Written by Lamprini Drella
Two teams can present the same technical concept. One audience leaves inspired and informed, while the other is confused or disengaged. Why?
The story can be captured and stored in the memory whereas the facts will be erased from memory.
Explainer storytelling can combine logic and intuition. A clear structure, examples, and visuals, complex ideas are able to become both memorable and actionable. Whether you’re explaining new technology, a business model, or a social issue, the ultimate goal remains the same: to make your audience see, understand, and care.
When organizations embrace systematic explainer storytelling (through video, articles, or interactive media) they create a strong engagement loop:
attention → understanding → retention → action.
Designing Explainers: How Storytelling Shapes Understanding
Explainer Impact Formula
Clarity: Stay focused on one core idea per segment, clearly explained with plain language, analogies, and visuals.
Relatability: With examples, characters, or scenarios the audience can identify with.
Engagement: combining the narration, the visuals, and pacing to maintain the audience’s interest.
Accessibility: This means content works across devices, may have captions, and considers different learning styles.
Why it matters: Research in educational and cognitive psychology has shown that story-based, multimodal content strengthens comprehension, memory, and motivation (Mayer 2009; Green & Brock 2000; Robin 2008).
The systemized explainer storytelling makes abstract ideas tangible and easy to remember.
The Mechanisms That Make Explainers Work
1. Audience: Comprehension and Retention
Why: Story plot activate attention and working memory, helping audiences process and recall information (Mayer, 2009).
What (Mechanism): Narrative, visual, and contextual cues combine to clarify understanding.
How: 60–90 second “mini-explainers” per concept.
Indicators: Average watch time, replays, comprehension quiz scores.
2. Developers: Efficiency and Authority
Why: Structured storytelling enables creators to simplify complex material.
What (Mechanism): Clear narratives eliminate confusion and display proficiency
How: A monthly series of explainers, matching visual storytelling with narration.
Indicators: Feedback ratings, repeated engagement, time saved in explaining difficult topics.
3. Organisations: Visibility and Impact
Why: Clear, story-driven explainers strengthen brand credibility and leadership.
What (Mechanism): Regular, well-produced content conveys authority and openness.
How: Series of explainer videos or articles across internal and public channels.
Indicators: Audience growth, engagement metrics, mentions from outside, inquiries about services or products.
Governance & Implementation
Making explainers impactful is not all about production quality; rather, it’s about embedding storytelling into learning and communication.
- Alignment: Every explainer directly relates to core objectives, audience needs, and messaging strategy.
- Inclusivity: diversified examples, perspectives, and voices keep relevance and empathy high.
- Feedback loops: they offer data-driven ways to make adjustments, based on what works and what doesn’t in terms of engagement and comprehension, to make future content successful.
Put structure, narrative, and evidence-based feedback into one format, and explainer storytelling becomes an unparalleled tool for simplifying complexity, making ideas memorable, and motivating audiences to act.
Conclusion: Storytelling as a Cognitive Shortcut
Explainers turn information into insight. They transform confusion into clarity, bridging the gap between expert knowledge and audience understanding.
The real value doesn’t come from production quality alone but instead from clarity, relatability, and consistency.
When ideas are told as stories, comprehension isn’t just achieved, it’s remembered, stored, shared, and acted upon.
References
Bruner, J. (1991). The narrative construction of reality. Critical Inquiry, 18(1), 1–21.
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.). Wiley.
Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721.
Haven, K. (2007). Story proof: The science behind the startling power of story. Libraries Unlimited.
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory into Practice, 47(3), 220–228.
