Simply put, video marketing for business is just what it says on the tin: it’s incorporating the power of video into your marketing strategy.
Everyone’s using video these days in their marketing.
Regardless of industry or their team size, from startups to juggernauts, video is the go-to medium for broadcasting your message out to the world.
And it’s no surprise.
People spend a third of their time watching online video content.
And 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, up from 63% in 2017 (source: according to Wyzowl’s Video Marketing Statistics 2018 Survey) and 81% say they bought a product or service because they watched a brand’s video.
Like any artform, there’s a dazzling array of styles and types of animated videos for business.
Let’s break it down into some broad categories and examine how they work so well.
This isn’t a conclusive list, but just to give you an idea of the many different ways you can utilize the power of animated storytelling!
A demo video showcases how your product works, whether physical or a piece of software.
It’s a walk-through of your offering, explaining its functionality and how it’s used.
It’s pretty straightforward but this doesn’t mean you can’t get creative and entertaining, too.
Here’s a great example from Microsoft.
Rather than focus solely on the product itself, the demo video explains how it helps a teacher better organize and plan her coursework with her students, and how it helped her students as well.
The cute rhyming poem of a script blends perfectly with the clean animation, which carefully follows Microsoft’s branding and graphic style to deliver a very on-brand experience.
A brand video, on the other hand, is one that focuses on your company and its values, mission, identity and company culture.
The focus is to bring out the personality and culture of your brand, rather than what it does or sells.
When done right, it can make a powerful and lasting impression on the viewer and firmly imprints your brand’s image in their minds for a long time afterwards.
The trick to a good brand video is to bring out the human side of your team, your philosophy of what you’re all about and how you want to change the world for the better.
When done right, this is a pretty powerful and effective marketing tool!
Ah, coffee. How could we get any work done without it?
Starbucks is synonymous with this beloved beverage.
So their brand video, suitably, is less of an advert and more of a coffee love story.
Notice how there’s a sense of passion and almost artistry blended into the script and animation.
This is what we’re getting at when we say that a brand video is supposed to bring out the personality and almost the “soul” of a brand, like it’s a person with its own unique quirks and style and taste.
Just like we enjoy our daily coffee, come to think of it!
Another fantastic way to really spread your brand’s image and message is by sharing your knowledge freely with your audience.
This has the subtle effect of really demonstrating your experience, skill, and expertise in your field and presents you as an industry leader that can be trusted.
Because all business is, ultimately, based on trust.
In this educational video we made for Hub International, for example, we went in-depth explaining employee and worker safety, why these standards and regulations exist.
And most importantly, the importance of following them, because the consequences are serious.
Notice again how the video doesn’t come off as an advert trying to sell a product or build brand awareness.
That’s not the primary goal here.
The video instead covers important, vital knowledge and information that everyone needs to know.
Probably the most common type of animated video for business, explainer videos are longer-form than typical advertisements, running anywhere from half a minute to one or two minutes or even more.
As the name suggests, the goal of these videos is to present and explain a topic in-depth.
A good animated explainer video has the power to explain complex topics really well and go into detail, without boring or overwhelming the viewer with too much dense information.
Animation as a medium is especially powerful at doing this, using visual aids, animated graphics, and an accompanying voiceover to really break down complex topics in a way that’s interesting and even entertaining.
Giant Ant’s beautiful video for Google’s G Suite exemplifies everything we love about animation for business.
Just because it’s business and software, doesn’t mean it has to be dry or boring.
Instead, this delightful animated explainer video is bright, vibrant, funky– even entertaining.
All while really letting Google’s innovative personality shine through.
There’s few people that your potential customers will trust more than a fellow customer just like themselves.
And we all take the advice of friends, family and acquaintances when apprehensive about a purchase, because we trust them when they tell us they used that product and recommend it to us.
That’s why customer testimonials videos are so effective.
You’re basically letting your offering speak for itself through the recommendations of your own clients.
It comes off as confident in your offering, and has a strong sense of honesty.
Viewers don’t see testimonials videos as though they’re ads, and this works to its advantage.
A little drama can go a long way, as you can see in our animated testimonial video for Profectus.
Rather than the usual headshot interview style testimonial, we got creative and told a dramatic story of a legacy company in serious trouble.
And when all seemed lost, a hero suddenly arrived to save the day, solve all the client’s problems, and deliver a happy ending for everyone.
That’s the power of storytelling!
Case studies are similar to testimonials but are not the same thing.
A case study is when you share a real life story of how you worked to help one of your clients solve a big problem, the challenges involved, and how you eventually brought the journey to a happy ending for everyone involved.
