Introduction
If you’re looking to give your marketing a boost, then animated explainer videos could be just what you need. Explainer videos have been around for a while now, but animated versions are becoming increasingly popular due to the benefits they offer. These types of videos are a great way to engage with your target audience, and can be used for a range of purposes from explaining complex concepts to promoting your brand.
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the benefits of using animated explainer videos as your go-to promotional tool. We’ll also outline what makes a great explainer video and provide some examples of companies that have nailed it with their promotional videos. So, buckle up and get ready to rev up your marketing game with animated explainer videos!
Key Takeaways
- Animated explainer videos are a powerful marketing tool that businesses can use to communicate complex ideas in a simple and engaging manner, leading to higher conversion rates and increased brand awareness.
- There is a diverse range of animation styles available for creating animated explainer videos, which can be tailored to suit different industries such as e-commerce, healthcare or education.
- Small business owners, educational institutions and marketing teams can all benefit from using animated explainer videos as cost-effective communication tools that support their objectives.
- When creating an animated explainer video, it is important to develop a clear concept and script that resonates with the target audience. Storyboarding allows animators to pre-visualize how the finished product will look before moving on to animation.
What Are Animated Explainer Videos?
Animated explainer videos are short and engaging online marketing animations that provide a simple and effective way to explain complex business concepts, product/service features or value propositions to potential customers.
Definition And Purpose
Animated explainer videos are a powerful marketing tool that combines vibrant visuals with concise messaging to effectively communicate complex ideas and concepts.
These short, engaging videos are designed to capture the attention of viewers while presenting a clear and compelling explanation of a product, service or business idea.
For example, imagine you own a software company providing an innovative project management tool for businesses. Instead of relying solely on text-based content to explain its features and benefits – which can often be overwhelming or confusing – you could create an animated explainer video that visually demonstrates how the tool works in real-life situations.
Benefits For Businesses
Animated explainer videos offer an array of benefits for businesses, allowing them to showcase their products or services in a creative and engaging manner. One major advantage is their ability to improve conversion rates by presenting complex concepts in simple visual terms which potential customers can easily understand.
Another benefit of implementing animated explainer videos into your marketing strategy is increased brand awareness. By utilising eye-catching visuals and compelling storytelling techniques, businesses can create memorable content that audiences want to share on social media platforms.
This leads to wider dissemination of key messages amongst the target audience without excessive advertising spend – an important consideration for cash-strapped small business owners.
In summary, investing in high-quality animated explainer video production offers significant advantages for businesses seeking to enhance their online presence and increase conversions.
Different Types Of Animation
In the world of animated explainer videos, there is a diverse range of animation styles that business owners can choose from to effectively convey their message. These styles include:
- 2D Animation: Creating flat-looking characters and scenes with two-dimensional graphics.
- 3D Animation: Using three-dimensional computer-generated imagery to create realistic characters and environments.
- Motion Graphics: Utilising professional moving graphics and abstract visuals to present information or demonstrate a concept.
- Whiteboard Animation: Simulating a hand drawing images and text on a whiteboard, often accompanied by voiceover narration.
- Stop Motion Animation: Creating the illusion of movement by taking photographs of objects or puppets in slightly different positions and playing them back rapidly in sequence.
- Typography Animation: Combining animated text elements with imagery to emphasise key points or messages.
- 2D Character Animation: Using two-dimensional character designs in various poses, movements, and expressions to engage viewers emotionally.
- Silhouette Animation: Employing dark silhouettes against a contrasting background for dramatic storytelling or visual appeal.
- Live-action Videos with Animated Elements: Combining live-action footage with animated components for an integrated experience showcasing real people interacting with animated elements such as text, icons, or characters.
- Cut-out Animation: Crafting storylines using paper cut-outs or digital equivalents that are moved frame-by-frame to create the appearance of motion.
Selecting the most suitable animation style is crucial when creating an engaging explainer video that resonates with your target audience and supports your marketing objectives effectively.
Who Can Benefit From Animated Explainer Videos?
