How Retailers Can Effectively Use Animated Videos
Video is extremely popular across the internet right now. Many marketers have witnessed firsthand what was already pretty intuitive: videos have a much greater return on investment than traditional text-based content does. The deal was pretty much sealed early in 2014 when Forrester Research published a mind-boggling stat asserting that one minute of video has the same ROI as 1.8 million words of text.
An upstart trend within the online video space is animation. For marketers, the pull of animated video is clear. It's cost effective to produce, with no concerns about paying (or directing) actors or worrying about external factors like lighting or the weather. Almost every variable can easily be controlled inside an online videomaker. Then there's the medium itself; something about the nature of animated video makes the content intrinsically more engaging. Audience members often struggle to associate themselves with actors, but when they see generalized drawings on a screen they identify with the simplification and use the opportunity to fill in the gaps with their own experiences, thereby creating a deeper personal connection with the content.
So then, what are the most effective ways brands are using animated videos? The most common use today is the direct marketing of a promotion. Think about it, companies push out campaigns monthly, if not more frequently. The traditional channels include blog and social media posts. In comparison, an animated marketing video can do a much more visceral job of depicting the promotion, which also means viewers are then more likely to share it with their friends.
One of the best examples of animated video I've seen comes from Bellacor, the lighting fixture specialists. Marketers there were keen to promote the retailer's new "Now List" feature, which is a curated list of discounted products appearing on the site each week. They used whiteboard animation and uploaded high-resolution product shots to explain the concept of the Now List, while also illustrating the discounts that consumers can take advantage of.
Another good example of the marketing capabilities of animated video can be found in the small business space. Many SMBs use animation for "explainer videos" to detail their offerings and illustrate what they can offer prospects. Everyone knows Starbucks sells coffee, but people likely don't know what TalkRoute does. That's because TalkRoute is a brand new small business in Chicago.
TalkRoute set out with a relatively modest budget of $500. As a small business hoping to serve other small businesses, TalkRoute wanted to use the tools that its customers did. The marketing team therefore didn't want to hire an expensive outside agency to put together a grandiose and pricey video. Instead, TalkRoute decided to use GoAnimate. As an added benefit for TalkRoute, the video could be made by the people who know the company best — the employees themselves.
The goal of these explainer videos is often to create the "aha! moment" for the viewer when it comes to the question of "What does this company actually do?" These instances of recognition are extremely valuable for young and small businesses as they seek to explain their services on the internet and beyond.
Like video marketing itself, animated video is here it stay. The ROI is clear: it's top-notch content that can be enjoyed and shared, after getting produced inexpensively. It can be put to many uses, including serving as the anchor for online marketing campaigns and as an explainer video for small, growing businesses. Look for animated videos to continue to pop up across the web. This is a boon for marketers and consumers alike.
Josh Anish is the head writer at GoAnimate, a cloud-based platform for creating and distributing animated videos.
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