We often talk about videos and their importance in today’s social media marketing. And even though we’ve covered this topic a few times now, we’ve never spoken about animated videos and how they can help your brand reach. That’s why, this week, we invited Payman Taei, founder of the video making tool, Visme, to talk about animated videos and their benefits.
Here’s a summary of our chat.
Guest: Payman Taei
Topic: Getting the most out of animated videos
Format: Eight questions directed at the guest. Everyone’s welcome to share.
Whether or not you choose to call it the ‘golden age’, video has certainly become one of the most important aspects of social marketing. As our guest mentioned, customers nowadays consume more videos than they ever have.
We are really in a time where if you don’t have a video strategy, you are already behind. It’s been shown to be the number one way that your customers move from discovering a brand to purchasing the product. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Payman shared an impressive statistic: by 2022, 82% of all internet traffic will be videos. That’s how important it is to include video content in your social media strategy.
A2.: It’s estimated that by 2022, video will account for 82% of all internet traffic, so it’s really crucial that brands learn to share their message through this medium. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
And as Sabrina reminded us, it’s also a great time to start making videos. With such great advancements in technology, we now have countless tools and resources to make videos easily and quickly. We can no longer hide behind the excuse of videos requiring expensive equipment or expertise.
A1: I think this is the perfect time for video. You have great tools and options available to create the best message for your (personal and corporate) brand. No more excuses or procrastination 🙂 #TwitterSmarter
— Sabrina Cadini, CHLC, CBFC – Your Life Upgrader (@SabrinaCadini) September 17, 2020
Speaking from a slightly different perspective, Bernie said that we’re still not at the ‘golden age’ stage. Sure, he agreed, more people are using videos than before. However, we still have a long way to go in terms of adoption and distribution. Simply put, it will only get better from this point.
A1: I still don’t we have really gotten past the early stages of video. Still not many are taking advantage of it, still many not sure how to use and I think we still have a ways to go before we reach the golden age. #TwitterSmarter
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 17, 2020
Lance made an excellent point about not sharing videos for the sake of it. If you end up doing videos just because everyone else is doing it, you run the risk of making poor quality videos that your audience might not resonate with.
For instance, some audience wants tips and advice in video format, while some others prefer marketing and promotional videos. It’s also a good idea to listen to your audience and understand how they feel about the content you intend to post. If you’ve already posted a specific type of video, observe how it performs over other types—that’s how you can identify what works and what doesn’t.
#TwitterSmarter A2: The kinds of video content you can create for SM are endless. However, don't post video just to post video. Be sure your content is original, engaging, to-the-point, and (especially) fully licensed (audio and video) for international use. #IP #Copyright
— Lance A Schart (@LanceASchart) September 17, 2020
Another good type of content is user generated ones, as Emma said. It’s a great way to build trust because it’s engaging, and less work for you.
I think user generates content going to be huge over the next few years. It’s engagement and believability in one – two birds, one stone! #twittersmarter
— Emma Radcliffe (@ERadders) September 17, 2020
From product how-tos, customer interviews and testimonials, to behind-the-scenes of your workplace or an event, there’re so many types of video content you can share.
A2a: There’s a huge variety of videos that you can share on social media from behind-the-scenes looks into your company, customer interviews, user-generated content, product explainer videos, and announcement videos. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Talking about ideal lengths and content, Payman suggested tailoring videos according to the platform. For instance, people might watch longer videos on Facebook and LinkedIn, but prefer shorter 30-second ones on Twitter. It’s crucial that you analyze what works best for your content and follow that.
A2b: I think it’s best to keep videos you share on social media short depending on the platform. Somewhere from ~30 seconds to 2 minutes is usually best. #TwitterSmarterII
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Just as with any article you read online, the intro is the main introduction of your video, whereas the outro is the end card.
A3a: Intros and outs come before and after your main video content. The intro often tells the viewer your brand’s name and what the general topic of the video will be about. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
While the intro sets the expectation for the main subject matter of your video, the outro is a place to set the call to action. It’s also where you reinforce your brand name and tagline to increase recall value.
A3b: Also Outros reinforce the brand name and tell users what you’d like them to do next, whether that’s to watch another video, share the video, or go to your website. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Christine made a good point about being consistent with your intros. That way, when someone looks up your videos or business, every relevant result will have the same branded video cover image.
A3.
The consistent pieces at the beginning and end of your videos.
Intros let people know they're in the right place and what to expect.
Outros let people know what to do next.
❤️#TwitterSmarter— Christine Gritmon ❤️ #ChatAboutBrand (@cgritmon) September 17, 2020
Everyone loves a good animated video. It’s eye-catching, and a great way to narrate your story in an engaging way.
A4: Animated videos are really great for telling a story in a visual way. It’s a great way for people to see your video and stay engaged as you tell the story behind your message. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Jim pointed out one of the best aspects of animated video: it lets you show the impossible. Because animation is highly rooted in imagination, you can easily create attractive and fun stories.
