It has been predicted by Cisco that internet traffic will be mostly video views by 2022. It is the reason why for modern designers and developers; animation tools and animation software are indispensable gears to their daily work grind.
Amazing animations are used in a variety of design industries, particularly in content marketing, because of its ability to engage the audience. It is also found effective to compel the audience into taking a specific action that would fulfill a set of goals. This is why it is important now more than ever to see this concept with fresh eyes.
We know you have a lot of questions regarding animated graphics, so let’s get right into it. Here is a definitive guide to learning how you can make your designs, presentations, and marketing materials stand out by using powerful animated tools.
What are Animated Graphics?
Animated graphics are simply graphics in motion hence it is otherwise referred to as motion graphics. It involves a series of designs that are placed in a sequence of frames, creating a sense of motion. Motion graphics are digital animations that are usually added with text and audio elements to communicate a specific message. It is intended to tell a story and is used in many industries for storytelling and improving communication. Animation is the broad term that is used mainly to describe the movement of graphics and characters in non-live action videos.
Motion graphics were already used in abstract filmmaking back in the 1800s. It was later on used for creating title sequences that are effective at communicating a particular mood of a film. Nowadays, animated graphics are commonly seen in movies, TV, marketing videos, and even in creating educational content.
There are many theories and studies made that conclude 70-93% of communication is non-verbal. The rise of animation across a wide range of industries is because of its ability to visualize and clarify the meaning of a concept in an aesthetic manner. It helps create an invigorating copy that highlights the key information and reinforces a message even without words.
With the advancement of the digital revolution, motion graphics are found to be effective at increasing the retention value of the audience. It is used by brands to add depth to their stories and communicate better with the consumers. With animated graphics, you can inject life and levity into any presentation across a variety of contexts.
Why You Should Use Animated Graphics in Your Marketing
A lot of business industries have turned to interactive mediums because motion graphics have shown to be efficient at fueling a variety of marketing needs. It is a fantastic medium to tell a brand or product story. You can use it to highlight the features and benefits of a product. It can also be utilized to add more information, such as product overviews, walkthroughs, and tutorials.
To be more specific, here are the most important reasons why you need to consider having animated graphics in your marketing strategy:
It is Memorable
92% of shoppers make their final purchase decision through watching online videos because they are able to capture attention compared to plain text content. This is because animated content is fun and engaging. It is what makes it easier to digest and retain the information than a dry marketing method. Animation plus music, stories, and stunning visuals can create fun and interesting content that boosts retention.
It Has a Broad Appeal
Aside from a younger audience, animations are also appealing to the older demographics. You can use it to create content that is appealing to a broader audience thus widening your reach.
An Interesting Approach to Creating Awareness
Unlike having a lengthy text to tell a story, explain a concept, or introduce your brand, products, or services, animation can deliver a more powerful message. It can illustrate the message in a more direct way but still be able to keep the integrity of the story complete.
It is Subtle
The heart and soul of animation marketing is storytelling. No, you do not need to be a New York Times Bestseller author to do it, you just need to have a short story, typically one that focuses on your message. Add captivating visuals and some animation effects and you will have something that is enjoyable to watch. Animation is a way to make the usual marketing videos less boring but more relatable. They are like advertisements but don’t feel like it because the audience is actually entertained watching it.
Creativity is the Limit
What makes animation interesting is that it can be simple to outlandish in a snap. There are plenty of animation tools that you can use to animate any idea. If you want to create, for example, an adventurous title sequence but cannot afford to shoot it in a dreamy location, an animation software is all that you need to do without leaving your workstation. Anything is possible if you want to create incredibly unique content. This is important if you are trying to upstage your competitor and be successful in your marketing campaign.
Animation is so versatile that it can be used in a variety of contexts while injecting life and levity into a presentation. It is a fantastic method but not as expensive as filming live-action videos.
