Businesses these days are forced to contend with many different marketing techniques, digital tools, and customer acquisition channels that organizations just a few decades ago did not need to wrap their heads around.
However, competing online is increasingly important – and not just in terms of SEO and rankings. Your brand must be able to appeal to your audience directly and be quick enough to capture their attention which, in an increasingly distracted world and oversaturated advertising market, is undoubtedly difficult to achieve.
That’s why many smart marketers are turning to amplify their business with the use of snappy animation videos. An animation video can instantly get to the heart of your brand in as little as 30 seconds while providing some visual entertainment to consumers.
Indeed, it is an essential tool if you wish to compete in this modern market, but with so many different styles to choose from, navigating the field of video can seem overwhelming.
So, let’s take a look at the top 5 types of animation videos that you might wish to consider having created for your business.
1. An Explainer Video to Simplify a Product or Service
Animation explainer videos achieve what it says on the tin: they exist to explain succinctly and exactly what your product or service provides with the use of animation.
This type of animation is a great way to supplement or support your online content and can be used in blog posts, social media campaigns, or on certain landing pages on your website. That’s not to say that you should abandon your written content, though. Animated video explainers are used to simply support your claims and to demonstrate how your product or service works.
An explainer video essentially shows off what you can do and saves consumers from needing to read a lengthy instruction manual or article.
To make it memorable, pepper the video with statistics, facts and figures, and perhaps some achievements. For example, is your product a best seller? Has it achieved an award? How many customers are satisfied with this purchase? What are the reviews saying?
A professional animator will use a blend of typography and attractive visuals to reinforce specific ideas in your video that will stick in consumers’ minds.
2. Animated Social Media Ads
Advertising your brand is generously effective through social media platforms. And one way to grab attention quickly – and retain it – is through an animated video.
An animated social media advert is usually compromised of a short commercial cartoon that is uniquely designed to complement your brand and the social media platform it has been created for.
You can really get creative with this type of campaign by considering carefully the demographic you’re hoping to attract and which social media platform you’re going to use. Take for instance that your animation will look entirely different if you’re using TikTok to attract a younger audience than the animation you will need on Twitter when appealing to a graduate/student audience.
Either way, an animated video on social media is an effective way to halt consumers’ mindless scrolling and get them to pay attention to your brand.
3. Customer Testimonial Video
A customer testimonial video is an effective tactic when it comes to gaining trust and credibility over your business. A video testimonial landing page is one of the most effective ways to generate leads and boost conversion.
This unique tactic usually involves real customers discussing your product and showing how it has helped them personally. By including this human element, consumers watching the content can relate and engage with your brand, thinking about how it can benefit them personally, too.
A customer testimonial video is suitable on a wide variety of platforms, from presentations, conferences, and staff onboarding days to social media, email marketing campaigns, and your website.
4. Company Story Video
A company story video similarly personalizes your business – but on a much deeper level.
Every business has an inspiring story to tell, but even beyond the basics and how your company began, a company story video can weave in your businesses’ purpose, benefits, beliefs, aspirations, and achievements. This makes your company authentic and relatable because it simply puts a friendly face and a humble story to a logo.
5. Company Culture Video
Not to be confused with a company story video, a company culture video allows you to display your business’ values and ethos.
Think, for instance, if your company makes efforts to reduce its impact on Co2 emissions, or if it follows other eco-friendly initiatives. Perhaps it supports charities or certain causes instead. Or do you offer generous benefits for employees and go the extra mile in promoting staff wellness? Then a company culture video is an appropriate opportunity to shout out about it.
Evidence suggests that consumers are more likely to support brands that align with their personal values and are more likely to justify spending more money on such products. However, that shouldn’t be the only reason why you invest in a company culture video: this video is also a great way to compliment your hard-working and passionate staff members, and to draw in like-minded people to your company.
Why Choose Animation Videos for Your Company?
Animation videos are quickly becoming an essential marketing technique. The attention span of consumers is becoming increasingly difficult to compete for – consider that TikTok started with just 15-second clips, while Tweets are restricted to 280 characters. Some people only ever read the headlines of articles, too.
Animation videos can break through this barrier as they can be digested in a much faster time, all the while being much more enjoyable to consume. In the long run, they can dramatically improve your ROI, overall engagement, and, ultimately, sales.
The above are just five ideas that could be beneficial for your business, but there are many more techniques and types to choose from which may be better suited to your particular niche. The world is your oyster when it comes to animation, just be sure to have conducted your research and have fun with it – the rest will follow.
