It’s no surprise that animated marketing videos offer one of the best ways to immediately engage website visitors. As a popular tool in digital marketing, video conserves the time and effort of website visitors and allows startups to quickly explain their ultimate benefits.
Still got the idea that high-quality, affordable computer-aided animation is the thing of the future? Well, the future is now, and the following 5 tips are for anyone making their first animated marketing video.
Whiteboard animation is losing popularity… fast and how!
Whiteboard animation is becoming a thing of the past now. Sometime in ancient history (somewhere in 2007), a man with a vision discovered the wonders of whiteboard video. “It’s just drawing in front of a camera!” were the magic words. And not only is the technique easy, but the effect is often hypnotic. A well-done video captivates viewers as you take your idea from a blank slate through growth, evolution, and finally a fully formed, investment-ready product.
But that’s when the fall came.
There’s a problem with innovations… once a trend catches on, everyone else starts doing it. Before long, there was a glut of spinoff, lazy, copycat explainer videos crowding out legitimate content. How long can viewers watch the same thing, especially when they’re bad?
Tell us, do you remember the last time you saw a whiteboard animation go viral on a social media platform? Maybe one day whiteboard animations will make a comeback. But definitely not today!
What is on the rise? 3d animation.
Instead of whiteboards, let’s look to the future of animation. Animated videos made in 3D look better and are more affordable than ever. You no longer need a Pixar product to tell a compelling story. Then 3D might be right for your video! Good news right?
Some business concepts work better for 3D video than others. Keeping up with the cartoony familiarity of traditional animation and also the stark details of 3D makes the most sense for companies with a physical product. Using 3D animation, you can create a realistic prototype of your vision. Throughout the video, he interacts with other objects just like he would in real life.
How about creating different versions of the same video for different platforms?
Avoid making and paying for a single video and then using that video across all platforms. The scope of presenting your video to potential customers is endless, so don’t make the mistake of limiting it. To maximize the effectiveness of your video, you need to tailor it to the platform it’s being featured on.
Generally, the norm is that an animated explainer video posted on a website should be between 60 and 120 seconds long. The video presents details of a product in an interesting way and leaves the customer with a full understanding of how your business helps them.
But a long form video will never play on a social media platform like Facebook.
Facebook viewers scroll through a massive feed, catch up with their friends and family, watch various other sponsored content, instead of focusing on your one video. So maybe they only get valuable information from you. Therefore, today’s top content producers on Facebook are creating sweet, short videos (30 seconds or less). They are perfect for conveying the basic principles of your message.
To combat the barrier that Facebook automatically plays videos with the sound muted, these videos create short, punchy lines to engage viewers. The goal is to grab the attention of those distracted users making facial reservations while scrolling down the feed. Once they’re drawn to the short video, they’ll want to click through to the longer presentation on your website to learn more. The best part is that once you’ve made the first version of your video, it takes minimal effort to edit versions designed specifically for the various media it will be broadcast on. With the help of a good videographer, you can edit and rearrange the footage he or she has already created until you’re ready to maximize its potential.
Layout for mobile viewing
Now that we know that people on Facebook are distracted, you should also know that most of them are watching on mobile (65% of Facebook video views are mobile). Your animated commercial video may be clear, engaging and informative on a big screen, but how will a 6″ diagonal smartphone handle it?
For a marketing video to work on mobile, the copy needs to be big, bold, and to the point. Avoid using full sentences, each screen of text should have 3-5 words neatly arranged so that common and average viewers with a less than great comprehension level get the point before moving on to the next idea.
Keep the image simple. No small movements. There is no action in the corners of the screen. People want to understand your message intuitively.
Integrate elements of your video into other campaigns, there is a lot of work involved in creating a powerful and dynamic animated character. So once you have an animated company mascot that everyone loves, it makes sense that you get the most value out of it.
Always keep an eye out for the next big thing
The first part of animated video production is always the most expensive. Once you’ve created your character, decided on your voice, and solidified your message, it’s all a piece of cake! Keep rolling, keep inventing, and build on what you already have. Soon, your video marketing campaigns will be running successfully, all with a little more effort!
