Tell a complex story quickly? Use animation!

Time is precious. And we would rather spend our time on entertainment than on a boring story. That is exactly what video responds to: telling a stimulating story in a short time. With a positive impact on your operating result. In this blog we take a look at video and animation for entrepreneurs.

Video makes the difference. Now that every Dutch citizen with a smartphone also has a 4G subscription, video is becoming an important tool in online marketing. After all, you can watch video anywhere and anytime on your smartphone. A number of figures for imaging:

• 90 percent of consumers say that video helps to make a purchasing decision; (Social Media Today, The State of Video Marketing in 2018).
• 83 percent of the companies that use video, says Wyzowol that it yields a good ROI; (Survey: The State of Video Marketing 2017).
• Cisco expects that 80 percent all internet traffic consists of video; (Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Trends, 2017–2022).

The choice for animation over video will be clear: for an animation filming on location is no longer necessary. So no interruption of work, bad weather which means that the shots have to go outside at a later time, no flying planes or rising cars in the background and no new takes because a video recording is simply quite exciting. This not only pays for itself in a lower cost price, but also in a better focus on your story.

Tell on screen

One word at a time. For example, thriller writer Stephen King writes all his books. The art of writing is about everything to be able to describe every emotion, situation, what if and dialogue. A good book is supported and builds a world with credible characters. Online, and certainly in the business market, that works very differently.

The tension curve online is shorter, so you must score immediately. With facts that convince and address a point of pain. Because ultimately as a company you want to respond to a need with a product, entertainment is never the main goal. You want to tell a recognizable story. But what if you now sell a complex product? In a complex market?

Animation brings your story to life

Enlivening. Activation. ... simulating the course of the process over time through moving images. With animation you show effect and mutual coherence. What are the different mortgages for example? How do they differ? Or what is the impact of branding on the entire marketing mix? In one minute you transfer relatively much information with entertainment in an entertaining way. Even if your company or product is still unknown to your target group, you can stimulate a topic with the right animation and make new contact.

How do you use animation?

It can be difficult for entrepreneurs to make a cost and benefit analysis for an animation video. The main reason for this is the misconception that animation is primarily for a corporate video. If you see it primarily as a marketing tool for the first introduction, then it becomes difficult to link sales and deals to this afterwards. There are so many contact moments from introduction to purchase.

You can also use animation as part of your product (for example, an online LinkedIn training), as a product demonstration (this is how Green Fuel works), internal training for staff (customer friendliness and hostmanship) and to explain major changes quickly and clearly. Animation can therefore play a role throughout the entire customer journey. And that makes it much easier to determine the added value of animation.

What type of animation film do you choose?

According to animation studio View Glue, six different types of animation film are possible: whiteboard animation, cartoon animation videos, motion graphic videos, 3D video animations, user interface videos and silhouette animation videos. For example, cartoons have a high entertainment value, says View Glue, holds user interface for attention longer and silhoutte animation offers more branding. And do you really want to tell your story dynamically? The whiteboard video style literally brings the story to life. As a result, the viewer's attention is fully focused on the content of the story.

From concept to implementation - four tips for your animation

Also with the animation tools now available on the market for consumers and companies, it is wiser to outsource your animation. A make animated video is more than just putting together a 'nice video'. You want something that works. The following tips will help you to make exactly that animation film that will further benefit your company:

1. 1. Work from core messages: What exactly do you want to say? Put that in short, clear sentences. A very long sentence probably tries to tell two thoughts. Break these in two. Be critical: how important is this core message for the target group now? At this time? The following tip helps you choose the right moment.
   2. Think from the target group: You do not have to tell an existing customer who you are, unless you want to invoke lost contact. A new customer does not yet want to hear about your company, they first want to know if your story is interesting enough. The right moment for the right message is therefore crucial. Think for this from your target group and the moment of your animation in the customer relationship. (In this blog you can read more about B2B content marketing about the customer journey and responding to customer needs per phase).
   3. Consider the channels well in advance: We can also play this video at the New Year's reception. Or put it on YouTube. Think carefully about this beforehand, because a different channel means a different setting for your target group. And often a different target group. You can typically show more of yourself on your own channels than on paid or earned channels. When you have a clear idea of where you want to use your animation, you can also choose to do multiple versions. This can be sensible especially for social media. According to Hubspot, the ideal video lengths differ per channel, namely: Instagram: 30 seconds, Twitter: 45 seconds, Facebook: 60 seconds and YouTube 120 seconds.
   4. Determine, pursue and measure your goal. What do you want to achieve with your animation? How do you measure that? How do you ensure that you also achieve that goal? Are your own channels sufficient for informing your customers about the change in law? Or will you also have to advertise? For example, if you send your animation clips by e-mail, then measuring open and click ratios is a good idea. In this way you can ensure the correct follow-up via marketing automation.

Pay attention to one make animation also that you make good agreements. Are there conditions on the channels on which you use animation? How easily and quickly can an adjustment be made? Or an extension? Who writes the script with the key messages? Remember that you enter into a long-term relationship. Therefore, also fine-tune whether you can have the animation video adjusted by another party afterwards, should you change the animation maker.