In the fast-paced world of B2B marketing, standing out from the crowd can be a daunting task.
Traditional marketing methods are often too static and fail to capture the attention of today’s busy decision-makers.
That’s where animated B2B marketing videos come in.
These dynamic and engaging tools can transform your marketing strategy, helping you to convey complex ideas succinctly and memorably, ultimately driving higher ROI.
In this blog, we’ll delve into why animated B2B marketing videos are crucial for business, how they impact ROI, and provide a step-by-step guide to creating and promoting your own.
B2B marketing videos are a vital component of any robust marketing strategy.
They offer a unique way to engage with potential clients, demonstrating the value of your products or services in a visually appealing and easily digestible format.
Unlike lengthy whitepapers or dense articles, videos can quickly capture attention and communicate your message effectively.
For B2B companies, where decision-making processes are often lengthy and involve multiple stakeholders, videos can serve as powerful tools to streamline communication and illustrate benefits clearly.
Animated B2B marketing videos are particularly effective in boosting ROI due to their versatility and engagement potential. Here’s how:
Animated videos are more likely to capture and retain the attention of viewers compared to static content.
Their dynamic nature keeps the audience engaged, increasing the likelihood of message retention.
B2B products and services are often complex.
But just because they’re aimed at industry professionals and not the average everyday consumer on the street, doesn’t mean you can throw in everything but the kitchen sink into your video’s script.
It’s still a challenge to break down the messaging into something that’s easy to digest in a short time.
Animation has the power to break down complexities into easy-to-understand visuals, making it simpler for potential clients to grasp your value proposition.
By clearly demonstrating product features and benefits, animated videos can significantly enhance conversion rates.
Potential clients are more likely to take action after watching a compelling video.
Studies have repeatedly shown that viewers can retain information from a video far longer than with text, images or audio on their own; and visitors stay on a website longer when there’s a landing page video.
Videos can improve your website’s SEO. Search engines favor video content, which can lead to higher rankings and more organic traffic.
Videos are highly shareable on social media, expanding your reach and increasing brand awareness.
Creating animated B2B marketing videos involves several steps.
Here’s a detailed guide to help you through the process.
Start by determining the message you want to convey.
What are the key benefits of your product or service?
Identify your target audience and tailor your content to address their specific needs and pain points.
A well-crafted script is the backbone of your video.
It should be clear, concise, and focused on delivering your key messages.
Begin with an engaging introduction, followed by the main content, and end with a strong call to action.
A storyboard is a visual representation of your script.
It outlines the sequence of scenes and the visual elements that will accompany your narration.
This step is crucial for planning the flow of your video and ensuring that all key points are covered.
It’s also key for your animators for setting up the timing on which they will build the elements of the video.
Using tools like Adobe Illustrator or After Effects, create the visual elements that will be animated.
These should be consistent with your brand’s style and colors.
High-quality graphics and illustrations can significantly enhance the professional appearance of your video.
Once your graphics are ready, use video editing software to bring everything together.
Add animations, transitions, and effects to make the video more engaging.
Ensure the pacing is right and that the visuals complement the script.
After finalizing the video, export it in the appropriate format for your intended platform.
Ensure the video is optimized for quality and performance.
Need inspiration?
Here are some great examples of animated videos for B2B marketing, and why they work so well!
The world of healthcare is complex and dynamic, and so is its marketing.
It’s a challenge to grab your target audience’s attention and interest, just like any other B2B industry; but it’s also aimed at highly trained professionals with expertise, and the language must reflect that too.
Our client, Edwards LifeSciences, is a leading California-based innovator in heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring.
This is a highly technical field, and the target audience doesn’t need an everyday layman’s watered-down explanation of how it all works.
So the animated video we created was specifically aimed at their target audience of medical professionals, addressing the key pain points and solutions offered by their latest product.
Avlino is a leading B2B SaaS brand specializing in container supply chain management.
To help them get the word out and generate leads, we created a short animated explainer video.
We were careful to strike the right balance between keeping the message simple, while also covering the basic key points.
The visuals reflect this, too. We considered the target audience businesses in the container supply chain industry.
Note how our visuals are colorful and pleasing to the eye, but still professional and businesslike.
As a bonus, the video is short and simple enough that it can be easily shared on social media platforms as well as landing pages.
Here’s the 3D animated explainer video we created for BASF KaMin, an additive that improves the strength of concrete for the construction industry.
Again, notice how the video walks the fine line between being easy for anyone to understand, but also technical enough that it connects with its target viewers– professionals in the construction industry.
Another example of the power of storytelling is here with this video for Nexmo Vonage API.
Using beautiful character animation and lush visuals, the video captures your attention and draws you into a world dominated by tech and connectivity, and explains what Nexmo does.
By using an example of a character simply booking a cab and tracking its progress, the complex is made simple and clear without losing the fine details.