The Many Ways to Use Animations In Marketing
Animation in marketing is basically the use of different types of animated content as a marketing strategy. The goal is to convey a specific idea or concept to the audience and at the same time increase both traffic and sales. It focuses on animation but adding music, voice, or text makes the content more significant.
Just like there are many approaches in marketing, there are also several ways to use animation in promoting your brand or product.
1. Animated explainer
As the name suggests, animated content can help explain the value of a product, service, or brand. It can explain the features, how to use them, and the reasons why the audience has to buy. The most effective way to use this type of animation is to have it short and sweet. It must be well-structured, visually stunning, and around a minute in length. The short presentation has to show the problem, the solution (which is your product/service/brand), how it works, and a call-to-action.
2. Brand animations
More than having words and text, a brand animation is a more appealing way to show what your brand is all about. The stunning visuals and accompanying music aim to elicit an emotional reaction, one that is positive towards the brand. Beyond impressing the audience with a superb presentation, the main goal is to help them learn about your brand’s culture, ideals, and the products and services that you offer.
3. Micro-animations
These are functional animations that are added in order to help the audience complete an action with moving visual cues. They are activated once the user interacts with a specific page element, like hovering over or pressing down on a button. Another example is an animated bar that shows the remaining percentage of a download to show its progress. This can be useful when you want to keep the audience engaged through an interactive website. You may also make use of it on mobile applications or in a mobile version of a website where there is limited space for icons, buttons, and images.
4. 3D animation
Three-dimensional images have more depth which is why it has more realism to them. Using this type of animation is effective when promoting businesses in the construction, infrastructure, architecture, medicine, consumer tech,and real estate industries. The 3D effect gives a more comprehensive view of a product which makes the advertisement more convincing.
5. 2D animation
There are also instances where you can use 2D animations instead of 3D ones in marketing. It can be great to use infographics instead of a flat image. It may be pretty limited compared to other types of animations but it is a good alternative to 1D images.
Best Animation Software for Designers
Creating amazing motion graphics can be very challenging but not if you have the best animation software that professional designers use. Here are the best animation tools that you need to get your hands on to design, animate, collaborate, and present stunning projects:
1. GIFMaker.me
GIF is animation type that can increase engagement by up to 55%. GIFMaker.me is a free tool that will let you create animated GIFs using your own images. You simply just upload your images, arrange them according to the desired order, modify speed, and add music before publishing.
Undoubtedly the most popular software in UI animation and motion graphics design community, Adobe AE is a powerhouse of a tool. It can be integrated with other Adobe products and you can create anything from animating logos to creating 3D animations.
3. Motion UI
Seasoned designers consider this as a go-to application for creating quick and easy CSS transitions and animations. It is also an incredible prototyping tool since it can provide code tutorials for every animation that you create.
4. FlipaClip
This tool is great if you want to create old-school animations with modern effects. You can also create flipbook-style animations using your own sketches.
5. Adobe Creative Cloud Express
Just like other Adobe animation software, the Adobe Creative Cloud Express lets you create professional-quality presentations. What makes it special, though, is that you can actually switch between your desktop and mobile device so you can create animations whenever and wherever you are.
6. Visme
Creating eye-catching animated designs for social media, presentations, ads, banners, and other types of visuals is easy with the Visme app. This software has a huge collection of premade templates, stock photos and videos, illustrations, gestures, and pre-animated characters that you can customize. It has a friendly drag-and-drop editor which means that anyone, even beginners, can use it with ease.
As an improved version of Adobe Flash Professional, Adobe Animate makes it easier to create 2D animations and interactive vector graphics that you may use for ads, videos, games, and more. Its intuitive timeline controls are added with advanced animation settings. It also has a virtual camera feature so you can add special effects, such as panning and zooming into the picture.
8. Blender
This open-source software has advanced command line and programming features that you can utilize to create, render, and model 3D animations. What makes it among the most recommended animation tools is that it has powerful animation and rigging tools, like realistic simulation tools. It is compatible with different operating systems so you can use it whether you are comfortable working with Linux, Windows, or Mac.
