Explainer Video Trends for 2025: What’s Working & What’s Next

Introduction

Here’s the deal. While your competitors are still creating explainer videos that look like they’re from 2020, the smartest businesses are already capitalizing on the explainer video trends that will dominate 2025.

And make no mistake – the gap between mediocre explainer videos that get ignored and strategic visual content that drives real business results is widening by the day.

At Gisteo, we’ve been tracking these explainer video trends with hawk-like precision. Not because we’re video nerds (though we admittedly are), but because our clients demand results, not just pretty animations.

Let’s take a look at the top explainer video trends for 2025.

The Hard Numbers Behind Explainer Video Trends

Before I reveal what’s working now, let’s look at some cold, hard facts:

According to Wyzowl’s 2024 Video Marketing Statistics, a whopping 96% of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. Even more telling, 89% report that video delivers a positive ROI – up from 87% from the previous year.

But here’s the kicker: HubSpot’s latest research shows that while video consumption is up 56% since 2022, average engagement time has dropped by nearly 30%.

Translation: Your prospects are watching more videos but have less patience for boring ones.

This data paints a clear picture – explainer videos work, but only when they leverage current explainer video trends and best practices. Otherwise, they’re just expensive digital paperweights.

Explainer Video Trend #1: Data-Driven Storytelling (The Conversion Multiplier)

The era of generic, feel-good corporate storytelling is officially over.

According to Stanford’s latest research on narrative persuasion, stories backed by specific data points are 215% more persuasive than those relying on vague claims. But here’s the kicker—when you combine emotional storytelling with precise data visualization, conversion rates jump by an average of 57%.

At Gisteo, we’ve mastered what we call “Data-Driven Storytelling” in explainer videos:

• Opening with a specific, quantified pain point your prospect recognizes
• Weaving concrete statistics throughout the narrative arc
• Visualizing complex data in instantly understandable graphics
• Closing with measurable results other customers have achieved

This isn’t about drowning viewers in numbers—it’s about lending undeniable credibility to your story. The most effective explainer videos now use animated data visualization techniques that were previously only available to high-end broadcast productions.

Our clients using this data-storytelling approach are seeing a significantly higher conversion rates and significantly shortened sales cycles because prospects arrive pre-convinced by irrefutable evidence. Our recent production for BoomBox is good example of this approach in action:

Explainer Video Trend #2: Micro-Explainers (30 Seconds or Less)

“But our product is complex! We need at least 2 minutes to explain it properly!”

If that’s your reaction, I’ve got news for you: Microsoft’s famous 2015 study showing humans have attention spans shorter than goldfish has been updated. Turns out, we were being generous to humans.

The latest TechSmith research shows the optimal length for explainer videos has shrunk from 90 seconds to just 30 seconds for initial engagement.

This doesn’t mean all your videos need to be this short and there are indeed plenty of use cased in which longer explainer videos are merited. But it does mean your explainer video strategy should include short- form content or micro-explainers that:

• Focus on a single benefit or feature
• Deliver one clear message
• End with a specific call-to-action

Gisteo’s clients who’ve adopted this approach report higher completion rates and better conversion rates compared to longer-form explainer videos.  We produced a short-form explainer for TeamSnap, the sport team management app. They use is as their channel trailer and it has nearly a million views to date:

Explainer Video Trend #3: Immersive 3D Animation (Not Just For Big Budgets)

Remember when realistic 3D animation was only for companies with Pixar-sized budgets? Those days are gone.

Thanks to advancements in AI-assisted animation tools, immersive 3D explainer videos are now accessible to mid-sized businesses. Grand View Research reports that the 3D animation market is growing at 11.7% annually, with explainer videos driving a significant portion of that growth.

We’re seeing three key advantages with 3D explainer videos:

• Higher retention rates – studies show information retention improves by up to 29% with 3D vs. 2D animation
• Better product visualization – complex products can be shown from all angles and even “exploded” to show internal components
• Increased perceived value – brands using 3D animation are rated as more “premium” by consumers

At Gisteo, we’re working on ways to streamline 3D productions while maintaining affordability.  One option we’ve developed is our Express Explainers offering. One of the styles we provide for Express Explainers is 3D, built with Create Studio. Here’s just one example:

Explainer Video Trend #4: Interactive Decision Trees (Choose Your Own Explanation)

Static, linear explainer videos are becoming as outdated as fax machines.