We’re all familiar with social media– or so we think. But what about the other side of the screen?
What does it take for a business to delight customers and attract a bigger audience online?
How can a business– especially a small one, like a startup– keep track of social media activity and stay on the cutting edge?
This is where Hootsuite comes in to save the day.
Again, notice how these videos dazzle and delight, and connect with their audience so naturally.
They don’t do this by running down a long list of tech specs, or going over every feature of their products.
Hootsuite’s animated video uses gorgeous, lush graphics and colors to paint the picture of what it’s like for a brand to break out into social media.
By speaking your language and understanding your world, they connect with your pain points and explain how they can transform your business and even your life.
This is one of our all-time favorites, and with good reason.
Looking and feeling more like a Pixar animation than an explainer video for businesses,
This stunningly beautiful 3D animated video for Slack draws us into a fantastical imaginary world of strange but cute beings, all trying to get to work just like us.
Until one day, one of them comes up with a brilliant idea.
But how can they make this idea a reality?
As we follow their adventure, there’s no narration or dialog, just gorgeous animation.
And we see our clever little heroes communicate in real time, sharing ideas and feedback, and coming together to create something magical.
Thanks in large part to communicating well.
When we say animated videos– even those for business– are more art than science, this is kind of what we’re talking about!
This is another captivating video by Mailchimp.
Their 'All in a Day's Work' trailer video takes you on a whirlwind journey through the diverse and vibrant world of business, showcasing the indispensable role of Mailchimp in simplifying and enhancing everyday tasks.
Overall, this video exemplifies a visually compelling and informative approach to explainer videos in the B2B space.
Practicus are leading business consultants who wanted to explain what they do and grow leads.
But unlike selling a physical product, business consulting is more, shall we say, abstract?
So their beautifully animated explainer video went that route, using minimalistic elements and a clean look to emphasize a friendly voiceover.
It looks simple, but it’s as well thought-out as any animated video out there, with shapes, lines and colors representing the ideas and concepts in ways that really bring it all to life.
There’s no dearth of communication apps and platforms out there.
But do they do it well enough for your team specifically?
As this animated video for Microsoft Teams cleverly points out right at the start, most teams today are not assembly lines, with each part done by one worker before being passed on to the next teammate.
Rather, it’s more like a symphony, with everyone working together seamlessly like a single unit– and the end result is greater than the sum of its parts (we love that little Excel reference in the video!).
The video cleverly tells a story through user interfaces of apps we all use daily, from Word to Excel and more.
It looks simple enough but this is genius-level storytelling at work (pardon the pun).
It’s just another example of what animated videos can do for your business!
And finally, here’s one we did for SAS, an innovative world-leading tech company that offers solutions that make the complex simple.
And quite fittingly, the animated video we created for them set out to make a complex explanation simple and easy to understand, too.
It’s important to understand that a good video is more than just visuals paired with a narration.
The video and voiceover must work together in lockstep, each amplifying the other, to create a powerful blend that communicates naturally.
The script had to be simple enough to be easily understood and remembered, but also avoid watering down the message so much that it’s ineffective.
We allowed it to get a bit verbose and technical because it wasn’t aimed at the general public, but at professionals who are already knowledgeable enough that the video could speak their language without losing their interest.
And we’re pleased to say our client was delighted!
Creating a great video is just the beginning. To maximize its impact, you need to promote it effectively.
Leverage platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to share your video. Use relevant hashtags, engage with your audience, and encourage sharing to increase reach.
Encourage your existing clients and partners to share your video. Word-of-mouth and referrals can significantly boost the visibility of your content.
Include your video in email newsletters and campaigns. Personalized emails with embedded videos can improve click-through rates and engagement.
Use platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn for targeted video advertising. These platforms allow you to reach specific audiences, increasing the chances of your video being seen by the right people.
Embed your video on your website’s landing pages.
Videos can increase the time visitors spend on your site and improve conversion rates.
Optimize your video for search engines by using relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags. A well-optimized video can improve your site’s SEO and attract more organic traffic.
Monitoring the performance of your animated marketing videos is essential for understanding their impact and refining your strategy.
Use analytics tools to track metrics like view count, watch time, and engagement rates. These insights can help you understand how your audience is interacting with your video and identify areas for improvement.
Calculate the ROI by comparing the cost of producing and promoting the video with the revenue generated from it. Look at metrics such as lead generation, conversion rates, and sales to assess the video’s effectiveness.
Animated B2B marketing videos are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your marketing efforts and drive higher ROI.
By engaging your audience, simplifying complex ideas, and improving conversion rates, these videos can help you stand out in a crowded market.
Follow the steps outlined in this guide to create compelling animated videos and promote them effectively to maximize their impact.
Start leveraging the power of animated B2B marketing videos today and watch your ROI soar!
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