A4 Animated videos give you the freedom to depict the impossible and capture attention for your message in a painless way. #TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/sFAYUsx7Io
— Jim Katzaman – Get Debt-Free One Family at a Time (@JKatzaman) September 17, 2020
As Madalyn said, animation can also be a good way for businesses to experiment with different types of videos. It gives them a break from having to physically be on camera every time.
A4: Animated videos can increase views because they’re entertaining and grab attention. Plus, they allow brands to experiment with different kinds of videos instead of being required to appear on camera. #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/qhxBiCuBMc
— Madalyn Sklar – Digital Marketing since 1996 (@MadalynSklar) September 17, 2020
The beauty of animated videos is that they make any tough and confusing concept easy to understand and approachable. That’s why animation is particularly useful for industries like medicine, education, and technology.
A5: Any business can use some type of animated video, but they are especially powerful for companies who are trying to simplify a complex product and make it seem easy. They are great for technology, healthcare, education, e-learning and retail. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Always bringing an important and different perspective to our #TwitterSmarter chats, our friend from GiveWP pointed out how nonprofits can use animation as a way to communicate sensitive issues for which they often can’t use photos or recordings of real people.
A5: We'll answer for #nonprofit organizations!
All of them can benefit from animated videos to help tell the story of their cause, especially those with sensitive imagery that may not be used outright (like photos of minors and children). #TwitterSmarter https://t.co/oM45D9pINy
— GiveWP (@GiveWP) September 17, 2020
It’s always good to remember that if you’re not trained in a skill, take the safer route and keep it simple. When it comes to design, in particular, it’s easy to go overboard. To avoid that, stick to best practices and proven design elements that work. Check out this video where our guest talks about some of the common designing mistakes people make.
A6: Like any other design, unless you’re a pro; keep it clean and simple. Focus on the key message or story you want to tell. Use best design principles for graphics/content which I cover in this video: https://t.co/1oc1zn1ifc
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Mel gave us a simple, clear tip: focus on your lighting, framing, and composition.
A6: Tips for video should be the same as for painting rules. Lighting, framing, composition. #TwitterSmarter pic.twitter.com/CVsn2cXaQb
— ??? ?ó??? – ?????? ???? (@MGMELSYSTEMS) September 17, 2020
Shruti also shared some great tips like using your brand colors throughout the video, adding catchy music, and using simple, everyday language.
A6. Tips for good animate videos?;
?Keep it short – 90 secs or less
?Value prop in first 30 secs
?Use simple language
?Use brand colours and fonts
?Remember catchy music #TwitterSmarter— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) September 17, 2020
First of all, make a plan. Know your goals and message for each video you make. A good way to go about this is to stop and create an outline of the message, and then visualize it in a storyboard. After that, finalize the script, and only then start creating the video.
A7a: I think it’s pretty important to establish what the goal & message of your video is before you start making it. Storyboarding also helps to establish what the flow of the video will be before you really dive into the animation. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
And of course, as with any creative endeavor, don’t animate too much to fill up space. As our guest suggested, what you don’t show matters just as much as what you do show.
A7b: oh 🙂 and another tip is to not do more animation than necessary. Sometimes it’s easy to add elements to fill up space. Every animation on your video should contribute to your message and serve a specific purpose. Take a “less is more” approach. #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
A common mistake a lot of people so is to underestimate how long it takes for people to read through any text on their videos. As a result, so often the slide changes before we can even comprehend what’s being conveyed. As our friend from Biteable pointed out, make sure you give your viewers enough time to catch up.
A7: If you're including text in your scenes, make sure your scenes don't change too quickly! You want to be sure that everyone has enough time to read what's presented #TwitterSmarter
— Biteable (@teambiteable) September 17, 2020
Our guest mentioned Vyond, Adobe, and Lumen5 among others.
A8a; There are a ton of tools out there that you can use to create your animated videos. Vyond, Adobe After Effects, Powtoon, Lumen5, and Visme are a few that come to mind. And a little shout out to @teambiteable too who are here 🙂 Hola! #TwitterSmarter
— Payman Taei (@PaymanTaei) September 17, 2020
Jignesh shared a huge list of great DIY tools including Powtoon, InVideo, Biteable, and the crowd favorite Canva.
A8.
There are many amazing tools to create #AnimationVideos@Powtoon
@VismeApp
@TheAnimaker@teambiteable @moovly @canva @Adobe apps@Mixamo (recently explored)@VideoScribeApp @ToonlyOfficial @InVideoOfficial (currently using & it's sexy)?#TwitterSmarter— Jignesh Thakkar (@socialjignesh) September 17, 2020
Payman’s own company, Visme, also got a lot of special mentions in our chat. Go check out all of them!
Well, folks. That’s all from me this week. For more great tips and suggestions from our chat with Payman, have a look at this Twitter Moment that Joana put together. And if you have some time to spare on Thursday, join us for the next #TwitterSmarter chat at 1pm ET.
About me, Narmadhaa:
I write all things—technical and marketing copy to fill the pocket; haiku and short stories to fill the soul. A social media enthusiast, I’m a member of the #TwitterSmarter chat crew, and always happy to take on writing gigs.
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