15 Tips and Tricks for Using Animated Video in Branding

In today’s digital landscape, attention spans are shorter than ever, and businesses need to find creative ways to engage with their audience. Animated videos have emerged as a powerful tool for branding, offering a captivating and versatile way to tell your story, connect with customers, and build brand recognition.

This article dives deep into the world of animated video branding, providing 15 valuable tips and tricks to help you leverage this dynamic medium effectively:

1. Define Your Goals and Target Audience

Before embarking on any video creation, clearly define your goals. What do you want your animated video to achieve? Is it to introduce your brand, explain a product, showcase your services, or generate leads? Understanding your objectives will guide the video’s content, tone, and style.

Next, identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with this video? Research their demographics, interests, and online behavior to tailor the video’s message and ensure it resonates with them.

2. Craft a Compelling Story

Humans are hardwired to connect with stories. An engaging narrative forms the backbone of any strong video, and animation allows you to breathe life into your brand story in unique and creative ways.

Use humor, emotion, or suspense to captivate viewers and leave a lasting impression.

3. Keep it Concise and Clear

Remember, viewers are bombarded with information daily. Keep your animated video concise, delivering your message within a reasonable timeframe (ideally under 2 minutes for online content).

Avoid information overload, focusing on the most crucial information and value propositions.

4. Embrace Brand Consistency

Your animated video should seamlessly integrate with your existing brand identity. Use your brand colors, fonts, and even character designs (if applicable) to create visual cohesion.

This consistency reinforces brand recognition and strengthens the connection between the video and your overall brand image.

5. Experiment with Animation Styles

Animation offers a vast spectrum of styles, from classic 2D animation to modern 3D graphics, stop-motion, and motion graphics.

Choose the style that best aligns with your brand personality and resonates with your target audience.

Consider a playful and whimsical animation for children’s products or a sleek and sophisticated style for a professional service.

6. Utilize the Power of Sound Design

Sound design plays a crucial role in elevating your animated video.

Incorporate engaging background music, sound effects, and voice-over narration to enhance the storytelling experience. Ensure the audio quality is professional and free from any distracting noise.

7. Optimize for Multiple Platforms

Today’s audiences consume content across various platforms like social media, websites, and video streaming services.

Create your animated video in a format suitable for different platforms. Consider adapting the video length and incorporating platform-specific elements (like captions for silent viewing on social media).

8. Leverage the SEO Potential

Animated videos can be a valuable asset for your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.

Include relevant keywords in your video title, description, and tags to increase discoverability in search results. Additionally, consider hosting your video on platforms with strong searchability, like YouTube.

9. Promote and Distribute Effectively

Don’t let your animated video sit unseen. Actively promote it across your marketing channels, including social media, email marketing, and your website.

Run targeted ads, collaborate with influencers, and explore paid video advertising options to reach a wider audience.

10. Encourage User Engagement

Go beyond simply showing your animated video. Encourage audience interaction by incorporating calls to action (CTAs), inviting viewers to subscribe to your channel, visit your website, or learn more about your offerings.

Utilize interactive elements within the video itself, like clickable buttons or quizzes, to further engage viewers and collect valuable data.

11. Track and Analyze Performance

Monitor the performance of your animated video across different platforms. Use video analytics tools to track metrics like views, engagement rates, click-throughs, and conversions.

Analyze this data to understand what resonates with your audience and identify areas for improvement in future video projects.

12. Consider Outsourcing

Creating high-quality animated videos requires expertise and specialized software. If you lack the in-house resources, consider outsourcing the project to a professional animation studio. This ensures you receive a polished and professional final product that aligns with your vision.

13. Stay Inspired

The world of animation is constantly evolving. Keep yourself updated by following industry trends, exploring the work of other brands, and attending relevant events or workshops.

This continuous learning can spark new ideas and inspire you to create innovative and engaging animated video content for your brand.

14. Experiment and Play

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different animation styles, techniques, and storytelling approaches. Animation allows for creativity and expression.

Use this freedom to explore unique ideas that will set your brand apart and resonate with your audience. Remember, the most memorable videos often push boundaries and break the mold.

15. Measure, Adapt, and Continuously Improve

Creating effective animated video content isn’t a one-time endeavor. Treat this as an ongoing process of learning and improvement.

Analyze the data from your video projects, understand what performs well and what can be refined, and continuously adapt your approach to create increasingly impactful and engaging animated video content that strengthens your brand and connects with your audience on a deeper level.

Beyond the Tips:

While these 15 tips provide a strong foundation, remember that successful animated video branding requires a holistic approach.

