“Animation? As in cartoons?” – not exactly no

When agencies talk to you about 'animation', they're not suggesting you create full-blown Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks characters to help sell your brand or business. 

Animation in B2B marketing is simply graphic design assets that move, which create an engaging way to help tell your story. Essentially, it simplifies complex topics; perfect if you work in the engineering & manufacturing industry where complex topics, products, and services are the day job. 

So what does that mean for you? 

Below we'll show some practical applications of animated video and how it can elevate your marketing campaigns, sales process, and even shareholder presentations. 

Why animated video is perfect for your social campaigns

If you already run paid or organic campaigns on LinkedIn (or any other social media platform), then you'll know stopping the scroll-by is really hard. Of course, a lot depends on the quality of your content and how relevant it is to your audience but the format you deliver it in is equally important too. 

Particularly when our brains are hardwired to remember pictures more quickly than words. Automatically sorting and organising information by using symbols for better, faster recall. This bias is labelled the picture superiority effect; it means you can significantly increase the effectiveness of your content when using infographics and animated video.

In fact, 93% of marketers say they've landed a new customer thanks to a video on social media. It’s a tried and tested technique, and one our clients regularly use. Here are just some of the animations we've made for social: 

Top-Tip: 

You can immediately inject life into a poorly lit Zoom or smartphone video by including animated intros and outros. These are animated graphics before the start and after the body of the video. They're a simple way of making your video look and feel more professional with minimal effort. Talk to FINALLY about creating some simple animated intro and outros.

Why animated video will improve your sales process

It should go without saying, but a 3-5 minute explainer video will always beat a 90 page PDF hands down. 

It's so much easier to show people what your business does, how you will make their lives easier and why it's the best time to buy. And it's not just more convenient either; Forbes reported that 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. 

So if video can multiply the impact of what you have to say, adding animated video into your sales process is a no-brainer. Below are a selection of the types of explainer video that have done just that:

Why animated video can elevate your presentations

Imagine adding an animated video in your next board of directors presentation or shareholder meeting. It could be the difference between the answer you want and the answer you don't. 

Renowned author and creative director Dave Trott says, "It's not enough to have the right statistics, the best strategy, the correct marketing. You have to have the best way to present them."

Whilst Dave was making that point about brand advertising, the same can be said about presenting all ideas. Presentation is everything; it's how people decide whether what you have to say is worth listening to. 

And a technique to help you do that is subtle animation in your slide deck. Seldom used but incredibly effective, it can elevate your ideas to new heights. Helping emphasise your points, bringing your plans to life – and crucially – keeping your audience engaged. 

There is, however, a subconscious benefit too; 91% of presenters say they feel more confident presenting with a well-designed slide deck. Using animation in your presentations can add a level of confidence and energy to your delivery you may not have had before.

Animation has helped many of our clients nail their pitch, here are just a couple of small examples: 

Okay I get why animation video is a good tool, but how expensive is it?

Not as much as you'd think. A lot will depend on how complex and lengthy your animation video is, as well as factors such as Whether it's 2D/3D, whether we need a creative idea and if you have an illustration style or not. 

Roughly speaking, you're looking at around £2.5k – £6k for a 3-minute video based on the factors above. 

So an investment, yes, but in our experience, one that will quickly pay for itself. Kingsbury is a testament to the power of animation; their website saw visits from social media rise by 183%, with a significant increase in conversions – totalling 2,519 by the end of 2019. 

At a glance: what does video animation mean for your business?

Broadly speaking, animation has the potential to make your marketing, your sales, and your internal communications more impactful. Helping you:

1. Create content that people want to engage with on social media.
2. Support and persuade prospects in your sales journey.
3. Deliver a presentation that will engage and inspire.

If you'd like to discuss how FINALLY can help create an animated video for you, get in touch with one of our team. Or for more tips, how-tos, and free guides, visit our resources page.