💡 Key insights
  • If you’re not getting animated, you’re missing out.
  • We’re living in the age of the attention economy. People have a finite amount of attention that they’re able to spend, and capturing this valuable resource is the primary goal of marketing.
  • Video marketing is one of your most powerful weapons in the battle for attention and consideration.
  • Animated marketing videos have emerged as one of the most versatile, effective, and potent assets for brands.

Animated explainer videos make concepts and products easy to understand. For example, animated infographic videos deftly condense tons of information, and animated adverts can give your product or service a unique personality.

These are just some of the ways you can use animation in marketing design to increase brand awareness and customer uptake.

Animation in social media marketing is expected to increase by 40% by 2027 because it has a higher engagement rate.

In this post, we’ll explain why animated videos should be part of your marketing strategy and give you some pearls of wisdom on how you can create your own animated videos and take over the world. 

Okay, maybe you won’t take over the world. But your marketing is going to be top-notch. So, let’s dive in.

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Why are animated marketing videos so effective?

Graphic designers tend to make static marketing assets for ads, social media, product announcements, etc.

Static content is traditionally cheaper and faster to make and publish than animated content, because of the high cost of skilled animator services. But Linearity Move changes that.

With Linearity Move, you can turn your static designs into professional animations with a few clicks.

Let’s look at a few of the main reasons you should bring animation into your video marketing strategy:

Animated marketing videos are affordable

Video production can be costly. Even for a short commercial, you’ll need camera operators, crew, and actors, and then there are post-production costs like video editing.

The expenses can balloon quite easily, not to mention the possibility of reshoots if things don’t go as planned. Using vector animation software like Linearity Move or Toon Boom Harmony, you can produce professional marketing videos at a fraction of the cost.

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Check out our step-by-step tutorial on how to create an effective promotional video or social ad in minutes.

Animated marketing videos work for most platforms

One of the greatest characteristics of animation is its versatility. You can use it to make persuasive product explainer videos, compelling infographic-heavy social posts, and buzz-worthy product announcements.

You can let your creative ideas go wild when using animated video content.

Do you want your video to be set in deep space? Do you want talking animals to take potential customers through a product demo? Or perhaps you want your prospects to go on an underwater journey with your brand? All of this is possible when you use animation.

 

Animated marketing videos are attention-grabbing

Capturing and holding the attention of people and potential customers is the aim of the game when it comes to your video marketing strategy, and custom-made animated videos are a great way of doing this.

People are visual creatures. We’re naturally more drawn to moving images than static ones. When you’re scrolling through your social media feed, a colorful animation will grab your attention and entice you to linger before scrolling on.

This dwell time is immensely valuable. It gives your brand a few more seconds to bring across your brand message in an easily digestible format.

We also process visual content much faster than static text, and animated video marketing helps you convey your brand messages more effectively.

Animated marketing videos are excellent for branding

Marketing videos can build and reinforce your brand. Using your brand’s logo, color palette, fonts, and text styles will reflect the personality of your company.

Animating your designs is a fun and punchy approach to help people form a positive association with your brand. You can also explore creating your own character animations and animated assets that distinguish your brand from others.

By embedding animated videos on your website, you're also likely to increase the average time visitors spend on your site, which can positively affect your search engine rankings. In this sense, animated videos can boost your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

Search engines prioritize content that engages users for longer periods.

Animated marketing video examples

By now, we’ve talked enough about how great animated marketing videos are. Let’s look at a few stellar examples that live up to the hype we’ve created.

Headspace: Say hello to Headspace

Explainer videos are one of the best use cases for animation, and this example from Headspace shows just what you can achieve in under two minutes. 

It uses 2D animation to help the viewer understand how the meditation app works. 

The cute and quirky characters and the pastel color scheme are all on brand, and the video feels engaging yet informative.

Google: Google Drive

Animated videos have the power to turn complex ideas into easy-to-understand concepts, and Google’s video is a perfect example of that. 

It uses 3D animation to visualize how Google Drive works and how different types of files can be shared and organized. 

The distinctive Google colors make it pop, and overall it makes a fairly abstract concept easy to grasp.

Apple: Every product carbon neutral by 2030

Another great use case for animated marketing videos is company announcements and product news. 

This motion graphics video by Apple uses a combination of animated text and illustrations, live-action footage, and sound design.

Animation is a powerful tool for conveying the abstract concept of mother nature holding the company accountable and Apple promising her its products will be carbon neutral by 2030.

Elevations Credit Union: How to save energy and money

Whiteboard animation videos are an emerging trend that many video marketers are jumping on, and with good reason.

