Video marketing continues to prove its undeniable marketing power. So why does video work so well, and is there one kind of video that works better than others?
To answer the first question, videos are impactful because they remove friction in two important ways.
Number one: Videos cut out time-related or energy-related resistance. I don’t love watching videos myself because––shocker, I love words, but I tend to click on videos on webpages because I’m looking for ways to support what I’m reading, or for ways to quicken my understanding of the offer on the page because I don’t have a lot of time or energy to commit unless I know what I’m looking into is close to what I need.
Number two: Videos help the brand and the offer be known without interfering with the user experience. The brand becomes a powerful background actor, being noticed and processed by the viewer in a way that doesn’t distract the viewer from understanding the offer, or the value of it.
"We have seen that all living organisms are informavores. They collect information, process it, and act on it."
For clarity’s sake, this blog makes an argument for animated video in your marketing arsenal. Not because they are any better or worse than live-action videos, but because animation is a growing trend and if something is popping, I want to know why.
David Christian, author of Origin Story: A Big History of Everything, said “… all living organisms are informavores. They collect information, process it, and act on it.”
Our digital world is dishing out a constant, ever-growing buffet of information that consumers make decisions about on a daily basis. How do you make your slice stand out? You make it look more appetising with clear instructions on how to self-serve.
No One Is Arguing The Marketing Power Of Video Anymore
According to Wyzowl, 86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, but for businesses that don’t, only 7% said they don’t use it because they are unclear on the ROI of video.
Most businesses have climbed on board the video train. For those who haven’t yet, 79% of them said they expected to start using video as a marketing tool in 2022. That’s 10% more than last year––clearly, the value is widely understood.
But is all video the same? How are companies using it? And is there a clear winner in the battle between live-action and animation? Here’s how it breaks down in a few quick stats:
- 74% rely on trusty and effective how-to videos to demonstrate exactly how a product or service works (Wyzowl)
- 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service (Wyzowl)
- 66-73% of people prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product or service rather than read a text-based explanation (Vyond, Wyzowl)
- Approximately, 50% of viewers search for a product and service-related video online before they decide to purchase. (Hubspot)
- 42% of companies use live action video (Wyzowl)
- 33% of companies use animated video (Wyzowl)
The number that jumps out most: Two-thirds to three-quarters of people would rather watch a short explainer video than read explanation text. I’m keeping an eye on the percentage of companies who use animated video because remember that saying, “show, don’t tell”?
This is precisely what a short, succinct animated explainer video can do: It lets the viewer absorb information without being distracted by the presenter.
3 Ways Animated Video Helps You Sell More, Faster
Information processing is not just what computer systems or individual people do. It’s a complex combination of activities by individuals, groups and technology, like AI, which are all subject to a huge range of incentives and friction points.
It boils down to this: poor information quality translates directly into poor decisions––aka, decisions that don’t result in a sale or conversion for your product or service.
Our human brains can understand and process an optical element in about 1/10th of a second. Our visual systems are fast and efficient––much faster than our processing speed for text.
Here are 3 ways animated videos can help you convey complex concepts and communicate the value of your offer quickly.
1. ANIMATED VIDEO BOOSTS USER ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
There are some cases where a brand spokesperson works best. And there are other times when animations can do the job better. Branding is always part of the experience, through colors, fonts for subtitles, visual themes, characters and other visual cues.
2. ANIMATED VIDEO INCREASES THE UX OUTPUT OF YOUR WEBSITE OR CAMPAIGN
Speak to the skimmers who will undoubtably reach your site. Talk to the fast-paced, tool-dominant decision-makers who are dying to click a “play” button.
Grab people’s attention first, so they can become invested enough in your product or service to want to learn more. Or heck … buy it!
The truth is, there are few people who will read an entire webpage on their first visit. Creative animated videos not only relay information about your product or service; they also help convey a brand’s feeling and offer readers a feature they can instantly connect with.
3. ANIMATED VIDEO ALLOWS YOU TO CAPITALIZE ON THE PEAK-END RULE
The mantra of branding is Be Memorable. Do just that by combining branded animated video. The peak-end rule is the theory that people judge their experiences primarily by their peak experience and their end experience.
The peak is the most intense part of the experience––that feeling you have just before the rollercoaster chugs over the tipping point.
Animated video has the power to provide that experience for your brand.
Examples: Headspace. MailChimp. And, of course, Slack:
A Brand's Dilemma: Animated video or live-Action? Or... Both?
Some brands are synonymous with animation, like Redbull’s bald dude who grows wings or MailChimp’s menagerie of quirky-but-cute animals who help you along your automation journey.
But large brands not typically associated with animation have consistently employed it for specific campaigns––like Nike’s World Cup 5-minute commercial in 2014 called “The Last Game.”
The ad featured animated versions of football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Tim Howard, Wayne Rooney, and many other soccer stars facing off against indestructible soccer-playing clones:
Used strategically, animation has a place in every brand. Case in point: Mcdonald’s strayed from its usual live-action ad strategy and opted for animation to market their mobile app in 2018.
The team would have considered their target audience and the product itself (an app) when making the decision to go with animation in this launch ad:
Wait–You're A Copywriter! Shouldn't You Be Telling Me I Need... (Ahem) Copy?
Touché.
It comes down to this: A solid copywriter knows great messaging and conversions never lie in one single element on a page. It’s the beautiful partnership of every element on the page that inspires the click, the sale or the sign-up.
UX and UI design decisions, which includes certain graphic and media-type decisions, are all part of the emotional experience we seek to bring to the reader.
Copywriters don’t create those images or media but we make key recommendations as to where on the page those elements should live for max impact. Additionally, we make specific recommendations about what kinds of images to use and what type of video to use.
All of these decisions are based on intimate knowledge (aka, hours of research) into your target audience.
The primary goal of your digital content is to feed the inner informavore with relevant information that people can consume quickly and easily, so they can make a confident decision on the page.
Create An Online Experience Designed For Every Kind Of Learner And Decision-Maker
A website homepage is one of the most difficult online marketing pieces to write, and get right. Anyone from anywhere may land on your page and you need some way to speak to everyone at the same time. No small feat, right?
That’s why your homepage needs to be strategic in its design, serving every kind of decision-maker and learner and guiding them to the next click.
As they go deeper into your site, you can direct them to pages and information that speaks more directly to their primary decision-making modality–and that’s where conversion-focused copywriting kicks into overdrive.
Grow your marketing wings and feed the voracious informavores.
Got some Q’s? Send ’em questions my way, or hit that big red button to work together ⇩⇩⇩
