Is it just me, or do the internet and social media sometimes feel like a minefield? Everywhere you turn, there are ads and pieces of content struggling to get people’s attention—and failing in many ways.
If you expect to develop a video marketing strategy that succeeds where others have failed, your first priority should be to cut through the noise.
Well, as you probably already guessed by the title, animated video productions are an excellent way of pulling that off—particularly on social media.
There’s just something about the style that spark audiences’ interest and curiosity, and that’s a great place to start. But leveraging animation is actually just part of the equation. You also need pieces that stand out from the crowd and resonate emotionally with your audience to get the full effect.
And that’s what we are here to talk about today. So, stay tuned, and let’s see how to produce a one-of-a-kind animated video that lives up to your expectations.
Start by understanding your target audience
This is an aspect that simply can’t go overlooked. It doesn’t matter how much effort you put into the other factors, if you don’t fully understand your target audience, how can you create content that appeals to them?
So, find out what sets your ideal customer apart: their lifestyle, age, gender, interests, and any other relevant aspect of their lives, and factor these things into your content.
It’s also vital to distinguish which stage of the buyer’s journey they are in. That will come into play when selecting a type of video and writing the script. People on the verge of purchasing will need different information from those in the awareness stage.
Customize your video to your intended audience
You want your audience to engage with your animated video, right? Well, people get interested in stories they can identify with. That’s why you should use the information you’ve gathered about your target audience to shape your video’s content.
The great thing about animation, though, is that it allows you to fully design the elements in the story with a lot of flexibility. This enables you to create characters based on your ideal customer, and settings and objects that go hand in hand with their lifestyle. That way, viewers will be able to see themselves in the video.
However, it doesn’t end there. Viewers should also relate to the video’s script. So, try to mention pain-points that can actually resonate with the audience’s situation, and use language that reflects theirs.
Sound simple enough, but done right, animation can take those elements to the next level. And that will reflect on the bottom line of your videos’ effectiveness.
Craft a relevant message
Producing an animated video can seem like a daunting task at first, especially if you’ve never done it before. In that framework, the words of an expert can come in handy! Let’s talk a bit about the pillars of great animated videos.
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Write an engaging script
Let’s get this straight: when it comes to marketing, people are more likely to engage with a shorter video. So, try to keep your animated piece around the two-minute mark.
As a general rule, a single script’s page tends to equal a minute on the screen. Therefore, yours should have around two pages in total (roughly about 300 words.)
Another aspect you should spend a lot of time polishing in your script are beginnings. You should always have a compelling intro! Start your video with a phrase or question that can spark curiosity in the viewers. If it refers to something your target audience can relate to, it will likely attract them.
The next explainer video, for instance, begins by focusing on the potential clients’ pain-points. Something they can instantly relate to.
Use beautiful and dynamic visuals
People feel drawn to beautiful things, so it’s no surprise that your video’s aesthetic plays a large role in your audience’s engagement. What you may not know is that it can also make your story more understandable and dynamic.
When the visuals go hand in hand with your video’s narration, it can intensify its effect, making the story clearer and more impactful. That way, you don’t need to create a script that goes into too much detail, because the right visuals will help get your message across!
The story becomes even easier to follow if the animation is dynamic and smooth. This is important to mention since many companies just focus on having a video with excellent illustrations, and overlook movement and transitions’ quality.
The truth is that those things are instrumental in getting the viewer immersed in the story, and dramatically affect the overall effectiveness of the piece.
So basically, if you create an animated video with striking visual elements, you’ll be more likely to deliver your message in full and keep the viewer’s mind from wandering off.
Produce a striking sound design
When it hits the spot, sound design enhances your video while going mostly unnoticed by viewers. But if something is wrong, believe me, it can make them unable to focus on the piece’s message.
If the narrator’s voice is as exciting as watching grass grow, or if the music is at odds with the rest of the video, viewers’ minds may wander off, even if the visual part is interesting. That’s why the sound design must be in tune with the script tone and the visuals’ aesthetics, delivering a cohesive message.
The problem is that many companies treat sound design as an afterthought. Basically, it’s handled more like an accessory to the other areas, than as a main aspect of the video. At the best of times, that ends up in a video that sounds generic and plain. At worse, it damages the whole piece.
Production quality is paramount
I know it might be tempting to cut corners in your animated video’s production. You might think it costs less, and nobody would tell the difference from a top-notch piece, right?
Well… not really.
Even if skimping on your video’s quality can be more economical initially, it can result in lower ROI. Not to mention a first-rate animated piece has fewer chances of “getting old”as time passes. This can save you money in the long-run, as you wouldn’t have to renew your content so frequently.
Besides, most viewers have been surrounded by audiovisual content their whole lives. So even if they don’t have a degree in cinematography, they can recognize a mediocre piece and appreciate a well-crafted one. And you don’t want your brand to be associated with low-quality content!
Brand your video accordingly
Certain elements set your brand apart: your logo, color palette, typeface, and so on.
These features are usually sprayed on every channel your company handles ―your website, social media profiles, newsletters, etc. That contributes to enhancing your brand recognition since people receive a consistent message about your firm and grow more able to distinguish it by its unique style.
It stands to reason that your video should also include those elements that represent your brand. In marketing words, it should be branded accordingly.
Luckily, that’s what animation does best.
Animation lets you customize your entire video to your brand’s style. However, in contrast with live-action pieces, well-placed branding in animation looks organic.
That’s because animation can incorporate your logo into the story smoothly, use your brand’s color palette in most elements on the screen, and transmit your particular essence through every frame.
That way, your brand can stick in the viewers’ minds without them even realizing it! So when they are ready to make a purchase, they are more prone to recall your company and what they’ve learned about it in your video.
To sum up…
The great thing about animation is that it lets your content be as authentic as it can get. Enabling you to adapt almost every element in your video to both your target audience and your brand’s style.
As a result, you’ll have a unique piece of content that stands out from the crowd. Doubly so if the script, picture, and sound are well-crafted!
This type of content captures your audience’s attention and manages to hold it too. If viewers enjoy your video’s quality and authenticity, they are likely to watch it completely, receiving your entire message.
So, what are you waiting for? Crack those knuckles and set out to create an outstanding animated video!
