New and creative ways to stand out are essential for businesses looking to get ahead. A great way to do this is with animated video which can be used on your website and social media platforms. You can also churn out lots of different videos to showcase your products and services to appeal to different target buyers.
This article helps you get started with some animated video and guides you through the process of recruiting an agency to help you.
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The Advantages of Animation
Short, animated videos are perfect for capturing the attention of your target buyers, and best of all they do not need to cost the earth! You do not need to organize expensive filming sessions, locations, or travel, and you can serialise your content to keep it relevant over a longer period of time.
Although 3D video has its benefits, 2D is a great way to get started with your video marketing. A perfect compromise between speed, cost and quality, 2D gives you the platform to take your brand to the next level.
How To Get Started?
It is unlikely you will have the skills in-house to begin rolling out 2D video straight away. Even if you can just about manage to get something produced, it is important to consider that this is the first impression many people will have of your firm.
Given that first impressions count for so much, is it really worth risking the quality by cutting corners?
With this in mind, it is highly advisable to use an expert agency to produce your animated videos for you. With so many options of agency, it is definitely a buyers’ market. This throws up pros and cons though because it can take a little time and focus to find the right fit.
Recruiting Your Agency
With your decision made, you now need to set about recruiting an agency to bring your brand to life in 2D format. Start by defining your budget and what your expectations are for your project. How many products and services will you be looking to promote, and how long do you want your campaign to last.
Consolidate this information into a short brief, and include an overview of your firm, what you do and who you are selling to.
Next, identify a shortlist of agencies to send your brief to. Do this by looking through some online portfolios with named customers and testimonials. If a firm does not have these on their website, this could be a potential red flag.
See how active the companies are on social media too. You want to work with an animation video company that is positive and energetic with their own marketing, as this will reflect in their work for their clients. What about the videos they use to promote their own company?
When you conduct your search, consider a few other criteria. Do you prefer a local agency you can meet with face-to-face, or are you willing to work with anyone on a remote basis? You should also take into account how hands-on or hands-off you want to be. Whether you intend to do your best impersonation of Steven Spielberg or be completely hands off and review the end product, it is best to let your agency know about your preferences from the outset.
With these criteria established, you should be able to Google some options and come up with a list of 4-5 candidates. Contact them with your requirements document and ask them to give you some thoughts about what they could do for you. From there, halve your shortlist down into 2-3 agencies to interview in the first round to see who you like best.
Once you have found the one for you, you can agree an initial project. Agree some project-based work in the first instance, and if you like your agency’s videos you can always invite them to work on a retainer basis later.
Launching Your Project
When you have made your choice, you are into the fun part of the project – producing the video! Think about how your buyers think, and what messages will resonate with them.
Remember you only have a very short space of time to grab their attention on social media, so you need to stand out quickly! Because of this, it is also important to optimize your videos for each social media platform, so they display optimally in viewers’ feeds.
Above all, enjoy! You have made a great choice to get started with animated video. Enjoy the ride!
