The internet can, at times, seem a pretty frivolous place. The most popular videos on the net, routinely shared far and wide, are very often those that feature some kind of animation. For this reason, this is a trend that many businesses looking to expand their video marketing strategies seek to exploit by making animated videos for the purposes of marketing all sorts of products and services. It is commonly understood that animated videos are a terrific way to bring some levity to the marketing game as well as adding the kind of fun that encourages internet users to investigate the product.
For this reason, it is often thought that animated video marketing is restricted to B2C consumer video marketing. However, We Make Videos, a video production company specializing in sales and marketing videos, stress that animated videos are just as often targeted at businesses, and therefore can play a significant role in a successful B2B video marketing strategy.
This might seem a bit odd. Surely the more sober tones of B2B marketing would not favor something as frivolous as animation? But if you consider for a moment the various videos you might encounter online, you will see that even some of the most serious videos, such as those on current affairs and politics, regularly use animation to explain their topics. Animated videos, contrary to what you might expect, can be incredibly versatile.
Why Use Animated Videos?
We have seen, therefore, that animated videos can be used in a variety of contexts, but what actually are the general advantages of using animated videos over non-animated?
For one thing, those employing animated videos in their marketing strategies have overwhelmingly reported a significant return on investment. Part of this is because, unlike in the past, great looking animated videos are actually pretty easy to make. This means that the money-saving DIY route is often open to businesses and so video production services will not charge over the odds for an animated video.
Moreover, despite the aforementioned levity, animated videos can also exude a real air of professionalism, at least when compared to live action videos. One of the reasons for this is that while they can be made fairly easily these days, the public perception of animated videos is still that they require a degree of expertise or advanced technology to create. This is another reason why they are often used for more serious topics and for B2B video marketing.
Another advantage concerns your brand, and specifically all the visual elements that it incorporates such as the logo, the name when visually represented, or any other motifs associated with it. These blend well into an animated video which can, for example, incorporate the brand colors into the general color pallet of the video. The result is simply a stronger effect on the viewer.
Animated Explainer Videos
The use of visual memory aids is a well-known pedagogical technique. The memory can retain complex information easier if it is laid out visually. For this reason, animation is particularly well-suited to explainer videos, as a visual animation can guide the viewer through the process and lay out complex information in the form of memorable visuals.
If you consider the popular animated videos typically found on sites like YouTube, you have probably noticed that a great many of them are explaining some topic and attempting to do so in the most memorable way possible. And animation is the key.
Ultimately, most of the preconceived notions about animated videos and their appropriateness for marketing are wrong. They are far more effective and versatile than many would expect.