For years, whitepapers have been the go-to method for educating potential customers—especially in B2B and SaaS spaces. But in today’s fast-moving digital environment, there’s a new contender: explainer videos.

More than 80% of people now prefer video over text when learning about a product or service.

If you’re still relying on whitepapers alone, you may be losing attention—and conversions.

Want to upgrade your customer education strategy today?
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The Problem with Traditional Whitepapers

Whitepapers offer depth—but they come with challenges:

• Lengthy content often gets skimmed or ignored
  
• Requires time and focus most users don’t have
  
• Lacks emotional engagement compared to visual media
  
• Not ideal for mobile users who want fast, digestible information
  
• Hard to repurpose across multiple platforms
  

In short: They’re useful for analysts—not for busy decision-makers.

Why Explainer Videos Are the Modern Alternative

Explainer videos combine simplicity, storytelling, and strategy to deliver the same value—faster and more memorably.

At Spire Video, we help brands distill complex whitepaper content into 60- to 90-second videos that boost engagement and drive action.

Benefits of explainer videos:

• Grab attention in the first 5 seconds
  
• Simplify complex concepts using visuals and narration
  
• Trigger emotion and trust with tone and pacing
  
• Improve retention (viewers remember 95% of a video’s message)
  
• Perform better across platforms—from social media to email campaigns
  

Explore how we do this in our custom explainer videos for business.

When to Use Video Instead of a Whitepaper

You don’t have to eliminate whitepapers altogether—but here’s where videos win:

• Explaining a new product or service
  
• Introducing your brand to top-of-funnel audiences
  
• Turning gated content into top-performer lead magnets
  
• Replacing large support docs with 90-second walkthroughs
  
• Visualizing case study results for sales presentations
  

Want to turn an existing whitepaper into a video? Visit our Services page and let’s talk.

What’s Included in a Content-to-Video Package

We take your existing whitepaper or presentation deck and build a full video experience:

• Content audit + visual script outline
  
• Voiceover by professional talent
  
• Custom animation to reflect data, workflows, or UI
  
• Branded colors, icons, and style
  
• Two rounds of revision
  
• Delivery in web-ready formats for all platforms
  

We turn depth into clarity—without cutting corners.

Meet the team behind the work on our About page.

Real Results: Video vs. White Paper

“We condensed our 12-page whitepaper into a 90-second explainer video—and watched our email click-through rate double. The engagement difference was huge.”
— Riley F., Marketing Director, SoftSync Tech

“We still use our whitepaper for gated content, but the video opened the door to top-of-funnel leads we never had before.”
— Sarah M., VP Growth, DataNova AI

See more client results and ideas on our blog.

Comparison Table: Explainer Videos vs. Whitepapers

Feature	Whitepaper	Explainer Video
Time to Consume	10–15 minutes	60–90 seconds
Engagement	Low (text-heavy)	High (visual & audio)
Platform Reach	Limited to PDF/landing page	Usable on web, email, social, sales decks
Retention	10–20%	Up to 95%
Emotional Connection	Weak	Stronger through storytelling
Production Time	1–2 weeks	As little as 7 days

FAQs: Replacing Whitepapers with Video

Can explainer videos really replace long-form content?

Yes—for top-of-funnel education. You can use videos to simplify key points, then link to deeper materials for advanced audiences.

How do you convert a whitepaper into a video?

We extract the core message, visuals, and structure, then build a custom video script and animation storyboard based on your brand and audience.

Are explainer videos suitable for B2B?

Absolutely. We’ve helped SaaS, fintech, and healthcare companies use explainer videos to educate buyers, reduce churn, and support sales enablement.

Will I still own the video?

Yes. All projects include full commercial rights and editable files.

What’s the turnaround time?

Typical delivery is 10–14 business days, but we offer 7-day delivery for urgent needs. Learn more on our blog.

Final Thoughts: Evolve the Way You Educate

Whitepapers have their place. But in 2025, your audience expects faster, clearer, and more engaging content.

Explainer videos offer a modern path to customer education—without sacrificing depth or professionalism.Visit SpireVideo.net to see examples
Contact us to turn your whitepaper into a winning video
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