Small business owners, educational institutions, and marketing and advertising teams can all benefit from using animated explainer videos to effectively communicate their message to their target audience.
Small Business Owners
Small business owners can benefit greatly from using animated explainer videos to showcase their products or services. Such videos provide an excellent opportunity to engage prospective customers, helping them to understand the benefits of your product or service quickly and efficiently.
Whether you’re looking for creative ways to showcase your online store’s new arrivals, explain complex technical concepts, or highlight specific aspects of your service offerings, creating an engaging animated explainer video offers immense value proposition.
These videos not only help you increase brand recognition but also give potential customers an idea about what sets you apart from the competition.
Educational Institutions
Animated explainer videos are not limited to businesses alone, as educational institutions can greatly benefit from them. With the current shift towards online learning, these videos offer an effective way for schools, universities, and colleges to deliver engaging content that students can easily understand.
These explainer videos can also greatly support fundraising efforts for educational institutions by explaining the cause and creating a preview of what the money will go towards.
Staff training is another area where explainer videos can be incredibly useful in breaking down information on new policies, procedures exams, course structure and curriculum specifics.
The use of video in teaching and learning serves to benefit not only students but also teachers themselves who find them easier than preparing elaborate documents or presentations with slides full of text.
Keywords: Animated Explainer Videos; Educational Institutions; Video Production; How-To Videos; Case Study Videos; Engaging Content; Online Learning; Fundraising Efforts; Staff Training; Cost-Effective Format.
Marketing And Advertising Teams
Marketing and advertising teams can benefit greatly from using animated explainer videos in their marketing strategies. These videos have proven to be efficient promotional tools that increase brand recognition, drive sales, and improve conversion rates.
Furthermore, integrating explainer videos into your marketing campaigns can help improve your SEO by driving traffic to your website and increasing engagement with your target audience.
This means more views, conversions, and ultimately revenue for your business. For example, Dollar Shave Club‘s famous animated explainer video went viral on social media platforms like YouTube which led to an increase of over 12 thousand customers within the first two days of its release.
The animated explainer video production process
Develop a concept and script that clearly outlines your product or service’s value proposition in an engaging way. Create a storyboard to visualise the animation, choose the right animation style, record a voiceover and add sound effects/music to enhance it.
Developing A Concept And Script
Developing a concept and script is the foundation of creating an effective animated explainer video for your business. A well-crafted script can make or break the video’s success. Here are some steps to follow:
- Define the goal and target audience of the video
- Research the problem that your product or service solves
- Create a story that showcases the solution in action
- Choose a communication style that resonates with your audience
- Keep it concise and simple, avoiding technical language and industry jargon
- Include a call-to-action at the end of the video
By keeping these key factors in mind, you’ll be able to create a compelling script that engages your viewers and drives conversions. Remember, an animated explainer video is often the first introduction potential customers will have to your business, so it’s crucial to get it right!
Creating A Storyboard
Creating a storyboard is an essential step in creating an animated explainer video. Here’s how to do it:
- Start with your script or story idea.
- Break down your story into individual scenes or shots.
- Create rough sketches for each scene, including characters, objects, and environment.
- Add annotations describing the actions and dialogue happening in each scene.
- Review and revise the storyboard until you’re happy with how the story flows.
- Share the storyboard with your team to get feedback and make any necessary changes before moving on to animation.
Storyboarding helps pre-visualize how a video will look once it’s finished and gain insight into the flow of the story. Animators use the storyboard to create the complete video, making it an important part of the production process. By taking the time to create a detailed storyboard, you can ensure that your explainer video meets your goals and resonates with your target audience.
Choosing The Right Animation Style
Choosing the right animation style is crucial for the success of your animated explainer video. To ensure that you select the best animation style, consider the following:
- Determine your target audience and understand their preferences.
- Identify your brand’s tone and choose an animation style that aligns with it.
- Decide on a budget and identify the animation styles that fit within it.
- Evaluate various animation styles, such as 2D, 3D, whiteboard, motion graphics and choose the one appropriate for the type of content.
