If you want people to emotionally connect with your content, animated video is an investment worth making, argues Nicola Davies.
As the demand for fresh and informative web content grows, so does competition between information providers. Whether for description, demonstration or sales purposes, there’s a clear need for innovative marketing among businesses and entrepreneurs who want cutting edge web content. As a result, web developers are finding it more useful than ever to offer animated video to clients.
More than one billion unique users visit YouTube each month. No wonder some of the largest corporate names are now using animated videos almost exclusively to advertise their products and services online. Microsoft has been using animated videos to advertise its products for decades, including Windows and MS Office.
Animated videos are also frequently used by companies like eBay, Apple and Fujitsu. Google has caught on to this marketing gold mine, launching its first animated advertisement campaign in 2012.
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Psychological impact
As many as 60 per cent of consumers will watch videos if they're available. Not only are people more engaged with services or products seen on video, but they also have increased confidence and commitment to the service. This is largely due to the psychological impact of videos.
Research has shown that people connect emotionally with animated illustrations because they transport us back to our childhood, a time when we are much more receptive to incoming information. This is why video-viewers are 85 per cent more likely to buy a product. If your target audience is busy executives, 59 per cent of senior executives prefer to watch video instead of reading text.
With ingenuity, you can create an animated video that portrays a product perfectly. There are endless styles to choose from, with a wide variety of themes and motifs that can be adapted to complement any marketing strategy or business model. The sheer volume of options enable the production of adverts that will return noticeable results.
Indeed, video search results have a 41 per cent higher clickthrough rate when compared to their plain text counterparts. This statistic alone is usually enough to grab the attention of business owners looking to get more traffic to their website.
Unlimited potential
A key driving force behind the growth in popularity of animated video is the long-term sustainability of this form of media. The only limit to production is the imagination. Typically, animated videos are kept as brief as possible, ranging from 30 seconds to three minutes. The aim is to convey the key message to the viewer without losing their interest.
With animated video, this can be achieved without holding back on the quality of the information provided. As a result, 76 per cent of marketers plan to include or enhance the presence of videos on their websites during 2013 (2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report).
Investing in brand image
Businesses have a wide variety of software available to create complex animations that deliver key messages clearly and creatively. Digital production is the most versatile option for anyone wishing to develop a professional advertising campaign that will achieve long-lasting results. Various software programs can be used to tailor videos to seamlessly match the theme and content of any website.
In addition, changes can easily be made to the video as a business develops or expands. Unlike traditional videos, if changes are needed, animated videos don’t require rehiring a camera crew or travelling to a filming location.
Online video is a core source to drive revenue and is expected to account for 90 per cent of internet traffic this year (according to the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report). It's easy to see why animated video campaigns are becoming the first marketing choice for small and medium businesses as well as for large corporate ventures and web developers.
Video is a long term investment in a company’s brand and image. If you want your (or a client's) brand to stand out from the competition, animated video is the way to go.
Words: Nicola Davies
Dr Nicola Davies is a psychologist and freelance writer. See more of her work at Into The Mind 3D.
This article originally appeared in .net magazine issue 244.
