Can we make a confession?

When people say that explainer videos all look alike, it bugs us. A lot.

It’s such a nitpicky, extremely nerdy thing to be mad about, too!

But here’s the thing about explainer videos:

They’re not all created equal. As far as video marketing is concerned, different video styles are very similar to various tools in a toolbox. Each has its own purpose.

You wouldn’t dream of confusing a monkey wrench with a screwdriver, because you know what each of them is for. Same here — once you know how a certain style of explainer video aligns with your marketing goals, it becomes super-easy to tell them apart!

On this blog, we mostly talk about whiteboard and cartoon animation video, because that’s what we’re famous for. But it’s just one of the many styles, and it doesn’t fit everyone’s marketing perfectly, 100% of the time.

So today, we wanted to tell you about one of our other favorite styles of explainer video: motion graphics. It’s awesome — and if you’re not using it in your video content, you totally should!

But don’t take our word for it.

Instead, let’s examine how motion graphics can help you market your products and services… right after we tackle what it is first!

So… what is motion graphics, exactly?

If we said they were graphics… in motion… would you get mad? We know it’s not helpful — but it’s a surprisingly accurate way to describe what motion graphics is.

Imagine a high-quality infographic that lays out the facts and figures about something complicated. For example, the economics of taking a vacation, and how it might be better to stay home and take a shorter trip sometimes (a “staycation”).

Now, imagine if someone animated each segment of that infographic, and set it to music or narration, creating an explainer-like video. This is a real example, by the way! You can check out that motion graphics video about staycations here.

And that’s what motion graphics is — a specific visual style, well-suited to breaking down complex topics. It’s formal enough to look at home with any corporate brand identity, it’s awesome for visualizing data and making boring topics more exciting…

…and that’s why it’s taking the world of video marketing by storm. In a good way.

 

Did you know your marketing video needs 10 essential elements to be high-converting? We have developed a neat checklist you can use to fail-proof all your video content before you release them to the world. Click the link right below to grab it:

Download the free checklist: “10 Things Every Marketing Video Must Have to Convert”

 

Why choose motion graphics?

One thing you might be wondering about is… is there any advantage to using motion graphics over another style?

Whiteboard animation is pretty awesome (or so we hear) — why not go with that? Or maybe do a cartoon animation… or even a good old live-action video!

(Actually, scratch that. Let’s not get ridiculous here.)

What’s the big deal with motion graphics specifically?

That’s a great question. And over the next couple of weeks, we’ll dig deep into as many benefits of motion graphics as we can. But for now, here are several compelling reasons why you should consider using motion graphics in your marketing:

  1. It’s formal… without looking generic. Whether your brand look is cool and hip, smooth and suave, or cold and collected, producing a motion graphics video that fits your chosen aesthetic is super-easy. Out of all explainer video styles, it’s the most versatile.
  2. It’s as engaging and persuasive as cartoons. Remember how last week we discussed the power of cartoon animation to change people’s minds? Motion graphics has a similar effect — minus the downside of looking maybe a tad too goofy for certain uses (see reason #1).
  3. It loves data, and the feeling is mutual. It was so hard to resist a Star Trek: The Next Generation joke here, you have no idea! Seriously, though — if you persuade customers (or other stakeholders) using facts and figures, motion graphics is the way to go. Making data clear and easy to understand is exactly where this animation style shines.

As you can see, there are some very good reasons motion graphics explainer videos are so popular! Now, if you want to create one of your own, here’s how you could get started…

What is motion graphics design? How to create motion graphics

If you want to design a video in the style of motion graphics, you have two basic options:

  1. Get access to a good library of visuals — think clipart, icons, and so on — and use a software program like Adobe After Effects to animate it. There are tons of tutorials online. Or you can hire an actual animator to do the job for you.
  2. Create and animate your motion graphics video from scratch, so it looks completely unique and fits your brand aesthetic like a glove. For obvious reasons, this is not what most business owners are willing to do.

Option A can be very affordable, and it can result in a video that doesn’t look half bad. It will look generic, because you’re borrowing from an existing selection of visual assets. And it might turn out a little clunky, depending on who creates the actual animation.

Unless you have prior experience as an animator, your initial efforts will be nothing to write home about. And relying on freelance animators is a bit like going on a blind date — the odds of it being horrible are high, but you might get lucky.

Option B is excellent… if you’re treating your motion graphics video as a serious marketing investment. It will impact your bottom line — so you might as well make sure that you produce the best, highest-converting piece of content you can, right? The smarter you approach your motion graphics design, the higher the ROI is going to be.

But creating a unique-looking motion graphics video that fits your brand is not an easy task. If you can do it in-house, more power to you! That said, you would achieve more reliable, faster results by outsourcing your motion graphics creation to another company.

Here at The Draw Shop, animation is what we do all day, every day. Chances are, you know us only as “the whiteboard guys” (and gals!) — which is really flattering.

But guess what — we do motion graphics, too!

In fact, we create high-converting animated videos in several styles:

  • Motion graphics
  • Cartoon animation
  • Virtual Reality Animation
  • Digital stop motion animation
  • 2D character animation

And more.

If you’re ready for your next big video marketing win, let us make you a motion graphics video you’d be proud of. Just enter your details below to book a risk-free pow wow with one of our experts — or visit this page to check out our animation samples, and request a pow wow there!