- Consider what kind of story you’re trying to tell with your explainer video and determine which animation’s technique matches well to it.
By carefully considering these factors in selecting the right animation style for your explainer video production process, you will create an engaging and effective animated explainer video that resonates with your target audience and achieves your marketing goals.
Recording A Voiceover And Adding Sound Effects/Music
To make your animated explainer video more engaging, it’s crucial to add sound effects and music. Here are some tips for recording a voiceover and incorporating sound effects and music into your video:
- Hire a professional voice actor – Hiring a professional voice actor can ensure that the voice-over for your video is clear, engaging, and matches the intended tone of your brand.
- Invest in high-quality recording equipment – High-quality recording equipment can greatly improve the clarity and overall quality of your audio.
- Use software like Adobe Audition – Adobe Audition is a popular software option for recording audio for animated explainer videos as it offers excellent editing tools.
- Choose the right music – The music you choose should match the tone of your video and help to enhance the storytelling aspect of your animation.
- Incorporate sound effects where appropriate – Adding sound effects to emphasise key points or actions within your video can greatly enhance engagement with viewers.
- Make sure all audio elements work together cohesively – All of the different audio elements used in your animated explainer video should work together cohesively to create a powerful, engaging final product.
- Don’t forget about volume levels – Ensure that all spoken words, music, and sound effects are at appropriate volume levels so that they don’t overpower or detract from one another.
By following these tips, you can create an animated explainer video with powerful audio elements that effectively communicate your message to potential customers. Remember that adding high-quality sound effects and music will help enhance engagement and improve overall effect of the final product.
Editing And Producing The Final Video
Once your animated explainer video has been animated and the audio has been recorded, it’s time to edit and produce the final video. Here are some essential steps for ensuring your final product is polished and professional:
- Cut the footage: Start by trimming any irrelevant or unnecessary parts of your animation. This will help keep your final product concise and engaging.
- Add sound effects and music: Use appropriate sounds and music to complement the visuals and audio narration of your explainer video. This can help create a more immersive experience for viewers.
- Add visual effects: Visual effects can be used to emphasise key points in your animation or enhance its overall quality.
- Colour grading: Adjusting colours can help make sure that everything looks visually consistent throughout the video.
- Motion graphics: Animations can be complemented with motion graphics like text, graphs, illustrations that move in and out as needed throughout the explainer videos to further emphasize key points.
- Exporting: Once you’re happy with your edits, it’s time to export the finished video file into a format that you can share or upload online.
By following these steps when editing and producing your animated explainer video, you’ll end up with a professional product that effectively showcases what makes your business unique.
Animated Explainer Videos examples
We will explore and analyse the best animated explainer videos of 2022 and 2023, identifying why they were successful in engaging with their target audience.
The Best Videos Of 2022 And 2023
In this section, we present a selection of the best animated explainer videos of 2022 and 2023, showcasing captivating visuals and engaging content that has contributed to their success.
| Rank | Video Title | Company | Animation Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revolutionising Online Shopping | Shopify | 2D Animation |
| 2 | The Future of Education | Khan Academy | Whiteboard Animation |
| 3 | Unlocking Renewable Energy | Tesla | 3D Animation |
| 4 | Transforming Customer Support | Zendesk | Motion Graphics |
| 5 | Revolutionising Fitness | Peloton | 2D Animation |
| 6 | Streamlining Project Management | Trello | Whiteboard Animation |
| 7 | Optimising Financial Services | Mastercard | Motion Graphics |
| 8 | Empowering Creative Collaboration | Adobe | 2D Animation |
| 9 | Revolutionising Transportation | Uber | 3D Animation |
| 10 | Improving Healthcare Access | Fitbit | Whiteboard Animation |
These outstanding animated explainer videos demonstrate the potential for businesses across industries to captivate and educate their target audience through creative storytelling. Each example illustrates the power of well-crafted visuals, informative content, and a compelling narrative in capturing the viewers’ attention and driving them to take action. As a business owner, taking inspiration from these top videos can help you create a successful animated explainer campaign that not only conveys your message but also leaves a lasting impression on your target audience.