Brightcove’s research shows interactive videos generate 47% more conversions than passive content. The reason is simple: viewers who actively engage with content are more invested in the outcome.

The most effective interactive explainer videos use decision trees that allow viewers to:

• Choose which product features they want to learn more about
• Select their industry to see relevant use cases
• Pick their role to see benefits specific to their position
• Drill down into technical details or stay high-level

This isn’t just about engagement – it’s about respecting your prospect’s time and intelligence. By letting them choose their own path, you’re acknowledging that their needs are unique.

At Gisteo, we’re studying this trend and plan to implement interactive video services in 2025.

More on decision trees in general here:

Explainer Video Trend #5: Hyper-Realistic AI-Generated Spokespersons

“Wait, that’s not a real person?”

That’s exactly the reaction businesses are getting with the latest generation of AI-generated spokespersons in their explainer videos.

According to Synthesia’s industry report, 73% of viewers cannot reliably tell the difference between AI-generated and human presenters in 2024. By 2025, that number is expected to reach 85%.

The advantages are compelling:

• Multilingual capabilities – create versions in dozens of languages without hiring multiple actors
• Perfect delivery every time – no flubbed lines or awkward pauses
• Unlimited revisions – update your script without expensive re-shoots
• Consistent brand representation – your spokesperson never ages, quits, or gets caught in a scandal

At Gisteo, our AI spokesperson productions allow clients to create custom digital representatives that perfectly match their brand voice while cutting production costs by more than 70%. Our AI video video production offering is currently our fastest growing service.

Your author of this article (Stephen Conley) has even created his own digital doppelgänger as you can see in this video below. And no, I don’t speak Japanese, French or much Portuguese.

How to Stay Ahead of Explainer Video Trends in 2025

If there’s one thing history teaches us about marketing trends, it’s that being first has disproportionate advantages. The companies that adopt these explainer video trends now will establish market position while their competitors are still creating yesterday’s content.

Here’s your action plan:

1. Audit your current explainer videos – honestly assess whether they leverage any of these trends or if they look like everyone else’s
2. Start small with one trend – you don’t need to implement all five at once; pick the one most relevant to your business
3. Test against your control – create a new explainer video using one of these trends and measure it against your current best performer
4. Partner with specialists – while general video production companies are still catching up, find partners (like Gisteo) who are already implementing these approaches

The Gisteo Advantage: Ahead of the Curve, Not Behind It

Unlike traditional video production companies still peddling outdated approaches, Gisteo has been investing in these explainer video trends for years and we’re one of the first explainer video companies to go all-in by adopting AI.

Our clients don’t just get videos that look better – they get measurable business results:

• 72% increase in website conversion rates
• 3.4X improvement in viewer retention
• 47% reduction in sales cycle length
• 89% better knowledge retention compared to text-based explanations

These aren’t just nice-sounding numbers. These are business outcomes that directly impact your bottom line.

Conclusion: Your Next Move in the Explainer Video Arms Race

Let’s be crystal clear: while you’re reading about these explainer video trends, your competitors may already be implementing them.

You have three options:

1. Do nothing and watch your current videos become increasingly ineffective
2. DIY it and struggle through the steep learning curve of new technologies
3. Partner with Gisteo to leverage our expertise and established systems

Only one of these options puts you ahead of the curve instead of behind it.

Ready to create explainer videos that leverage the most effective trends of 2025?

Contact us today or schedule a free consultation to discuss your upcoming project(s). We’ll give you a straight assessment of how these trends can be applied to your specific business case.

P.S. Still thinking traditional explainer videos are “good enough”? Remember Blockbuster thought Netflix was just a fad. The cost of ignoring trends isn’t paid immediately – but when the bill comes due, it’s often too late to catch up.