Since recorded time, humans have favoured using pictures and drawings as a mode of storytelling. Some of the haunting cave drawings of the Palaeolithic Era date back as far as 40,000 years ago. While the purpose of these drawings has not yet been ascertained, they do underline the predisposition of artistic expression that even the earliest humans had.
Information Overload:
Time has changed, but the human tendency of preferring illustrations over text has not. In fact the preference has become even more pronounced because of the excessive use of Social Media and Television. An average internet user sees about 285 pieces of content daily. 63% of which is textual. This information overload has made it harder than ever to grab the attention of people through text alone. It boils down to the fact that people just do not have the time to go through 285 pieces of content consisting of textual data only.
Enter The Animated Video:
Animated videos have made in-roads in breaking that barrier. Basically animation has been around since the inception of ‘film’. It is the technique of moving a series of pictures to make them look alive in a manner. Hence the term ‘motion picture’. Animated videos started with the success of Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914; gained meteoric fame through Mickey Mouse and now has become a staple genre of the film industry. Today, 37% of the content being viewed by a typical internet user consists of media (audio, videos, and pictures). The video content alone amounts to a staggering 443 minutes. For some perspective, that would be equal to watching four Star Wars movies!
Videos Trump Text:
Videos trump text on the recall front because they engage multiple senses. It is scientifically proven that the brain retains information better when it is stimulated in more than one way. Videos combine auditory as well as visual stimuli hence making them a more effective tool for brand proliferation.
Animated Videos Boost Marketing:
With the scientific credentials backing videos, all sorts of businesses are harnessing the power of online videos, most of them of the animated variety to meet their marketing goals. The best part about videos is that they can be integrated seamlessly into so many platforms, like social media, emails, webpages, even QR codes. This share-ability is cashed upon by the marketers as it combines the strength of videos with the mighty that is the internet, producing the phenomenon like ‘going viral’; a marketers dream.
What’s more, videos are incredibly SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly. Adding a video on your webpage increases its chances of a first page Google ranking by 53%. Increased visibility is a huge plus point for marketing. Viewers spend on average 2 minutes more on your content if a video is added. As an added bonus, a well-made animated video can come across as being informative rather than mercenary, making the customers more receptive to your marketing.
And Are Being Used As An Educational Tool:
YouTube is full of educational videos, animated in a manner attractive to children. It is an incredibly powerful tool for engaging children in fun-filled learning activities. Increasingly animation tools are being employed by schools round the world in their classrooms to improve the student’s self-expression and communication skills.
Animated videos are not only useful for children as a learning tool. An organization like TED-Ed and more accompany their informative talks with animated videos to double the potency of the lesson.
The Verdict:
Animated videos are now an indispensable part of the communication landscape and judging by the current trends in technology, the usage has nowhere to go but up.
Author’s Bio:
Winky is a Graphic Designer, whose major interest is in the area of children’s illustrations. She currently works for an organization that is working on educational and developmental mobile applications for children. She is a regular contributor as a guest writer to Vid Wonders. Her pastimes include doodling sketches of various cartoon characters and watching anime and all animated movies. And she is available on social medial sites at Facebook and Twitter.
