive tactical guidance on avoiding production pitfalls, explainer video mistakes and 8 common errors and how to avoid them provides detailed frameworks for preventing failures at every production stage, from goal-setting through platform optimization.
Beyond tactical mistakes, many video failures originate from operating under false assumptions about what makes explainer videos effective. Explainer video myths and 7 misconceptions that might be costing you debunks common beliefs about production costs, necessary video length, and animation style requirements that lead companies to make poor strategic decisions from the planning stage.
Additionally, myths about explainer videos addresses broader misconceptions that undermine video effectiveness, while five myths about animated explainer video specifically tackles false assumptions about animated formats, covering beliefs about production timelines, cost structures, and creative limitations that cause companies to either avoid video entirely or approach production with unrealistic expectations.
Common myths that lead to video failure:
- “Longer videos provide more value” – Actually, concise videos maintain higher engagement and completion rates
- “Animation is too expensive for small businesses” – Cost-effective options exist across quality tiers
- “One video works everywhere” – Platform-specific optimization dramatically improves performance
- “Professional production isn’t necessary” – DIY videos often damage brand perception more than they help
- “Features matter more than benefits” – Viewers care about outcomes, not specifications
Understanding why these misconceptions persist, and how they lead to video failures, helps you approach production with evidence-based expectations rather than assumptions that undermine effectiveness.
Conclusion:
These are some of the mistakes that most businesses do when it comes to explainer videos. It can go mighty wrong for you if you don’t take the help of businesses that are into this profession. Focus on the storyline, content, video quality, animation aspects and so on to create something that will improve the value of your brand exponentially.
Choose a professional explainer video company so that you can avoid these mistakes. You will not only save a lot of time and money but also avoid creating a dent in your brand name. Ensure that you go through the explainer video company’s portfolio before you start working with them.
At MotionVillee, we want to give you the best experience with animated explainer videos so that you can create a tremendous difference to your brand. If you are looking forward to create an explainer video that truly reflects who you are as a brand, then look no further. Motionvillee’s professional explainer video production services help you avoid these common pitfalls through strategic planning and expert execution. As a leading video production company serving businesses across the USA, we guide clients through every production phase, ensuring your video investment delivers measurable business results rather than joining the ranks of underperforming content.