Analysis Of Why They Were Successful
Animated explainer videos can be incredibly effective in generating leads and increasing conversions, but why do some videos succeed where others fail? The best animated explainer videos share a few key traits that make them stand out from the crowd.
Firstly, they are clear and concise in their messaging – viewers can easily understand the product or service being offered, without being overwhelmed by too much information.
Secondly, successful videos often feature engaging imagery and audio that captures viewers’ attention right from the start.
One great example of an effective animated explainer video is Dollar Shave Club‘s “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” video which went viral when it was released in 2012. This video took an irreverent approach to selling razors by using humour and strong language to grab viewers’ attention.
The company had identified a gap in the market for affordable razors delivered straight to customers’ doors and used their animated explainer video to convey this message in a fun and engaging way.
Another example is Dropbox’s “What Is Dropbox?” video which uses simple animations combined with clear explanations to educate potential customers about what the cloud storage service offers.
By breaking down complex technical concepts into easy-to-understand terms, Dropbox made their product accessible to anyone who might be interested in using it.
In conclusion, successful animated explainer videos are those that are clear, engaging and unique while delivering value propositions effectively through visuals/audio stimulation; these characteristics will help businesses generate more leads thereby increasing convertions rates at lesser cost than other types of advertising means available today in British English Language.
Conclusion
In conclusion, animated explainer videos are an innovative and effective way to promote your business, products or services. By using animation techniques, sound effects and music, you can create a professional video that will draw in potential customers.
Explainer videos are short, simple and highly engaging – perfect for capturing the attention of viewers who may be browsing social media platforms. With over 64% of online buyers deciding to purchase after watching a video on social media, it is clear that investing in the production of an explainer video is a wise decision for all businesses.
FAQs:
Q: What is an animated explainer video?
A: An animated explainer video is a type of explainer video that uses animation to tell a story or explain a product or service. It is a short video that is typically 60-90 seconds long and is designed to engage viewers and convey information in an easy-to-understand way.
Q: Why should I use an animated explainer video for my business?
A: An animated explainer video can help you explain your product or service in a more engaging and memorable way than text or images alone. It can also help you build your brand and increase your online visibility and conversions.
Q: What are some types of explainer videos?
A: There are various types of explainer videos, including animated explainer videos, whiteboard animation videos, live-action explainer videos, and motion graphics explainer videos.
Q: What is the production process for an animated explainer video?
A: The production process for an animated explainer video typically involves scriptwriting, storyboarding, voiceover recording, animation, sound effects, and editing. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete, depending on the complexity of the project.
Q: How much does it cost to produce an animated explainer video?
A: The cost of producing an animated explainer video can vary depending on factors such as video length, animation style, level of customization, and the production company you choose. On average, a professionally produced animated explainer video can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 or more.
Q: What makes a great explainer video?
A: A great explainer video is short, clear, engaging, and memorable. It should have a well-written script, high-quality animation, a professional voiceover, and appropriate sound effects and music.
Q: Can you provide some examples of awesome explainer videos?
A: Sure! Some examples of awesome explainer videos include Dropbox’s explainer video, Dollar Shave Club’s explainer video, and Yum Yum Videos’ explainer video for Crazy Egg.
Q: How do I choose the right explainer video production company?
A: When choosing an explainer video production company, look for a company with experience, a strong portfolio of work, positive client reviews, and a clear understanding of your needs and goals.
Q: Should I use a live-action or animated explainer video?
A: The choice between a live-action and animated explainer video depends on your product or service, target audience, and marketing goals. Animated explainer videos are typically more versatile and can be used for a wider range of products and audiences.
Q: How can I create my own explainer video?
A: You can create your own explainer video by using online video creation software or hiring a freelance animator. Keep in mind that creating a high-quality explainer video requires a certain level of skill and experience, so it’s important to do your research and choose the right tools and resources.