Here are some additional considerations:

• Budget: Determine your budget for the video production to guide your decision-making regarding animation style, length, and potential outsourcing options.
• Collaboration: Foster collaboration between your marketing, creative, and technical teams throughout the video creation process. This ensures cohesive storytelling and aligns the video with your overall brand strategy.
• Accessibility: Ensure your animated video is inclusive and accessible for all viewers. Incorporate captions and subtitles for viewers with hearing impairments, consider colorblind-friendly design choices, and offer alternative text descriptions for visually impaired audiences.

By following these tips and incorporating a strategic and mindful approach, you can leverage the power of animated video to captivate your audience, strengthen your brand identity, and achieve your marketing goals in a dynamic and memorable way.

Also Read: 8 Reasons Why Small Businesses Need Explainer Videos?

Advanced Strategies for Powerful Animated Video Branding

1. Leverage the Power of Data-Driven Storytelling

Go beyond simple narratives by incorporating data and statistics into your animated video.

This can enhance the credibility and persuasiveness of your message, especially when presenting complex information or highlighting the benefits of your product or service.

Utilize infographics, data visualizations, or animated bar charts to present data in an engaging and easy-to-understand manner.

2. Explore the Potential of Animation in Customer Education

Animated explainers excel at simplifying complex concepts and processes. Leverage animation to educate your target audience about your product’s features, service offerings, or even complex industry topics in a clear, concise, and engaging way.

This can be particularly beneficial for technical products, new technology adoption, or showcasing intricate workflows within your service offerings.

3. Humanize Your Brand with Animation

Animation offers unique opportunities to create relatable characters that personify your brand values and connect with viewers on an emotional level.

Develop characters that represent your target audience or embody the essence of your brand personality. This can foster an emotional connection with viewers and leave a lasting impression.

4. Embrace User-Generated Content and Collaborative Efforts

Encourage your audience to participate in the creative process by launching animation contests or inviting user-generated content (UGC) submissions related to your brand.

This can spark excitement and brand loyalty, generate buzz around your video, and create a sense of community around your brand.

Additionally, consider collaborating with other brands or influencers in your industry to create co-branded animated videos, expanding your reach to new audiences.

5. Integrate Animation into Your Overall Marketing Strategy

Don’t view animated videos as standalone entities. Integrate them seamlessly into your overall marketing strategy.

Utilize animated elements across your website, social media posts, email marketing campaigns, and even presentations to create a cohesive brand experience. This reinforces brand recognition and strengthens the impact of your animation efforts.

6. Prioritize Storytelling Over Selling

While animated videos can serve marketing purposes, prioritize engaging storytelling over forceful sales pitches.

Focus on crafting a narrative that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression. Subtly weave in your brand message and value proposition, allowing viewers to connect with your brand on a deeper level rather than feeling pressured into a purchase.

7. Stay Agile and Adapt to Changing Trends

The animation landscape constantly evolves. New technologies, tools, and animation styles emerge regularly.

Stay informed about the latest trends and adopt relevant elements that align with your brand identity and target audience preferences. This keeps your animated content fresh, engaging, and relevant in a dynamic environment.

8. Invest in High-Quality Production Value

While animation allows for creative freedom, maintaining high production value is crucial. Ensure your video boasts professional visuals, engaging sound design, and clear voice-over narration (if applicable).

This enhances the viewing experience and reflects positively on your brand’s professionalism and attention to detail.

9. Foster Collaboration with Animation Experts

If you choose to outsource animation production, collaborate closely with animation experts throughout the process. Clearly communicate your brand vision, target audience, and desired outcomes.

Seek their professional expertise and guidance to ensure the final product aligns seamlessly with your strategic goals.

10. Repurpose and Extend the Reach of Your Video Content

Don’t limit your animated video to a single platform. Explore various ways to repurpose and extend its reach.

Create shorter snippets for social media platforms, develop behind-the-scenes content showcasing the making of the video, or extract audio elements to create podcasts or audiobooks.

This maximizes the value of your video content and allows you to engage your audience across diverse platforms.

By implementing these advanced strategies, you can move beyond creating basic animated videos and leverage the full potential of this powerful visual storytelling medium to enhance your brand image, forge deeper connections with your audience, and achieve your marketing objectives in innovative and impactful ways.

Also Read: How To Make Video Animation (16 Easy Ways)

About the Author!

Eeba Mak, working as a blogger for BuzzFlick, a video animation agency. She is an expert in producing engaging and informative blog posts. Her passion to disseminate fruitful information fuels her passion for writing.