9. PixTeller
An ideal animation software for marketers, PixTeller is a great alternative if you want a simple but feature-packed video editing tool. There are plenty of pre-animated templates that you can customize. You can also add unique text effects and shapes to make incredible animations.
10. Animatron Studio
You should try this software if you are looking for an advanced tool to create animated explainer videos. It has a lot of customizability options which are useful if you want to edit pre-animated elements for your animation project. You may also import and edit your own graphics and then add narration using the built-in voiceover features.
Which Tool Should You Pick?
It can be confusing to choose which animation software to use, especially if you are still new to animation. The first thing that you need to consider is the available gadget or hardware that you have. There are plenty of mobile animation apps that you can use with just a cellphone. Some, however, require a powerful processor of a PC to work, such as when you create 3D animations.
You may also consider the type of animation that you want to create. Will it be more on GIFs, cartoons, or animated logos? Take note also that more complex animations require more advanced tools and that you may have to go through a steep learning curve before you can actually create something. As you can see on the tools above, there are some that can be used even on mobile devices. This is an option that you may want to consider if you are the type who would like to start working as soon as an inspiration pops up and you do not have your computer with you.
One of the best ways to pick is to look for an easy tool that is either free or has affordable pricing plans. This is for you to get familiar with what creating animations feel like and try different features that you find easy to use. Try to also check out beginner-friendly animation video tutorials or enroll in animation crash courses online. After you get acquainted with how animation works, you can then consider trying out advanced and more expensive software.
No matter what your goal, budget, or animation skills are, there is always a tool that will suit your needs. Just don’t be afraid to explore and discover everything about animations and you will be creating your own animated graphics in no time.
Motion Graphic Trends You Need to Try
If you want to try motion graphics for your marketing you need to ensure that you are doing it the right way. There are plenty of resources that you can find about how to create your first animations. Notice, however, that not all of them are truly helpful since some may be too advanced. This is where animation software becomes handy as it will serve as your guide as you take baby steps towards mastering animations.
Now that you have learned about the different animation tools to create stunning animations, you absolutely have to know about these animated graphic trends that you can try:
1. Utilize Primary Color Palette
The use of the correct color tones, aesthetics, and other elements is what makes for an appealing presentation. Take note, though, that simple graphics using only primary tones are more engaging to the audience. This is because the simplicity of the colors activates and engages the brain better thus keeping the viewer more focused.
2. Make Use of Lines and Shapes
Defining the look and feel of the animation can be done using shapes and lines. Lines act as strokes, they must be used subtly to highlight the shape and make it more appealing.
3. Use 2D and 3D Effects Together
Mixing 2D and 3D elements in animations add a sense of realism while providing an entertaining experience. 3D animations are a bit of a challenge to do but it really adds great value to the design and in boosting engagement.
4. Choose the Right Typography Style
Clear and legible typography is a must but you also have to consider presentation style. Kinetic typography is great because it makes the text look interesting, creative, and engaging.
5. Morphing
Changing shapes or text into other shapes looks awesome. It gives an almost hypnotic effect that keeps the audiences’ attention glued to the animation.
Takeaways...
With all the benefits of using animated graphics, there is no question why it has a huge impact on the marketing industry. The positive feedback is coming from the fact that animations do not only improve content but also tell a lot about a brand’s ability to innovate, adapt, and offer something fresh and unique to the customers.
With the help of animation tools, you have an infinite way to creatively present your stories. It is a fresh, captivating, and fun way to draw attention to your presentation and make the audience excited. As for marketing, animations are the best way to convey the brand message. It is also effective at explaining complex concepts in the most visually-appealing manner.
From being a website component, a short presentation for email campaigns, and interactive elements in product mockups, animated graphics are truly versatile and must not be missing in any of your marketing strategies.
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