There was a time when animation videos had their place but were often seen as a less than ideal marketing tool, a bit like the video equivalent of comic sans.
How times have changed…
Today’s modern trends point firmly at animation videos as the most sought after type of video for website landing pages, intro videos and for those who need to explain a concept in plain, simple terms. They are cost effective in terms of production and while some might say they are easy to produce, they are also absolutely essential to get right.
A large part of the misconception is down to what people think animation means. There may have been a time when words like ‘cartoon’ and ‘amateur’ were used to describe animated video, nowadays though we use words like ‘versatility’, ‘style’ and ‘creative innovation’.
Animation is a form of video made from a group of still images which, when put together offer the illusion of movement, they don’t need actors or filming crews but they do need specialist animators, people who are magicians in the art of crafting the impossible.
Times have changed indeed…
Style is important for animation, getting it right helps you tune in to your audience and the things they want to take away. It can play a pivotal role in establishing your brand and can also entertain in ways that other types of video simply can’t. Anything is possible with animation; the only limits are imagination, in the world of marketing that is a powerful thing.
Animation video can be made in a range of different animation styles, each has different strengths.
- 2D animation, as its name suggests is two dimensional
- 3D animation gives greater depth, literally with three dimensions similar to the animated films of today
- Stop-motion animation using techniques that capture individual frames and is often combined with real world objects
- Character animation can create eye-catching, emotive and relatable characters
- Hand drawn animation can deliver a unique, powerful sense of emotion
For explainer videos, the goal is often to grab the viewer by the eyeballs from the first second. Animation can achieve that with striking visuals that make it difficult to look away. Combine that with the right language choices and you have your viewer’s attention.
You can explain, inform and educate them about the things your product or service can do much more easily. You can also relate to their problems, before delivering that solution your company is famous for.
Corporate animation tends to be clean, fresh and innovative. It can convey the most complex or dry topic to employees, potential clients and stakeholders in ways that are not hard work to understand and easy to engage with.
Social media and animated video are a marriage made in marketing heaven if you choose the right style. Get it right and you’ll be shared, liked and followed with a video ad that performs beyond your expectations.
In a time when all of us head to our social media platforms for everything from the latest news to the best products and services, animated videos can often be the most popular way we unearth new brands or businesses before spending our money with them.
Tutorials and how-to guides depend largely on the product and the people who use it. These types of animated video might be sent direct as part of a follow-up, post purchase or form part of a YouTube channels ‘how to’ guides. What goes in is entirely up to you but the key aim is to teach the viewer how to do the thing you want them to do.
Or even tell them about the things they might not know your product even did!
If you are considering an animated video and want to learn more about which style might be right for you we would like to help. Get in touch or request a call back with one of our production team today.