Does My Brand Need Motion Graphics?
Behind every good brand is a story well told. But sometimes brands face a bit of writer’s block when communicating their stories to their demographics. Today, people are rarely without their mobile devices, making online advertising a must to reach any on-the-move target markets. This can pose a challenge for brands that aren’t themselves “on the move”.
Abridging the Gap
If you use Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, scrolling through your feed will mean observing posts with media. Some are static images, but many are increasingly videos designed to catch your attention. For brands advertising their content, standing out isn’t just adapting to a trend, it’s critical to being seen and staying relevant amidst this torrent of digital media. It also means communicating a message in a very short window of time; if the viewer isn’t hooked, your post could fall victim to a swipe and not a click to your site. Enter the role of the creatives. Designers often work with brands to create data visualizations to represent ideas. Basically, they create picture books out of sometimes wordy novels for audiences to easily understand messages. One increasingly important format, motion graphics, is hot on today’s best-seller list for communicating messages and making brands relatable to online demographics.
A New Experience
Motion graphics are pretty special. They can be captivating and attention grabbing methods of getting viewers to digest your message. Unlike a static image or a wall of text, motion graphics can combine voiceover, music, visuals and effects to tell a story. These elements combined help answer a leading question in brand story building: What do you want people to feel?
Adaptation
Tugging on people’s heartstrings is one thing; engaging their brains is another. Motion graphics, along with all visual communication, is effective in the way it instantly targets minds. That’s right: your brain processes visual data at lightning speed, making motion graphics amazingly effective at communicating information. Similar to how graphic novel versions of a book target readers who would otherwise pass up a read without pictures, motion graphics deliver brand information with engaging visuals, sound and dynamic text. The story isn’t lost, it’s just retold relevant to the times.
What—WHO—Am I Missing Out On?
A refined way of telling your story and communicating your brand to the masses is critical. Sometimes, a brand message can be a bit complex and well, boring, especially in the delivery of complex data. Motion graphics offer viewers a visual summary of what you want people to know in an on the spot, passive experience. Rather than ask people to read about what you do or what you want the world to know, an engaging motion graphic or video treats them to an experience! Just having a motion graphic created might not be enough. As social media is the biggest platform for motion graphics, too complicated a message on a feed can leave you lost to the swipe of a finger on a phone. Therefore, it’s important to have the right creatives on board to help you deliver what is necessary in an attractive, engaging, concise format while remaining true to your brand.
Chapter One
So you’re ready to get moving! What are your options? A major consideration should be the cost of production. Motion graphics can effectively tell a story without the added expenditures of sets, cast, crew, weather and more. Cutting out the variables of live-action video production can mean reliable deliverables. Digital motion graphics still involve people, skill and equipment behind the scenes, but aren’t hindered by the factors of live-action and the environment. Instead, what is storyboarded can be accomplished, rain or shine.
The Bigger Picture
How your brand can benefit from motion graphics will depend on your timeline, budget and longevity. Creation of a single motion graphic is a speedier alternative to producing a live action video, with elements (like icons and illustrations) that can be repurposed into new content. Basically, once designs are created for a single video, all of those elements can be used to create everything from more videos to static ads, print materials, or toward a refresh your website and more. What’s better is those same elements can be combined with live action, animation—even whiteboard videos. A single motion graphic can be a versatile and cost effective brand builder!
A Real Page Turner
Don’t worry about saying everything in a single video. Allowing your target audience to passively engage with your brand increases their likelihood of wanting to learn even more about you. Motion graphics on social media, for example, can be a welcoming invite to visit your website, where people can learn the details of your brand. It’s a good idea to ensure that your online content is in line with your brand; having mismatched motion graphics and a website can weaken your image. After all, motion graphics should act as supportive content to your website and ultimately your entire brand. Judging a book by its cover is the reality of online presence, so trusting a professional creative team to unify your brand identity both online and offline is a surefire way to get customers to read your full story.
Motion graphics are strong brand supports in the age of social media. By guiding your target audience with interesting content like motion graphics, you can expect people to open the cover on your brand story. Are you getting the most out of your online presence?
