Hugh Beaulac
Have you noticed that videos are everywhere now? No matter where you look, on any platform or industry, video content has become the most popular trend.
In recent years, the internet traffic for video animation has continued to grow, leading many young startups and giant corps to implement it within their own campaigns.
Do you want to know what the secret is to such popularity? Well, videos are easier to understand than text. They evoke more emotion from the viewer and convey messages a lot easier.
Unsurprisingly, businesses are increasingly moving to video content – particularly with fun & easily shareable video animation. This is especially true for small businesses.
Small companies cannot afford a large workforce: they have limited resources – both material and human.
So, this is where video content comes to the rescue. Invest in creating a video once, and watch it work for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If your website contains video, then users spend more time on it. And for Google, this is a sign that you post useful content so your site will rank higher on Google.
There are also different types of video content – recently, video animation has been especially popular.
In this article, you will find out how it differs from traditional video and what advantages it has. You will also understand how to integrate video content into your business while avoiding significant expenses.
Why Should Small Businesses Use Video Animation?
Large companies have a lot to show on video: a large office, many employees, huge production facilities, etc. But it is not the same for small businesses.
The problem becomes even more apparent if the company does not produce goods, but provides services. After all, intangible things are much more difficult to show on video.
The good news? Video animation can work it all out – in such a video, you can show everything that comes to your mind, release your imagination.
Motion graphics are usually more attractive to viewers than ordinary videos – another plus for increasing the engagement of a potential viewer.
But first, let’s take a closer look at this subject – what is video animation and what do video animators do?
What is the Difference Between Video and Video Animation?
As defined in Webopedia, animation is a simulation of movement created by a series of illustrations or photographs displayed in rapid succession.
Animation is the opposite of video: separate images simulate continuous motion, while video takes continuous motion so that it can be decomposed into separate frames.
Now let’s talk about where you can use video animation and how to work with video animators for maximum benefit.
1. Work with Different Video Animators on Different Projects
Video animation can serve a variety of purposes. It can help sell, educate, present and inform.
You can place video animation on your website as your company presentation, or post it on Instagram to find clients on social media. Each professional usually have their own specialization, so do your research when hiring a video animator!
A music video animator may be unlikely to help you with an explainer video – or, if they do – may produce a different result to what you intended.
Here’s the thing: if you’ve found an excellent video animator, you shouldn’t stop there. The more diverse your content is, the more interesting you will be for your target audience.
Of course, having a full-time video animator, you won’t be able to experiment that much. Besides, creating video animation is project work.
Therefore, the best solution would be to find a freelance animator – so, you can hire different specialists for different projects.
2. Learn from Professionals and Improve Video Production Skills
Even if you find a professional video animator, he will not do all the work. The video animation creation is not only a technical implementation but also the embodiment of a certain idea.
The better you understand the process, the better the result will be.
When working with professionals, learn from them. Explore the stages of production: scriptwriting, storyboarding, video editing.
When you understand how to make an animation video, your collaboration with a video animator becomes more successful.
3. Create Professional Explainer Videos for Businesses
What is the best way to use video animation? It all depends on the specifics of your business and your goals.
But perhaps the biggest benefit you will get will be from creating explainer videos.
The explainer video is a short video that tells customers about the main features of your product or service. Such a video educates, entertains the audience, and provides it with useful information.
Explainer videos are especially good for new product presentations, or even exploring product functionality. The advantage of this type of video is that it doesn’t sell things directly, but helps to increase sales.
You can create an explainer video yourself – there are special video animation websites for this. However, if you want to get the highest quality, it is better to find a specialist.
4. Save Time and Money on Video Production
Small business owners can find it difficult to budget for video content creation – especially when you’re a brand new startup.
It is not a cheap thing to hire a professional video animator, but you can partially compensate for the expenses.
Do you want to know how?
The most obvious way is to make money by showing ads. However, there are certain risks – your target audience may not want to watch the video with ads.
There is also another solution – you can sell merchandise on Youtube. This will help you not only earn money but also elevate your brand. The more loyal your subscribers are, the higher your earnings will be.
To save time on video production, it is best to turn to professionals. However, companies that provide video animation services, will automatically have higher rates than freelance video animators.
5. Experiment with Different Creative Approaches
There are a wide variety of video animation styles. The following styles are most usual for marketing videos:
- traditional animation
- 2D vector-based animation
- 3D animation
- motion graphics
- stop motion
The most popular type of animation now is 3D animation also known as computer animation. Therefore, you will definitely need a specialist who knows how to create 3D animation videos.
But don’t limit yourself to just one style – always try new things and see how your target audience reacts. Moreover, when you work with freelance video animators, you can let your creativity run wild as all professionals offer various approaches to video production.
6. Build a Solid Network
You have probably heard a lot about the importance of networking. But in the case of small businesses, this tool is especially effective.
Networking is very useful for expanding your customer base, however, no less attention should you pay to establish contacts with new partners and contractors.
Build an authentic network and it will make your life a lot easier. For example, you won’t have to think every time about where to look for an employee for a certain project.
When hiring a new specialist, it can be difficult to assess the level of their professionalism. After all, what works for one business may be completely ineffective for another.
When talking about video animation, you should remember that this is a marketing tool – so the indicator of success is the interest of the target audience.
Use lead tracking to determine if they like your new marketing solution. If they don’t, the reason may not be that this solution is bad – perhaps this specialist is simply not suited for your business. A person who knows how to create video animation should not be an automatic hire – make sure they know exactly what you want and how to best articulate it.
7. Establish Long-Term Relationships with Professionals
Finding a strong, reliable professional may be challenging if looking in the wrong places. However, when you succeed in finding someone good, try to establish a long-term relationship with them.
When a freelance video animator creates a high-quality product, they will be driving traffic to your website and helping increase your sales – ultimately, this is your business goal.
How Much Do Video Animators Make?
The salary of a specialist in this area depends mainly on experience. If we are talking about freelancers, then video animator rates per day of work will be something like this:
Level | Experience | Price |
Junior | less than 3 years | $150-250 |
Mid-level | 3-7 years | $250-500 |
Senior | more than 7 years | $500-1000 |
In addition to experience, the price also depends on the style in which the animator works. The specialist’s place of residence also plays an important role – in megacities with high demand, the animator services will cost about 50% more.
Conclusion
So, now you are familiar with video animation and understand how you can implement it in your business. You also know what to expect when looking for video animators to hire, as well as how to ensure they are right for your business goals.
We hope you found this article useful – and hey, maybe it’s time to use this tool when promoting your business?
Michelle Payne
Stuart Logan
