A 60-Second Explainer Video: How to Write a Script That Explains Your Service

Most company explainer videos open the same way: a spinning logo, aerial shots of the city, employees smiling at their computers, and a voice saying, "We are the leading company in our field." Twenty seconds in, the viewer has moved on without learning what you actually do.

A good video is written before it's filmed. Below is the structure we write scripts with.

What structure keeps viewers watching?

Three parts, in order: the problem, what you built to solve it, and what changed. We tell every one of our project stories this way, and it works on video because viewers recognize themselves in the first few seconds.

How many words fit in a one-minute video?

A comfortable Arabic voice-over fits about 130 to 150 words a minute, and fewer if you leave room for the visuals to speak. Write the full script, then read it aloud with a stopwatch. If you find yourself rushing, cut a sentence instead of reading faster.

Should the script be in Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect?

That depends on the audience and the platform. Simplified Modern Standard Arabic works across several countries and suits the main video on your website. A local dialect brings the video closer to people and suits social media and ads aimed at a single country.

If you go with a dialect, write the script in it from the start, because converting a formal script into dialect during the recording session sounds forced. If your audience is in Jordan and Saudi Arabia together, consider two versions with different voice-overs over the same footage. That adds a little recording and editing time, and it's usually worth it if the video will run in paid ads in each country. Either way, send the narrator the pronunciation of names and English terms, and read up on audio and voice-over before recording.

How do you write the first ten seconds?

Start with what your customer lives through. "Every child's file at the center is on paper, and the specialist spends the evening grading" grabs a center director more than any company name. Your company name comes later, often at the very end. Many people watch with the sound off, so put that first sentence on screen as text too.

What should the visuals show?

Whatever the script is saying. If the script talks about scheduling sessions, show the scheduling screen itself with dummy data, or an animation that explains it. If you haven't settled on a style yet, see motion graphics or live filming. General shots of the team and office belong at the end, or in a separate video about the company. And don't show images of children or real customers without written consent.

Where does the proof of results come from?

From a number you actually measured, or from a customer saying it in their own voice. In the Enable 360 video, for example, the technical director at Sawa Academy for special education and a parent talk about their experience, and that convinces people more than any line we could write. If you don't have a number yet, describe the change precisely without exaggerating.

Is one version of the video enough?

From the same shoot we produce several versions: the main horizontal version for the website and YouTube, a short vertical version for stories and reels, and a 15-second version for ads that opens straight on the problem. Plan this before filming so the shots are framed to work in both orientations.

What are the common mistakes in an explainer video script?

The most frequent one is trying to say everything. The company offers six services, so the script tries to mention all of them in a minute, and the viewer ends up remembering none. Pick one service or one problem per video, and make another video for the rest.

The second mistake is brochure language: "We provide high-quality services using the latest technologies." Any competitor could say that sentence, so it adds nothing. Replace it with what actually happens: "We deliver the report the same day instead of in a week." The third is long text over a busy image, which forces viewers to choose between reading and watching. If the image is explaining something, give it two seconds without narration.

Another mistake is writing the script without looking at what customers say. Read their messages and questions on WhatsApp and email before you write, and use their words, since those are the words they'll recognize in the video.

Finally, there's the weak ending. Many scripts close with a logo, a phone number, a website link and social media handles all at once, and the viewer doesn't know what to do. Choose one step that fits where the video is shown: a "Send message" button in an ad, a quote request form on your website, a link to the service page in the YouTube description. Say that step in the voice-over and show it as on-screen text, and keep it up long enough to read.

What should you check before sending the script to production?

• Would someone who doesn't know you understand what you do after ten seconds?
• Does the script include at least one number or tangible change?
• Does it end with one clear step?
• Does the video work without sound, using on-screen text?
• Have you read it aloud within the target time?

We write scripts, film, animate and edit as part of our media and video production service. Tell us about your product or service and we'll send you a draft script before any filming.

Questions our partners ask

Written by the Visual Innovate team, the people who build, host and follow up systems, websites and apps for our clients in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt.