The Traditional Oscar Ceremony that will occur on April 25, 2021, might have already entered history textbooks for several reasons. First of all, it is going to be the first award ceremony in the whole new world. Not only the Pandemic of Coronavirus has changed the way we see the entertainment industry today, but 2020 was also full of social and political events that have definitely formed a new approach to such significant events as the world-famous Oscar ceremony.
The announcement of nominations demonstrated that this Oscar award would be the most diverse one in history. At least 9 of 20 acting nominees represent ethnic minority groups. Also, for the first time in the 93-year history of the award, two women were simultaneously nominated for the “Best Director” category.
As for the Best Animated Feature and Best Animated Short Film, those categories might have become the upcoming ceremony’s determining streams. Animation has entered the highest Hollywood production levels and now draws even more attention than blockbusters or social drama movies.
Let’s go through the brightest nominees of the year.
Over the Moon (Best Animated Feature)
Director: Glen Keane, John Kahrs (co-director)
Featured on Netflix, Over the Moon has instantly become a hit. This animated movie seems to have everything we expect from a truly educational yet thrilling animation today.
Talking about dreams, equality of possibilities, and hard work, this movie touches several sensitive social matters, becoming a manifesto of women’s independence and representation of ethnic minorities in the modern popular culture. Over the Moon has become a sensation long before it has appeared on the screens, and its nomination for Oscars in 2021 was undoubtful.
Wolfwalkers (Best Animated Feature)
Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
This incredibly stylish yet lively animation reminds us of the importance of keeping our minds open even in the darkest times. The story of a hunter’s daughter who discovers the wonders of wild nature is an inspiring example of how important it is to let yourself take a closer look at things that might seem crystal clear.
Soul (Best Animated Feature)
Director: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
This animated movie combines everything we love about Pixar’s animation. Inventive characters that anyone will find relatable, witty stories and, of course, a catchy soundtrack. Above all, the Soul will discover a whole new world to many viewers, talk about such serious matters as the meaning of life and the importance of dreaming.
Two elven brothers embark on a quest to bring their father back for one day. Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, go on a journey to discover if there is still a little magic left out there in order to spend one last day with their father, who died when they were too young to remember him. Along the way, they encounter a manticore, wild sprites, and adventures beyond their imaginations. Ultimately, they will learn that there are some things in the world that are more powerful than magic.
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (Best Animated Feature)
Director: Will Becher, Richard Phelan
When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her. Shaun the Sheep is back for another adventure and this time it will take him out of this world. Here he meets the mischievous and curious Lu-La, an alien who has crash landed near his farm. When it becomes all the more clear that Lu-La is homesick, Shaun and the rest of the sheep on his farm band together to concoct a plan to send Lu-La home.
Opera (Best Animated Short)
Director: Erick Oh
This work of a California-based Korean filmmaker has already traveled overall significant festivals worldwide, becoming an ultimate sensation in the world of animation. Opera is an ambitious and unconventional animated project that is among the most prominent Oscar nominees in 2021.
If anything happens, I love you (Best Animated Short)
Director: Michael Govier, Will McCormack
This tragic story won’t leave anyone indifferent. A heartbreaking animated movie about the ultimate grief and love between two parents who lose their child to a school shooting raises awareness about feelings and emotions we might have never suspected behind the tragic yet present matter of modern society.
Burrow (Best Animated Short)
Director: Madeline Sharafian
This animated movie is a true gift for those who look for the ultimate spark in modern cartoons that might have become too serious today. However, the movie about bunnies, drawn in a slightly childish yet witty manner, raises serious questions about self-determination and modern society’s communication. Yes, it will make you think but won’t overload or leave any bitter aftertaste.
One night, Reine, a young loner, sees the urban chaos as a mystical oneness that seems alive, like some sort of guide.
Yes-People ( Best Animated Short)
Director: Gísli Darri Halldórsson (Iceland)
One morning, an eclectic mix of people face the everyday battle – such as work, school and dish-washing. As the day progresses, their relationships are tested and ultimately their capacity to cope.
A great animated explainer video that reflects your moral values and ideology behind your business can make it far easier to attain loyal customers in a short time. Before you finally decide to make an animation for your business, it is important to appreciate that the video must be precise, interesting and relevant to your customers and your work ethics. To help you get the most out of this tool, we at Explainer Video Makers are dedicated to boosting your business growth.
Social media video content determines the way Digital Marketing will look in the future
The digital-only world was more of a concept from sci-fi movies not so long ago. Hardly could we imagine that telecommunication will ever be able to fully replace life interaction. Or that we shall do all the shopping, including groceries, using our mobile devices. However, technologies have been changing our world slowly and gradually throughout the years, until in 2020 we were quite roughly forced to enter a digital-only reality.
From a place where people share photos and videos of their children and pets, social media has slowly but surely evolved into a nifty platform where local businesses could easily target their online ads and reach out to their auditorium. Since 2020 has forced all the business world to move online and search for customers there, social media became a powerful marketplace, equally suitable for local and international businesses of all industries.
Essentially, digital marketing became a crucial industry and quality, engaging selling content – its main tool. Soon enough marketers realized that it is video content that draws the most attention, engages prosperous customers, and inspires them for the following interaction. And this is how Video content in social media became the future of digital marketing.
This phenomenon is pretty understandable. Since people got tired of the overwhelming gruesome information flow from TV and other mass media sources, they started filling their free time browsing social media.
Soon enough social media content has replaced fundamental sources of information for millions of people. This tendency became mostly clear in regions where local governments and official media were accused of disinformation about the numbers and statistics considering COVID-19.
And since social media became the most credible source of information for so many people, it has instantly turned into a prosperous sales market. The prevalence of the video content significance is pretty logical in this case as many people started to turn on YouTube channels and live streams just like they used to do with TV before – for the background soundtrack. And as far as so many people were forced to stay and work home due to the lockdown, the amount of such views has simply skyrocketed in 2020. And even now, when the restrictions are lifted in many regions, lots of users continue to prefer online video content to television.
Let`s have a general overview of the principles of social media video content creation, its efficiency, and probable perspectives in the observable future. “Video Content is the future of marketing“
Social Media Videos – Everything goes! Wait, not really
Wouldn`t it be great if there was some certain pattern or step=by-step guide to creating an efficient commercial video for social media? There is a solid chance that such guidelines will be shaped soon enough just like SEO principles applied to text content.
However, there are some pretty clear patterns based on general consumers` psychology and the experience of existing video marketing strategies, that allow us to speculate about what works for social media video content and what doesn`t.
Short and clear
Remember how we were told that we have only a couple of seconds to draw a customer`s attention and make him click on an online ad? Well, it is almost the same for video content. Due to the constant information flow, the attention span of an average user is getting shorter. It means that even the most colorful and dynamic video may become boring in a matter of just several seconds.
Because of this fact, most social media platforms restrict the video content duration and offer an option to add longer videos to separate sections, where users can browse them if they are interested.
According to the overall impression, a perfect selling video for social media lasts not more than 30 seconds. This timespan is pretty enough to keep a user`s attention and briefly give all the necessary information without overloading a viewer with details.
Valuable content
With the growing competition between brands and businesses, the value of the content becomes a crucial engagement factor. Entertainment and education are the qualities that win viewers’ attention and encourage them to subscribe or research a brand online.
When a brand provides valuable information, it raises credibility in customers` eyes. And entertaining content is most likely to become viral due to numerous shares.
Unique content
Although it is always useful to observe and adopt a competitor`s successful techniques, this principle may lead to a failure regarding social media video content. The idea is pretty simple – once a customer sees several analogs of the same product, he will make the choice randomly without any affiliation to the brand. It will also minimize the chances for the second purchase because, again, a customer won`t see the difference between similar offers and will choose randomly.
Not only it minimizes the chances of your brand to success based on the quality of your Video Content, but this strategy also devalues it, making all the production investment a waste of time and money.
All the said above are some basic observations of the efficiency of social media video content. However, the impact of such content on the development and image of the brand cannot be overrated. In case you manage to create successful content, it may skyrocket the business. Faulty videos may devalue or even destroy a business reputation. Even mediocre content that seems to pass unnoticed, makes an impact as it ends up in a waste of time and money and points out the overall inefficiency of the digital marketing strategy.
However, there are certain practices and principles common to modern social media video content.
A strategy is a key
Being the blueprint of the whole content, a clear and realistic strategy is the key to the success of any advertising campaign. However, social media is a pretty specific marketplace. Except for the presentation of the product and services, any brand has to create its certain image here.
People judge brands just like other users as long as they see them on social media. That is why it is important to create a certain atmosphere that will be appealing to the target auditorium. By setting realistic and adjustable goals, following pre-determined guidelines, and speaking directly to prosperous customers, a brand can represent itself on social media as a living being, to who a customer may relate an address for a solution.
Competitor becomes an assistant
Social media is an extremely sensitive marketplace. People react instantly to almost every move, claim, and piece of content. Numerous businesses have skyrocketed due to creating video content that became viral and drew attention. At the same time, there are lots of examples of when prosperous brands crashed and burned exactly at the moment they have arrived on social media platforms. And this has also happened due to their content and interrogation with other viewers.
It is important to determine your competitors and carefully study their performance on social media to be able to adopt successful moves and avoid faulty ones.
Collect data
Even if come campaign or video on social media seemed to pass unnoticed, it may be a useful source of information. Make sure to track the data carefully. Determine what kind of auditorium is usually interested in your content and ignored the latest video. It will give you valuable information that will help to avoid this kind of resource waste in the future.
Unmute yourself
Since so many people scroll through social media content while being in the office or on public transportation, they prefer the mute regime. In this case, you lose one of the most powerful tools of video content – sound. Upbeat music won`t create the mood and the soothing narrator`s voice won`t draw attention.
It is important to avoid these situations by putting the most value of your video content into…video. You may either make it expressive to eliminate the need for words at all or make sure to duplicate the message through bright and engaging banners as the video goes.
Picking topics and themes that will work
We have already discussed how educational and entertaining content is the key to the success of your social media videos. Now let`s take a closer look at how to find engaging and efficient topics that will draw customers` attention.
Important dates
Creating specific video content that is relevant to certain historic events or national holidays are the ultimate way to draw users` attention and engage them in conversation. Whether you make a brief “day in history” video that somehow relates to your product or service or remind users of a Mother`s day and offer a great present solution, these kinds of videos are the most valued among social media users.
Keep the track of events
Another topic that will always be relevant is current events. Since so many people are replacing mass media with online accounts today, your awareness about current events and the ability to offer relevant solutions will certainly bring value to your video content in the eyes of prosperous customers.
Researches and statistics
Every piece of information looks more credible, once you add a “%” sign to it. Not just the fact that some matter was seriously researched will make your product more legit in the consumers` eyes, but it will create a sense that they are not alone with their problem or need and someone is working hard to offer a solution for them.
Specific topics
Every industry and business has a specific circle of prosperous customers with their needs and interests. And although it is very important to talk about trendy and relevant topics, once you create video content that addresses directly to your auditorium, it obtained a whole new level of value.
Study your target auditorium, their demographics, social background, education, and income level, and create videos that answer possible issues and challenges which are most specific for those people. Not only this process will help you learn the most about your prosperous customers and adjust marketing strategies according to their behavior and reactions. This is the way to demonstrate that, unlike competitors, you offer a product or service designed exclusively for the potential customer, which is a significant credibility factor.
The world is changing at a crazy pace and so do trends among the online community. Video content that was pretty acceptable and viral only several months ago may cause irritation and a negative response today. That is why a perfect recipe for successful social media video content will never exist. The standards, trends, and ethical norms will continue changing, bringing a new concept to life and eliminating others. However, the fate of social media video content is pretty clear today. It is the foundation of future digital marketing strategies.
Customers` engagement modeled on Netflix Interactive videos. Master the New Level of Marketing Content Creation
Netflix has noticed the importance of personalization and user experience way before it has become mainstream. The feed and recommendations based on the videos that a user watched before along with the “my Lists” and “Thumbs Up” featured, gave Netflix powerful tools that helped to create a unique user experience for every account.
The next step was letting viewers take an active part in the storytelling by influencing the plot of their favorite shows. Revolutionizing home entertainment forever, this has written the name of Netflix in history books on marketing and efficient content creation.
This innovative approach and its growing popularity have sparked a thought in the marketing industry that the sense of involvement and self-identification may be as powerful in the world of commercial content creation. In other words – once customers sense personal relation with a product or a brand, they are most likely to focus their attention on it a become loyal consumers.
While adopting the personalization feature, a brand gets an important space for maneuvering. In case the is not enough sufficient data to have a comprehensive understanding of customer`s interests, personalization allows a customer to watch only the content that is most likely to draw attention and inspire further involvement. This is particularly important if you have a lot of various unspecified content to share. In this case, you risk that a big percentage of potential customers may lose interest after they go over some irrelevant content.
Netflix might have possibly started a new era of marketing. While today personalization and individual experience are named among the hottest trends and the most powerful tools of modern marketing, various brands have already successfully adopted the Netflix-like model of communication with regulars and potential customers through their content.
Let`s have an overview of how various industries capitalize today on the interactive policy and personalized user experience approach.
Answer their questions and offer instant solutions
No matter what industry a company may operate, customers always ask questions. But the development of search engines and non-contact communication trends lead to the fact that most customers prefer to use the search bar of a website instead of using the customer support chat or hotline. The good news for brands – this is a perfect way to collect and evaluate data of the most common requests. Those requests are the main tendencies in the user experience, those issues that need an instant and easy solution to keep those customers engaged. Video content based on this data is the most efficient both for the viewer and the business.
Those videos consist of 2 parts:
Personalized description of the problem that creates the engagement atmosphere of involvement
Clear guidance to a solution
On the one hand, a customer is getting the sense of personal involvement of a brand into his needs and demands and willingness to provide an easy solution. On the other hand, a brand may naturally introduce efficient call-to-action content that will stream the customer`s attention and promote a particular product or service.
For example, customers that are curious about various payment methods, get videos promoting online or auto-pay that demonstrate obvious advantages of this service, and encourage to use it right away.
Encouraging spontaneous or one-time purchases is a costly and inefficient strategy. The real success is achieved through the ability to engage customers in long-term relationships, make them feel belonging to a certain brand, and relate to any new promotional campaign. And data is everything in this case. Using the interactive and personalized approach, brands get the chance to collect and follow the data about customer`s behaviors and habits. Not only it allows to make the planning of further actions more efficient, but this data may also be efficiently fed to a CRM, making the content more relevant for the regulars and attractive for potential customers.
While providing customers with an opportunity to choose between such alternatives as online or in-store shopping, monthly interaction or yearly subscriptions, etc., a brand reaches 2 goals:
Providing customers with an impression that this particular business is willing to adjust to customer`s needs, demands, and wishes
Getting crucial information about customer`s behavior may be a powerful tool for the attraction of new clients
Moreover, while learning about customer`s preferences, a brand can either develop the most popular stream and capitalize on it or adjust or cut-off the least prosperous fields, saving money and efforts.
Personalized discounts and loyalty programs
Various loyalty programs and regular customer`s perks are what make people come back and purchase more. They eat the foundation of stable long-term relationships with a brand, involvement, and habit-like consumption that is the gamut of successful marketing.
Personalization and interactive approach demonstrate to customers the advantages of loyalty programs based on their habits, preferences, and interests. It is much easier to promote a discount card and demonstrate all the perks of a reward program when you use the consumer segment that your customer is most interested in. For example, large multi-brand retail networks may promote the same discount card or membership through various streams like groceries, clothes, electronics, etc. The value of any promotion grows in the eyes of customers as soon as they see how they can benefit from it instantly.
The personalized loyalty policy is a two-way street:
It demonstrates to customers all the benefits of loyalty to a particular brand or network
It helps businesses to keep the existing customers engaged and attract new ones by addressing them through the most relevant and understandable values
With the growing importance of personalized user experience and demand for original and unique content, foreseen by Netflix some time ago, becomes a viral trend in various industries today. Personalized video content is not only more engaging, but it also provides various opportunities to collect and evaluate data about customers, build a clear vision of targeting auditorium and be able to promote the same product or service in several different ways to cover the most percentage of potential customers. Seems like the Netflix-like content creation and distribution only has advantages and guarantees success to the business or brand that adapts it. But just like any marketing solution, Personalized content creation is a double-edged sword. Some peculiarities of creation and distribution of personalized content may want the particular business to think twice before adopting this marketing tool.
The first thing any brand would think about before launching a new promotional campaign is the production cost and how they correlate with the expectations of the campaign. Due to its variability and the necessity to produce and manage various storylines, personalized interactive content is significantly more expensive in its production and maintenance.
Also, interactive video content requires a specific hosting platform. It means that the distribution of this type of videos becomes quite challenging and will require some unconventional solutions. In the era of social media, people discover most of the video content through YouTube, IGTV, or Facebook – platforms that are the most powerful from the marketing point of view. But they still don`t provide video players that would allow users to fully explore and benefit from personalized interactive video content.
Moreover, the power of choice often encourages people to re-interpret information. It means that eventually there is a strong chance that customers will skip your original message and although finding your content pretty useful and engaging, won`t proceed to the call-to-action part and fulfill the purpose of the content.
The anatomy of efficient interactive video content
Interactive videos may look like a world of endless creative opportunities both for the brand and a customer. But just like any efficient marketing tool, seemingly freedom-loving and unrestricted, interactive videos are built according to a clear scenario that guarantees their commercial efficiency.
Pre-defined and clear goals.
Ironically the foundation of such a variable product as an interactive video is strictly defined and clear final goal. There are several reasons to think of the final goal before developing the idea of the content. First of all, a video should have a clear value in the eyes of a viewer. The engagement appears when people see that their interactions with content are leading them to valuable information and solution for their issues. Secondly, as long as viewers are supposed to feel like part of the storytelling, it is much easier for them to relate when they see where it is aimed and destined. Moreover, if the goal is clear and the journey is engaging, users are more likely to share the content with people who may benefit from it as well. This solves one of the most common issues of interactive video content – the complexity of distribution.
Tracking and supervision.
When we talk about such variable content as interactive videos, the ability to supervise and track the interactions and involvement is the key function the determines the success of such content. First of all, tracking demonstrates what parts of the content are the most attractive ones, therefore the least successful may be either adjusted or eliminated. Also, by supervising the users’ activity and interactions, you get a chance to adjust the message and its delivery and make it more efficient. This solves one of the most common challenges of personalized content, when given choice, people start skipping the whole purpose of the video and the message a brand is trying to translate through it.
Fascination factor.
This might be the part that defines the interactive video content. We all know that any kind of study is much more absorbable while turned into a game or entertainment form. A commercial video is a form of education – they introduce and describe a new product or service, teach about its benefits and give a guideline of how to solve one`s problem with it. Being adjustable and engaging, interactive videos are an example of such educational content. While turned into a game form, letting viewers collect points or giving them the power to play various scenarios influencing the life of a character, interactive videos keep a viewer engaged, while eliminating the sense of the sale, but turning him into an active participant of the whole marketing campaign.
Due to their variability, interactive videos are efficient in various fields. While the most natural application field for them is promotion, they are also a powerful tool for raising awareness or educating recruits.
Here are the most popular and efficient uses of personalized interactive content today
Product promotion – the essential use of interactive content. Not only do they inform customers about a new product and its benefits, but such videos are also variable. The variability of promotional content allows a brand to cover a wider audience and provide the exact information a consumer might need.
Education – while practical learning is statistically more efficient than theoretical classes, interactive videos make it much easier to translate the exact message, inform about the concept and let the information sink in without the grinding effect of traditional education. Providing the possibility to see the outcome of the various scenario, they evaluate and boost up the education process through the benefits of theoretical and practical knowledge.
Music videos – with the development of social media and the growing accessibility of celebrities, the significance of music videos today is incomparable to that of the MTV era. Today`s viewers are much more sophisticated and look for a new experience and creative solutions. Through the immersive effect of interactive music videos, artists create a new level of engagement, which is so important today, when public events and shows are inaccessible for most of the audience.
The interactive experience is not that innovative as it may seem today. This practice has been widely used in cable television and even books decades before we have entered our present all-digital era. The phenomenon of Netflix is not inventing something unprecedented, but being able to adapt and concert this concept and built the whole brand around it. And as long as modern consumers are overwhelmed with advertising, this personalized approach combined with the immersive experience of interaction became a fresh breeze in the modern culture of consumerism.
Videos revolutionized the world. There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the value of moving images is millions of times more remarkable, especially when you can use them to tell a story to your audience.
The term motion graphics refers to a video or digital animation that creates the illusion of movement through images, photographs, titles, colors, and designs. Therefore, we could say that it is a moving graphic animation.
Its purposes can be quite varied. Motion graphics video can be used for corporate videos, audiovisual post-production, interactive presentations, project exhibitions, events, and DVD authoring. But one of the main functions that it promises is to allow brands or companies to tell incredible stories that their audience can connect with.
Maybe the story you want to tell is a bit long and complicated, but this is not a problem if you use motion graphics. These videos always manage to simplify the message and make the viewers understand everything perfectly. They can portray the most complete and intricate ideas in an attractive, straightforward way that is capable of capturing anyone’s attention.
Do you want to know more about them and take advantage of them for your brand or business? Here we show you some examples.
This category refers to videos that combine live-action images with animation. In some of them, for example, you will see an animated overlay that runs over live-action images, and in others, you will have animated videos with occasional use of pictures and videos. As a brand or company, you can try different techniques until you find the best one for you.
This type of motion graphics video has been around for a long time. However, it has gained a lot of popularity, and experts have recently seen widespread adoption in the industry. They are really powerful in attracting the public. Find here some examples.