Watching something be drawn and animated into life before your eyes is enthralling and makes for compelling video content.

This video from Elevations Credit Union shows how a product video can use the whiteboard animation style to great effect.

Tips for creating your animated marketing videos

Are you inspired to create your own animated videos? To help you on your way, we’ll give you a few tips for getting started.

Start with your audience

Perhaps we’re stating the obvious. Before you begin making your video, it’s vital to understand your audience’s needs and interests. If you don’t know who your audience is, how will you create content that appeals to them? 

It’s good to know various demographics, including:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Interests
  • Lifestyle
  • Income bracket
  • Industry
  • Role

A video designed to appeal to a young, unemployed demographic will differ greatly from one aimed at a professional adult audience.

Know your key message and objectives

Think about what you want to achieve with your animated video. Do you want to educate people about using your product or announce a new service you’ll be offering existing customers? 

If your marketing video’s main goal is to drive traffic to your website, you may want to incentivize viewers to visit a web page to claim a discount or get a free subscription.

Knowing your objectives is key to planning and executing an effective animated marketing video.

Be prepared

Once you have your message and objective, you should prepare a script to communicate this. Depending on the publishing platform, shorter videos tend to work best.

Using around 150 words roughly translates to one minute on the screen. You can use this as a rough guide. Read your script aloud when to see how long it takes to deliver and if it flows well.

Choose your video animation software

There are plenty of animation tools for creating different types of animated videos, so do some research to determine which one will suit your campaign’s objectives.

Linearity Move is a premium choice for making online ads, animated announcements, and social media posts that pop.

Get creative with our ready-to-use templates.

Linearity offers templates for every social media platform and various use cases like ads, announcements, posters, business cards, slides, and more.

Make sure it sounds good

Sound design has a huge impact on how people experience video content. Your video can look amazing, but people may switch off or keep scrolling if the sound is bad.

Consider also including subtitles or animated text. There are many reasons why people might consume your content without sound:

  • Hearing problems
  • Public spaces or offices
  • Device on silent
  • Low sound quality

So, try catering to sound-on and sound-off situations for maximum reach.

Future-proof your brand messaging

If you’re not yet using animated videos in your marketing strategy, you might be one step behind the competition. We’ve seen how animated video content can benefit your brand and increase audience attention.

Animation design is on an upward trend and is a powerful tool for increased return on investment (ROI) if you spend right.

Hiring animators to create dynamic content has a long turnaround time and can be costly. But animation design tools like Linearity Move make it easy for seasoned graphic designers and non-designer marketers to bring stories to life.

Ready to try innovative and easy-to-use animation software designed for marketing? Get started with Linearity for free below, or book a demo to learn more about our Org plan for marketing teams.

Bring motion in-house

Animate marketing assets in seconds with Linearity Move.

Get started
Linearity
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Frequently asked questions

What’s an animated marketing video?

An animated marketing video can be used to promote your product or service, increase engagement, and inform and educate your customers. This type of video uses animation or motion graphics instead of live-action filming.

Animated videos can use a combination of characters, illustrations, text, and audio. They can have voiceovers and sound effects or be silent. The beauty of animation is that it’s versatile and more cost-effective to produce.

How effective are animated videos in marketing?

Animated videos are highly effective because they can engage viewers and present information in a memorable and accessible format. 

Videos improve conversion rates, boost social shares, and enhance brand awareness. Algorithms on many social media platforms favor videos, increasing the visibility of your content.

How long should my animated ad be?

The ideal length for an animated marketing video depends on its purpose and the platform where it will be shared. Keeping videos between 30 seconds to 2 minutes long is generally recommended to maintain viewer engagement

Explainer videos or tutorials might be longer, but keeping the content concise and engaging is crucial.

Can I make an animated ad myself, or do I need to hire a professional?

It depends on your skills, resources, and the quality you're aiming for. Several user-friendly animation tools and software like Linearity Move are available for animation beginners to help them create simple animated videos.

What tools can I use to create animated marketing videos?

There are many powerful animation tools to choose from. If you’re starting out, try experimenting with freemium tools like Linearity Move to get a good idea of the video animation process. Once your skills develop, explore its premium feature-rich subscription plans

What’s great about Linearity Move is it can be used by beginners and professionals alike.

What are the steps to make an animated marketing video?

The steps involved can differ depending on the type of video content you want to create for your brand. Linearity’s innovative marketing design suite simplifies the video animation process.

Check out this helpful step-by-step logo animation guide to create your first animation.

Why animated marketing videos are the future | Linearity
Why animated marketing videos are the future | Linearity