By Rahis Saifi
Marketing to consumers is becoming an increasingly difficult task. Consumers have largely cultivated an aversion to ads that has long prevented marketers from getting their messages across. Television viewers are now turning to ad-free alternatives like Netflix and Hulu to shorten their viewing times. On the internet, users are incorporating ad-blocking extensions to avoid the barrage of ads with which the internet has become synonymous. Advertisers must now investigate new ways to get their products and services noticed. Animated videos, while not a new advertising technique, offers marketers new ways of reaching potential customers. Animated explainer videos are disarming, sharable and surprisingly cost effective. Viewers are not as turned off by them as they are by conventional live action ads. As a result, the role they can play in marketing is tremendous. So what are some of the things you should keep in mind when creating an animated video for your business?
Ditch the confines of regular video – Keep in mind while creating an animated video that what isn’t possible in live action video is very much possible in the realm of animation. Let your imagination be your guide. Allow yourself to entertain any and every possibility. Sure, this will create quite a few silly ideas, but in the midst you will discover a few gems. The good thing about animated explainer videos is that they allow you to escape the limits of reality so as to create something fresh, engaging and visually captivating. You could have fun with humor, visual effects and crazy situations in order to bring your point across.
Collaborate with your script writer – Creating a quality animated explainer video that takes full advantage of all the benefits of animation can be a difficult and time-consuming task. The truth is that on your own, you may not be able to come up with the best ideas for your video. This is why it is important to collaborate with your script writer/animator on what your vision for your video is. For example, agencies like Qudos Animations are available to come up with ideas that you may not have even consider. A creative director will consider your goals, your business and your target audience to come up with the best possible concepts for your video. You shouldn’t feel as though you have to shoulder the entire burden on your own.
Keep your video as simple as possible – When creating an animated explainer video, you want to refine your message to its simplest possible terms. Well made videos establish a problem in the beginning and then spend the rest of the video showing how the product or service being highlighted can help solve that problem. As much as possible, avoid injecting too much technical information or too much sales literature into your video. Your video, while informative, must balance the dispensation of information with entertainment.
Avoid overuse of text – Your explainer video is not marketing copy and you should not expect your viewers to spend large portions of their time reading extended blocks of text. Remember the first rule is to be entertaining in order to keep your viewers engaged. Your video should be comprised of moving imagery and sound with lots of color. Next you give the viewers as much information as they need to understand your product or service and how it can help them. You should keep text use to a minimum.
Consider the best animation for you – There is a surprisingly long list of animation types from which to choose. From 3D to claymation, 2D to Whiteboard, you need to select the type of animation that fits your product, your budget and the mood of the video. Each style has its benefits and drawbacks. While some may come across as more creative, others may come across as more informative. Your product or service may be better represented by one particular style over another. However, if your competitors also use animated explainer videos, you may also want to consider a style that is not used very often. Using an uncommon style allows you to stand apart from your competitors.
Consider your music, sound effects, voiceover needs – Music, sound effects and a quality voiceover can go a long way towards making your video seem “finished” and professional. While these are certainly additional costs, the quality that these custom additions can bring may be worth it. Quality finishes can help draw in your intended customers and increase the emotional pull of your videos. Omitting a voiceover means leaving it up to your viewers to interpret your message. If the message you wish to push is complex, this is a no-no. A voiceover can help to simplify the message while creating a bond with the listeners. The voiceover should have an attractive quality that is both unique and clear in delivery. If possible, opt for a neutral accent that won’t alienate your viewers. On the other hand, your music should go well with the visuals and it should match the pace of your video and the tone of your message. The voiceover should not distract viewers from the visuals, but it should match the video’s highs and lows.
Consider the colors used in the video – The colors used in your explainer video will leave a lasting impression on your viewers encouraging them to quickly form opinions about your company. For this reason, it is important to carefully consider the colors you would like to use. The chosen colors will represent your brand and they will trigger an emotional response in a way that live action cannot. Animated explainer videos afford you a much better opportunity to tweak the color palette of your videos than live action can.
Animated explainer videos allow marketers to be creative in ways that live action ads can only dream about. In animated videos almost every step of production can be controlled by the marketer. Because of this, marketers have a much greater control over the final product than ever before. A quality video that is both fun and engaging could potentially be shared on social media thousands or even a few million times, despite its marketing ambitions. However, business owners should always consult with their marketing team and the animators to ensure that the final product will fulfill the company’s objectives.
Rahis Saifi always remains passionate towards innovation and his love for gadgets has been exhibited in his writing. His knack to learn more and more had turned him too passionate towards learning. His learning attitude had shaped him as a perfect writer, He writes about technology, gadgets, blogging, smartphone tips and tricks and software reviews.
