It’s widely believed that the move to video content as a predominant marketing tool is well underway. Certainly, YouTube and Vimeo are more popular than ever. There’s also a need to include multimedia in blog posts to jazz them up. This can be images, a slideshow, a ‘talking head’ video clip or a whiteboard animation video to really mix things up.
This article is focused on general video content, and whiteboard animation specifically because it’s still quite new; not everyone has seen them yet, but they work well.
Email Engagement Goes Up
Any mention of video in the subject line of a marketing email tends to improve the open rate. If a whiteboard animation video is linked within the marketing message with a single frame from the clip shown with a YouTube-like graphical surround, email readers are likely to click on the video to go and watch it.
At this point, they’ve been pulled back to the website which presents other opportunities like selling a new product to them or their clicking on relevant advertising which generates an additional stream of revenue.
Bounce Rate is Lowered
The inclusion of video content on a web page tends to reduce the bounce rate, according to a useful study by Wistia. There is over two and a half times more engagement on the page too. The same goes for whiteboard animation videos which are unusual enough to create more engagement. They’re far more interesting than the typical talking head YouTube videos where nothing much is happening on-screen.
Click here to learn more about how to create an awesome whiteboard animation to maximise engagement with your core audience.
Nothing to Get Offended By
You’d be surprised how often a viewer gets offended by a marketing video where they dislike the mannerisms or tone of the presenter. It can put them off so much that they click away and don’t watch it to the end. The content marketing proves ineffective in this situation. However, with animation using whiteboard techniques, there’s usually a curious animated character acting as the presenter or guide throughout the playback.
Viewers aren’t likely to get opinionated about the animated character because they know a secret – the character isn’t real! Because of this, the marketing message behind the animated video comes across without any perceived bias or ill-intention. It might seem like a small thing, but lack of effectiveness with video marketing is a costly error.
Great Instructional Content
Whiteboard animation tends to tell a story for the viewer. The video playing is often enough to convey a story, a message or teach the viewer something new. Companies regularly use these types of videos to show depth, intelligence and a fun aspect to their business. In the staid world of giant companies, they’re free to inject some fun and playfulness into their brand.
Mobile is Switched on to Video
Video content is viewed more often and for a longer duration on mobile devices. According to research conducted by Visible Measures, desktop users barely consume a minute of a video, on average, before they move onto something else. They’re fully disengaged most of the time. By contrast, smartphone users tend to watch 2-3 minutes of footage presumably due to the immediacy of the content and it being easier to view a video than read an article on a phone. Tablets like the iPad fare even better because of the larger form factor and it being primarily a multimedia consumption device.
If your company is aiming to attract the growing base of mobile users, video is a key differentiator in the battle for eyeballs and active engagement. By including interactive videos that are relevant to your content, visitors will stay longer. Google also notices the longer dwell time and often pushes these types of sites higher in the rankings for relevant search terms too.
Video is More Memorable
Unlike with written content, video is different from other types of consumed content. As a result, it sticks with the audience even a month later. We are mostly visual creatures, so it’s not that surprising. Videos that tell a story have greater resonance. Everyone loves a good story, so any video that has a beginning, a middle and a great ending is likely to be remembered.
With whiteboard animated videos, they’re niche enough that they stand out to viewers. Most of the content on tube sites like YouTube and Vimeo is recorded live action. That could be pets performing tricks or people being themselves, but it’s mostly a recording of something interesting that recently happened or presenting information visually. By contrast, whiteboard animation is quirky and different enough to stand out making them more memorable than other video types.
Going International
English-speaking video content tends to be mostly viewed in English-speaking countries. However, with whiteboard videos, that idea is turned completely on its head. The central message or story can be successfully conveyed using the wonders of animated characters without the need for a voiceover and caption cards in a specific language. In this way, it’s possible to reach a much wider audience than ever expected.
Using video to market products and services offers new promotional opportunities that didn’t exist a few years ago. Add in whiteboard animated videos and you have a communication tool that goes beyond language to a purely visual medium. For effective marketing, companies should invest in video production to win viewer’s engagement.