It’s almost like a customer testimonial but from your point of view, showcasing your knowledge, expertise– and above all, that your team knows what they’re doing and can be trusted to help your clients.
Pretty much everyone on the planet is on a cellphone now.
But if you stop a random person on the street and ask them what they think of latency in wireless technology, you’ll probably get a blank stare.
And that’s despite the fact that this is a vital key factor in your user experience online and on your phone that makes all the difference.
This is an example of how animated videos can explain complex topics and ideas that most people wouldn’t have the patience to find out about.
They can explain things in a way that grabs and holds the audience's attention throughout, and disseminates information that stays clear and fresh in the viewer’s mind long after they’ve watched it.
Who would have thought latency could be so interesting?
So how do you take advantage of this new superpower? Don’t sweat it, we’re here to help!
To start with, it’s important to understand that video, especially animated video for business, is more art than science.
There’s no one single formula that guarantees success, because it’s inherently creative– even in the world of business.
That said, we’ve been in the game for over a decade now making marketing videos for businesses of all sorts of companies of all sizes and industries.
If you’re not the creative type, don’t fret! We’re here to help.
Here are a few key guidelines to bear in mind before sitting in the director’s chair:
Just because it’s creative, doesn’t mean you don’t go in with a plan.
Have clear goals for your video. What’s the message?
Why should your audience be interested? And probably most important, who is your audience? Which takes us to our next point.
Your video must be customized and crafted with a specific kind of person in mind. Who is your audience? Is it a B2B marketing video? Or is it mass market for a general audience?
For example, if your target customer is a seasoned professional who already knows what they’re doing, then your video doesn’t need to dumb it down, it can get technical and speak their language.
But on the other hand, if it’s for the general public, it needs to be more open and accessible to everyone.
Videos are naturally captivating, but it’s not a given that you’ll get views with no effort.
There’s no dearth of competition on every screen, all trying to get your audience’s attention too.
So it’s important to go in guns blazing and captivate your audience immediately, within the first several seconds, to keep them hooked and watching.
As we said before, animated storytelling is more art than science, and there’s no foolproof formula that guarantees a right way to do things.
So feel free to get creative and really think outside the box!
Brainstorm as many ideas as you can come up with, no matter how unconventional.
Then start narrowing down the list and filter it down to the right idea or ideas, and work from there.
It’s as simple as that to get started.
You don’t have to do all the heavy lifting yourself.
Partner with a talented and enthusiastic animated video company and let the team suggest the best ways to go about realizing your idea.
The secret ingredient to a successful video lies in the magic of storytelling.
It’s not that much of a secret since we shout it from the rooftops here at Broadcast2World–all because it works so well.
And in a way, you know this already.
Think about the memorable experience of a good movie or book, how it takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, leading to a satisfying and emotional ending.
That’s just the power of storytelling at work.
This power works elsewhere, too.
That’s why the best animated marketing videos for business pack such a powerful punch: they’re using brilliant storytelling techniques, the same ones employed by Hollywood filmmakers and blockbuster novelists.
Once you get a good storyline going in your video, even if it’s a short one, the rest is really just details.
This is a tough one.
You may be tempted to throw in everything and the kitchen sink into your video to really wow your audience and make that sale.
But the truth is, less is more.
You must be willing to cut, cut, cut till it hurts, and strip the story down to its bare essential ingredients and work from there.
Don’t believe us?
Consider any video or ad put out by, say, Apple.
They don’t bombard you with a long list of technical specifications, features, varieties of models available, none of that.
Their ads are always as minimal as it can get.
And their longer-form videos don’t focus on the product so much as they focus on you, the customer, and how this product can completely transform and improve your life.
So there you have it, everything you need to get started making your own animated marketing video!
Of course by no means is this an exhaustive list, but you’re ready to dip your toe into the wild world of animation for business.
If you’re still a bit befuddled and feel like you don’t know where to begin, or worry that you’re not the creative type, don’t fret.
Partnering with a skilled and passionate animation team is key.
They’ll study your case, understand your goals, and make helpful suggestions and provide you with the best options to choose from.
Most animation companies even have writers on board to help you with your first script, or even write it for you so you don’t have to worry about what to say or how best to say it.
Video is the de facto language of the internet, and everyone’s speaking it.
Are you?
When combined with animation and storytelling, your message is unstoppable and near-impossible to ignore.
There’s no time like now to get started! Remember: the world’s waiting to hear your story. How will you tell it?
Have any questions? Suggestions? Anything we didn’t cover? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you!
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