Dear Internet from Medium
It is a video that focuses on the early age of the Internet. It’s packed with elements dating back to that era and tells a particular story. However, it does not have illustrations of these elements but shows them as they were.
The video’s central theme is the Internet since its inception, so there are countless references to that event from the past. And the creators did an excellent job bringing viewers back to those days. This motion graphics video was for Medium, and as you will see, they have a lot of animation. As mentioned, each company can choose its technique according to its needs or objectives, with different proportions of animations and live-action images.
One of the best ways to educate your audience in an entertaining way is through infographic videos. Companies love these videos and often see them as a great option, especially since they simply explain complex topics.
The infographic motion graphics videos are very easy to understand and generate a lot of participation as they are very attractive. Therefore, they develop a good return on investment. Brands or technology companies take great advantage of them to explain concepts, but they are not the only ones who use this type of video to communicate with their audience. Let’s review an example:
Everyone’s On Social from Hootsuite.
It is a very interesting and eye-catching video but with a fairly straightforward narrative. It aims to highlight the fact that today’s society lives in a digital age and that almost everyone is on some social media platform.
Once the video starts, you see a message that says: “everyone is on social media these days,” and you automatically feel hooked and want to see it. However, this is not the only attraction the production has. What the narrator says is not the only thing that grabs the audience’s attention, as the moving graphics that support the statements emphasize it.
In this sense, we can say that the interaction between the narrative and the graphic elements is what keeps the viewer hooked. Although there are many ways to make an infographic motion graphics video, this is an alternative full of shapes and abstract objects to tell compelling stories. In Everyone’s On Social, you see animals and humans, although the video does not revolve around them.
The character that characterizes this video is abstract in nature, making it an infographic video motion graphics in every sense. Also, it is precisely that abstract way of telling stories what attracts people and makes it easy to understand.
Best cartoon motion graphics videos.
Building a relationship with the audience on an emotional level is essential for brands and companies, especially if their goal is to generate conversions. Many people fight for their project to connect emotionally with the viewers, and that is something that cartoon motion graphics videos do without problems.
Through them, you can tell stories in the right way and create such connections with the audience. Besides, the use of animated characters makes these videos highly relatable. For example, if someone sees a character on the screen with the same problem as them, they will relate to him.
Later, when the company’s solutions help solve the character’s problem, the viewer will feel that they solved their problems as well. At that moment, the emotional connection that was mentioned is created. In this way, the viewer’s confidence grows and makes them more likely to make a purchase decision.
Security from Virgin media
It is an excellent example of a cartoon motion graphics video. While the video is playing, you see many characters that seem relatable. You may see some and relate them directly to you, a friend, or a member of your family.
Moreover, it creates a sense of urgency about the product in the viewers’ minds, who will want to purchase it almost immediately. If you analyze it, you will realize that it is an easy-to-understand video with a very clear message. Almost everyone knows the risks associated with not having a proper cybersecurity system, but very few do anything about it.
In this way, this video remembers the problems that everyone could face because of it and motivates them to take steps to protect themselves. So, since the company provides information, the viewers are more likely to buy their solution. Having people manage to relate to the characters in the video, and the emotional connections formed thanks to the cartoons also increase the chances of sales.
Many companies and brands that have been in the industry for some time know that they need a motion graphics video but don’t know what animation style to begin with. If this has happened to you, you can consider whiteboard motion graphics videos to get started. While this is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it is a simple recommendation to start.
It is common to come across these types of videos on the Internet, and the main reason is its great attractiveness. These videos can quickly grab people’s attention. Plus, they are easy to understand and follow. Whiteboard motion graphics have massive appeal and can make it easy to explain complicated concepts.
Most of the examples you can find on the web use simple illustrations. There will also be a voice over explaining the images to help you understand what they are about. Sounds like a simple trick to you? Well, it is, but it works perfectly. It is one of the safe bets for brands and companies.
Many people feel like they go back to college when they see them, precisely those moments when professors explained extended and intricate topics using blackboards and helped them understand everything they needed to know. Whiteboard motion graphics use a very similar but more attractive technique. Let’s look at an example.
APR from Ford Whiteboard.
Whiteboard videos often have static illustrations that the narrator explains. However, with this stunning video, Ford goes way beyond the standard. The automotive giant not only animates the pictures but also manages to tell a meaningful and valuable story with them.
In this way, you are in front of a video that creatively combines live-action and animation images. Some people will think that this will turn it into a mixed media video, and they will be right to an extent. But it is essential to understand a little of what is behind it.
The first whiteboard videos used to show people using real whiteboards. They then did the illustrations and explained using markers, sticking to the traditional way of making whiteboard videos. Therefore, it can be said that this video holds true to the conventional method of making whiteboard videos, at least in that aspect. However, it generates a more modern feeling thanks to the type of animation it uses.
Best 3D motion graphics videos.
Many brands and companies avoid using 3D animations because they have a small budget and consider them expensive. However, those who have tried them know that it has been an excellent decision and do not regret it. Actually, there are some companies whose only option is 3D videos.
In the case of medical equipment companies, for example, they should opt for 3D videos in order to show the complexities of how their product works. That added dimension helps to showcase better the performance of any product or tool they offer. But the best part is that these videos work regardless of whether the company can or can’t do without the technique.
3D videos stand out for the realistic images they offer. Also, as we live in a 3D world, these videos are meant to be relatable and significantly increase engagement. And they work for all kinds of products! Brands and companies can use them for both physical products and anything else they need to promote. Here is an example:
Email vs Slack from Slack.
