Storyboards and animated styles of video

 Whether businesses like it or not, content marketing is embracing visual content like never before. Video is playing an increasingly important role in marketing, with a variety of styles and strategies being employed to help brands get their message across. Animated videos are an engaging means by which to convey a marketing message, but many businesses don’t consider them appropriate. Here we’ll take a look at animated styles of video, what they are and how they work.

Could an animated video help fire-up your marketing?

What is an animated marketing video?

An animated marketing video is a film of varying lengths that delivers a message, or conveys an idea about your company, products and services. It will combine animated images with clear language to quickly grab the attention of the viewer. The whole video can be animated, or animation can be incorporated into a video that uses different production techniques. As a technique it's growing in popularity as brands look for ways to stand out from the competition and get their message across.

Why should you choose an animated marketing video?

Your marketing has to do a lot of work. It has to channel your brand identity, as well as inform and educate your audience. It has to convince them to buy your product or use your service while ensuring that it keeps the message compelling and concise. By using animation, you can convey more information in a short time period. Animation is growing in popularity but is still relatively underused. Some of the most successful marketing campaigns in history have made use of animation, and now technology is making it easier for brands with more limited budgets to take advantage of it.

Animated videos are attractive and engaging

Animated marketing videos are attractive to users. They can encourage people to watch in a way that regular live action video may not. Animated characters tend to be universal, easy to relate to and understand. Animated videos demand attention and can compel casual visitors to your website to watch. Having an animated video on your landing page can increase the amount of time a visitor is likely to spend on your website.

Animated videos look intriguing, and few of us ever grow out of our love of cartoons and animated films. Because so many of us associate them with childhood they can appear reassuring. When we watch animated videos. we may be less inclined to notice if someone is trying to sell us something, at the same time as we feel some attraction to the brand.

Animated videos don’t require performance

Not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera, and finding people willing to be in your marketing videos can be difficult. If you opt to hire professional actors then the cost of the video will increase considerably. With animation you can have whatever character you like marketing your business. The only limitations are ultimately your imagination.

No need for locations

As with actors, when it comes to locations you are not limited by what you have available locally. You can create whatever backdrop you like for your marketing videos. This can save money and allow you to be as creative as you like.

Animation can help give context to complex ideas

Animation has an ability to convey complex ideas in a very simple and direct way. It can connect with the audience in an amusing and entertaining manner, giving strong visual pointers to what is being said. Animated characters can be more memorable for the viewer. They can help you explain how your goods and services can potentially help to improve the lives of those who are watching the video.

Animation gives you greater control

Using animation in your marketing videos gives you much greater control over how your characters look, the emotions they express, and how they feature within your videos. What is difficult for live video to capture can easily be achieved with animations. Would you like your central character to cartwheel over a mountain? That’s easily done.

Stand out from the competition

Clever use of animation can help your marketing materials stand out from the competition. Digital marketing is becoming ubiquitous, so the need to think creatively grows year-on-year. An animated video can help establish your brand as innovative and forward-looking.

Communicate your brand identity

With animation it’s easy to incorporate brand colour schemes, logos and images into your video. These can recur throughout your animated content, reinforcing your brand identity every time someone engages with your content.

Social media sharing

Witty, quirky, animation is ideal for sharing on social media. If you create content that amuses and entertains people they are much more likely to want to share it on their social media feeds.

Eight Engines can help you create compelling and creative animated content

At Eight Engines, we make use of a variety of creative tools and approaches to create engaging video content for our clients. Whether you have some well-developed ideas about the kind of animation you would like, or want to explore the possibilities we’d love to hear from.

Why not contact us today to learn more about our approach?