What exactly are animated explained videos?
Put simply, animated explained videos are exactly what they say they are.
They’re ‘animated’ (thus making viewing a lot more fun than some of the more traditional methods of communication). They ‘explain’ exactly what your company or business does – and they’re relatively new when it comes to video digital marketing. After all, who wants to read through a hard sale brochure, mentally prepare their shopping list whilst listening to a commission orientated sales rep or simply be exposed to information they really don’t need to know? Answer? – No one. And that’s exactly where animated explainer videos really do make for the smarter marketing choice.
A few facts and figures about explainer videos…
According to MarketingSherpa, potential customers are willing to spend 100% more of their time on pages which contain video content. 59% of senior management prefer video context over text (Brainshark). And perhaps not surprisingly, in light of the above, video accounts for 52% of all mobile traffic, based on research from eMarketer.
Best of all (from a business perspective), research from Animoto shows that 73% of viewers are much more likely to make a purchase after watching a video which sufficiently explains a product or service to them; whilst 1 in 4 shoppers will use a YouTube video to research a product they’re potentially thinking of buying.
How can they help my business?
Animator videos can help your business in a variety of ways which include (but are certainly not limited to) the following:
- They can help attract new customers, such as millennials, particularly if your marketing strategy is catchy, fun and informative.
- They can also go that extra mile when it comes to educating existing customers, by bringing them up-to-date with any new changes your business might have gone through. This might include, for example, any new services you’re showcasing – and especially those which might put you ahead of the competition.
- With a well-designed storyboard they can help you explain how your products or services work; albeit in a more refreshing way whilst also providing visual explanations as to how a certain product might work e.g. by giving a demonstration of something specific, such as a piece of machinery.
- Since they’re entirely animated your customers can also watch the video at a time to suit them as opposed to making an appointment (which can easily be cancelled). For example, if you’re looking to post your production via some of the more popular social media channels then it’s quite literally available to view 24/7 – and at a time that suits your potential or existing customer. In fact, by posting a business video to online sources such as YouTube or Vimeo you can make it live in it’s own life! What’s more – there’s no hard sell involved – the product, or service, can simply speak for itself.
- According to Adobe, over 51% of marketing professionals are already satisfied that animated explained videos produce the very best return on investment. In fact, 76% of them already planning to increase their online presence through popular sources such as YouTube and Facebook.
So what makes explained videos so popular?
There are simply so many reasons why explained videos are so popular. If you pitch them right, explainer videos are also a fantastic opportunity to connect with your audience on a much deeper level than you’d perhaps be able to do in person – hence the importance of getting it right first time, every time. Whilst it’s obviously advisable to have adequate information contained in your video, it’s also the perfect opportunity to inject a little humour, make the viewing easy to absorb and ultimately get your point across in the best way possible. An animation studio you decide to cooperate with will surely help you to find the best format for your video.
How explainer videos can improve SEO
One of the key phrases when it comes to promoting businesses, products and services is SEO – or ‘search engine optimization’.
Whilst YouTube is currently recognised as being the second largest search engine across the globe, it’s not difficult to see why explainer videos go that extra mile to boost search results based on targeted keywords. Consequently, whilst having a corporate YouTube channel is imperative in terms of optimisation, it’s also important to maximise SEO through your corporate website. In fact, according to Shareaholic, having an explainer video will then almost triple the average number of linking domains! Imagine that!
Conclusion
Regardless of what stage your business is at – whether it’s in its infancy, or is already well established – the importance of animated explainer videos should never be underestimated in terms of the added value that they’re clearly able to attract.
Since we’re already well into the era of digital marketing, with a massive increase in video consumption, it seems reasonable to suggest that future sales campaigns are now well and truly geared to add that extra “wow” factor for any business.