When you watch this video, you feel that everything that appears is natural, including the environment, and this is due to the 3D animation. The added dimension emphasizes the spatial differences in the video, creating a feeling closer to what we experience in real life.
This technique makes the elements of the video more versatile. It can cause some to appear closer or farther from the camera, makes distances between objects prominent, and dramatically enhances everything seen. Besides, it is capable of changing the perspective of images.
More examples of great motion graphics videos.
Today, there is so much material that it is difficult to choose a small group for the best motion graphics videos. Brands, companies, and agencies are getting more and more creative, creating compelling, engaging, and high-quality video content. If you want to know more about this, you can review this extended list of some other options that are worth seeing. You will be able to learn a lot about all of them and be inspired to create the perfect motion graphic video for you.
When You Say You’re a Swimmer from Eli Guillou.
It is a video that may seem simple, but it is very well done. Once you play it, you find text overlays and basic shapes on plain backgrounds. But, in less than five seconds, you will be able to feel its significant impact. This video is a beautiful example of how sound effects and voice-overs can seamlessly complement motion graphics to create a powerful sensation that captures viewers’ attention. And it isn’t easy to get out of there. You are not going to lose concentration for any reason. You can watch this video to know that motion graphics videos don’t have to be complicated and that simple ideas can be powerful.
Google Cloud IoT Solutions from Google.
As mentioned, motion graphics videos can not only be used for physical products, and this Google video is one example of that. It addresses a rather complicated and highly intangible concept: the collection, distribution, and storage of data. How does it do so? Simple! It uses an almost perfect combination of traditional motion graphics and abstract shapes that make it a masterful creation. Google tends to do this in their videos, especially in the past, and there is a specific reason for this: they are simple, easy to understand, and fascinating.
One from Pearson English.
The world’s largest education company put motion graphics to impressive use with this video, which becomes an exceptional example of how motion graphics can create exciting and informative explainer videos. Once again, it is essential to highlight intangible concepts.
Many brands and companies believe that they cannot use videos of this type if they offer services or software without physical products, but the reality is entirely different. This video, for example, shows the processes, quite a difficult task for live-action images. You can watch this video to see how motion graphics remove those barriers and allow animators or agencies to put anything on the screen without resorting to intricate narratives. It is awesome!
Industry 4.0 from Deufol.
It is a video from a few years ago that describes the industrial revolution, a task that seems quite tricky until Deufol created this wonder. This video makes understanding the event very easy, and this is thanks to the motion graphics. Additionally, they use a strong voice-over to communicate better a topic that is quite comprehensive while gracefully presenting their solution. Plus, the motion graphics generate visual interest to keep viewers entertained. As a result, they have a video with a surprising theme, a captivating narrative, and some outstanding pictures.
MLS Playoff 2017 from ESPN.
At the beginning of the post, you can find information about one of the most frequently used types of motion graphics videos nowadays: that of mixed media. However, as explained, it is a technique that has been used for years. One such example is this video from ESPN, which combines live-action images and motion graphics to create a unique animation style.
ESPN used it to promote the 2017 Major League Soccer playoffs. You can look at it several times to see how detailed it is. The text graphics’ movements are perfectly done and sync seamlessly with each piece that makes up this video. It is a work of art capable of entertaining, capturing attention, and generating emotions, especially in soccer fans.
Motion graphics videos have revolutionized the industry in every way. They became one of the most powerful advertising, marketing, and video content creation tools. And that is no coincidence. Its characteristics and its effectiveness when it comes to explaining and promoting products and services are impressive, and they can help any brand or company to achieve success.
Motion graphics videos allow their creators to share experience, connect with the audience, and show what they have to offer in a fun, entertaining, and beautiful way.Here you can find some examples that can help you get inspired and motivated but remember that the final decision is yours. Let your creativity fly, hire a reliable agency, and create together a masterpiece that boosts your project like never before!
Some might say that it has been a rough year! Indeed, hardly you may name any industry or business that has not been affected by the Pandemic of COVID-19. But in contrast to the panic that has swept the market several months ago, today we see that some businesses seemed to pass the darkest hours with flying colors. Moreover, not only didn`t slip into oblivion, leaving unemployment and debt behind, they seem to have become even stronger! And we don`t only talk about the “Essential” industries like food, media, healthcare, and pharma. On the one hand, their raise is pretty predictable in the current situation. But at the same time, they have suddenly found themselves in an unprecedentedly competitive atmosphere and also had to adjust their marketing strategies.
So let alone construction, entertainment, manufacturing, travel, transportation, and numerous other business segments that due to their nature have suffered from quarantine restrictions and social distancing! But even among them, today we see not just survivors, but bright examples that due to their timely action and ability to adjust marketing tactics during COVID-19 seem to have grown stronger, enriched with the new experience. We all know that a sage constantly observes others and learns from their mistakes and experience. Observation has always been named among the most efficient tools in any marketing strategy. So let`s have a detailed bird`s eye view of the most efficient marketing tactics applied during the pandemic and see how they have worked until now and whether they will be relevant in the post-Coronavirus market.
Marketing strategy is a combination of tactics that defines how your business will communicate with the target audience and encourage it to make a purchase generating your revenue. It can be imagined as a navigator app that shows your current location and directions to the destination. And just like during traffic, operating on a live market, you are constantly influenced by outer factors that don`t depend on you but affect your journey greatly. the Pandemic of COVID-19, social unrest, recession, and natural disasters that happened this year are exactly those factors. If you are traveling with a navigator, you may receive warnings and wor-out alternative routes. Otherwise, you risk getting stuck in a tremendous traffic jam or even a horrific accident.
That is why marketing strategy, no matter how thought-through it might be from the very beginning, has to be constantly adjusted. This was true before when marketing tactics were modified according to consumers` purchasing phases. But today, both businesses and consumers don`t have a clear vision of the future and have to combine a habitual lifestyle with the imposed precautions.
That said, the marketing strategy adjustment today differs from the one we might have been used to until now. Here are the top 11 steps you want to take today to adjust your marketing plan to the ongoing situation. Moreover, if you manage to react timely and adopt the new rulebook, you have a strong chance to benefit from the current situation and become a part of the fundamental forces of the post-Coronavirus economy.
Explore the new demand
The worst mistake you can do now is to start thinking that nobody needs your service in the current situation. Remember, demand does not disappear, it simply reconfigures. And so should your offer. For example, social distancing does not mean that people don`t need clothes. But the demand for lounge clothes and underwear today is as high as it has never been before. While outdoor apparel had to step back. In other words, instead of investing in more aggressive promotion of whatever you have to offer, re-stream your efforts into learning what the consumer needs. People still want to make a purchase and they need your help and direction today more than ever.
In a time when people are anxious, worried about their health, jobs, education, they are constantly looking for solutions. The only chance to sell anything today is to persuade a consumer that your product is a solution for the topical problem. Therefore the promotion tactics are changing now focusing on relevance more than the product itself. Determine the pains of your target auditorium: anxiety, insecurity, boredom – and start persuading that your product is the solution.
Offer payment plans and options
Since we`ve been moving towards a cashless economy for quite a while, online payment options are not a novelty today. But considering the ongoing situation and financial insecurity of consumers, it is time to take a new step and offer payment plan variations. Payment plans significantly reduce the financial burden in a short perspective, becoming a strong psychological motivation to make a purchase now, without having to postpone it for better times. So eventually a business gets a chance to boost up the conversion even though consumers are aiming at cutting down their spending.
Communication is the key
Staying in touch with your audience becomes a crucial survivor factor. When newsfeed is overflown with blood-thirsty information about bankruptcies and collapsed businesses, it is crucial to let people know that you are not just alive, but doing great. Despite the traditional reminding effect, sharing news about your business, demonstrating that you continue working, and making your customers happy are effective credibility factors. People want to associate themselves with winners – those who don`t collapse and keep operating under any circumstances. This will have a positive effect in the future. A company that managed to push through the Corona crisis will be much more valuable in the eyes of a consumer than any newbie.
Use Social Media
Being an ultimate surrogate of human interaction, social media has experienced its rebirth today! For some people, it is a way to stay in touch, for others – an escape from reality and a grim feed of television and radio. Moreover, social media is surely turning into a global marketplace. The new features that appeared after the last update of Instagram only prove it. So, if you`ve been neglecting social media until now, today is the day to create a business account. Targeted commercials, engagement through direct communication, and the ability to reach potential customers worldwide – are the undeniable benefits of social media marketing.
Online presence becomes the only presence
No matter how powerful, social media should not be the only stream of your digital marketing efforts. Since the world is forced to move online, even such traditionally offline industries like restaurants, entertainment, etc start to settle at the virtual space. The principle is simple: online presence becomes your only kind of presence. And while in the real world you have been restricted by the physical borders, rent prices, or working hours, digital space wipes most of those restrictions up. Arranging a website, creating SEO-friendly content, webinars, and e-books – those are the marketing tools of the new world.
People love to be involved. They also like to know that their opinion is valued. You may use these traits and kill several birds with a single stone – audience incorporation. By welcoming your consumers to be a part of the adjustment process you benefit in several different ways:
get the relevant insights about the demand
demonstrate your care and appreciation
stay in touch with existing and potential customers
optimize your marketing budget by saving money on the research
receive a lot of precious data about your customers and those who are somehow interested in your product and service.
E-mails, social media accounts, or any kind of feedback information received through the survey become the foundation for the further digital marketing strategy.
Become a part of the recovery process
The true nature and policy of any company reveal during critical periods. And at times of recession and social unrest, businesses, no matter how big they are, attract the most attention. Social responsibility becomes a crucial factor that may build the image of your brand and determine future development. The inner and outer policies of the company, its willingness to support the community and contribute to the recovery process became powerful marketing tools during the Pandemic of COVID-19. Pivot your marketing tactics on serving the community and the greater good. Volunteer work, collaboration with local authorities and other businesses as well as demonstrative workforce preservation efforts have turned from an indulgence image-shaping policy into a part of marketing tactics.
The importance of sales funnels for a successful marketing strategy cannot be overrated. However this year the rules of the game have changed so much that even such a powerful tool may have stopped working properly. The time has come to take a closer look at your sales funnel, analyze, and re-evaluate the data. Make competitive analysis your priority as whatever step you may be willing to step now, it might have already been taken by a similar business. Everybody makes mistakes nowadays and anybody may have unexpectedly hit the jackpot. Taking this step, analyzing and re-evaluating your sales funnels, is exactly what separates you today from gaining or losing at least 20% of revenue.
Capitalize on competitors` decay
Online Ads are the ultimate tool of any modern marketing strategy. And when they are created and targeted correctly, they become extremely efficient. But the thing is that online ad networks base their activity on the Cost Per Click principle. Therefore, the bigger is the competition in the segment, the more value the ad gets. This competition is created by small businesses and therefore because of the collapse and decreased activity in this segment, the online ads cost much less today. Moreover, this leads to the unprecedented growth of ROI of paid ads today! This increase gets up to 71% making paid ads as advantageous as they might have been only when just appeared several years ago. The market has already started the slow but sure restoration, therefore this tendency will not last for too long. But if you haven`t considered paid ads before, today may be your last chance to benefit the most from them without too much investment or effort.
Sell knowledge
Knowledge is power – that is what we have always been told. But today the value of knowledge is high as it has never been before. Here are only several benefits of integrating an educational program into your marketing strategy during COVID-19:
You keep on selling. When you can`t sell your physical product, start selling your experience and knowledge about it and it`s application
You stay in touch with the existing consumer and gain new ones
You collect information about customers that may be used in various marketing planning later on
Things to avoid in your Marketing Planning during COVID-19
So now, that we have discussed the most efficient steps that you may take today in your Marketing Strategy, the time has come to discuss the most common mistakes made by various businesses during this period. The benefit of overviewing the situation today is that we have enough data to understand what works and what may turn into a disaster. Many quite traditional and habitual actions that have been an essential part of marketing planning only a year ago, have turned into gravestones for numerous businesses this year. Other actions looked liked pretty innovative unconventional solutions but in fact, turned out to be impulsive steps that only brought businesses closer to the cliff. Here are the key “Don’ts” of marketing planning during COVID-19.
Continue living as nothing has happened
Some companies decided that pretending that nothing is happening and sticking to the marketing plans that have been working perfectly until now will advantageously differ them, competitors. First of all, customers reacted to such politics with great sensitivity, accusing businesses of neglecting. Also, it is quite obvious that recession, unemployment, financial uncertainty – all those natural outcomes of the Pandemic have influenced the demand and purchasing ability. Those factors are crucial for any kind of marketing strategy and ignoring them has naturally lead to a breakdown.
Increasing the commercial intensity
Another marketing extreme that has to lead many businesses to disaster this year, was an inadequate increase in inactivity. Yes, this might have worked before when sales went down due to such factors as growing competition or the inability to catch up with the trends and demand. But in the situation when customers don`t buy either because they are trying to cut on their spending or don`t feel the need in your product, aggressive marketing strategy with extensive commercials, e-mail newsletters, and constant and impulsive reminding about yourself, have caused nothing except for irritation and range. Remember, customers, are not that stupid. They can tell when someone is simply trying to sell them something and can easily see through even the most sophisticated and multi-leveled PR stunts.
Dying dramatically
The most common mistake taken by businesses in their marketing tactics during COVID-19 is emphasizing their mystery. In other words, overwhelming consumers with messages about the devastating state and close bankruptcy. These tactics are faulty for several reasons:
The “Closing” sales are cheap and quite an old trick that has been worn-out by retail and does not work that good today
In many societies, independent businessmen are associated with wealth. So no matter how small your business might be and what kind of losses you may experience, a person that might have just been fired because of the overall recession, won`t feel sympathy for you
We are all in the same boat and everybody is coping with the same issues. Marketing strategy is taking action, not imposing your product forcefully.
Unfortunately, Coronavirus may be here to stay. Those measures that we take now to adjust our marketing plans may not be a temporary fix, but a permanent practice that will change the way we look at marketing forever. Quarantine restrictions have changed the whole concept of consumption, making numerous businesses re-adjust their activities or become irrelevant in the way they have been operating until now. But despite the overall devastation, it is important to understand that any kind of change or consternation is a chance to get a freshmen`s look at a situation or strategy and re-evaluate habitual actions and policies.
As for the overall market, the current situation will appear to be a perfect indicator of which business models and marketing strategies are versatile enough to be efficient in critical situations. After all, when the dust settles, we shall witness an unprecedented renovation of the whole market, offline and digital, which inevitably follows any kind of global consternation. The phase of struggle and invention of temporary fixes is over. The next few months will represent a new period in the marketing industry – global restoration and establishment of new principles and patterns.
If you have already decided to use explainer videos for your website, brand, or business, then it is very likely that you have wondered what the ideal duration for it is. Do not worry! You are not the only person who has this doubt since there are many like you who do not know How long should My business explainer video be. And here you will have the answer for it!
Ideal duration of a explainer video
Generally speaking, the ideal duration of a video explainer is 60-90 seconds. However, there are many successful videos that break this norm and have established themselves as explainer videos of high quality. It is because the appropriate duration will always depend on the needs of each business.
For example, a company new to the market that has never released such a video may fall back on those that are 60-90 seconds long. But, if you have a defined audience and users like to know about you, you can opt for slightly longer videos. There are two-minute explainer videos that are well-done.
Length of a explainer video
Another element that directly influences the length of a video is the way you want to convey the message and the message as such. In short videos, every second counts, and you have to know very well how to use them. But, in the case of feature lengths, you have a little more freedom to tell your story the way you want.
As a simple structure that can help you define the duration of your explainer video, we have this:
– The problem: 5-10 seconds.
– The value proposition or solution: 5-10 seconds.
– Operation or benefits for the client: 30-50 seconds.
– Call to action: 10 seconds.
Knowing how long each stage should last is essential to define the ideal duration of your video explainer. Also, you should keep in mind that you not only use words or sounds but also graphics, animations, and transitions.
Convince users
You can have an explainer video of the length you want, but you should avoid thinking that the longest are the best because this does not apply to this resource. It has been proven that you have just a few seconds to convince users that what you offer attracts them or can benefit them. A short video explainer can be as powerful as you want to make it!
We can help you.
{{final_results}}
If you ever have any questions that require immediate assistance, please call us or contact through Whatsapp +91 952 657 3922 Skype ID: prayananimation
We can help you. 