You’ve finally procured a budget and you’re all set to begin with video marketing, but there’s just one little problem … you dunno where to start. That’s okay. You’ve taken the first step, which is to acknowledge that you need to start using video. As to what type of video it should be and what format it should be in, we’re here to help.

Animated

We put this first and foremost for alphabetical reasons. (No, really.) Animation is by far the most versatile format of video. There’s nothing you can’t do with animation, which makes it great for explainer videos. It’s one thing to say a metaphor to get people to visualize it, but it’s a whole other (and better) thing to show people the metaphor to help them with their visualization. It helps convey a lot of information about your company in just a little time.

Eclipse Office Technology wanted to convey how they help offices avoid having damaged or lost documents, but pieces of paper and computer files aren’t really that engaging. So, we personified the documents and showed them getting lost in the woods and living like hobos, getting damaged and crumpled. It’s an effective metaphor for having documents get lost or destroyed. The clouds in the video are also representative of the electronic cloud that Eclipse uses to store documents for companies, helping people visualize what the company does.

There are also various types of animation you can choose. From 2D and 3D animation to cutout animation, you can choose whichever style you think conveys your brand the best.

Whiteboard

Another type of animation, whiteboard videos are often used for educational and informational topics. The visuals provide good reinforcement for your words while making the subject more interesting for the audience. It’s a bit like watching a lecture, but it’s much nicer to watch. Whiteboard animation videos are also more budget friendly than other types of animation, making them a good choice if you have a tighter budget. 

This video for Kelly Roofing in Florida is a good example of how whiteboard videos can be used as visual props, so to speak, when giving a mini-lecture. The video educates people about why tile roofs don’t last as long in Florida as they do in other parts of the world.

Kinetic Typography

Maybe you don’t want visualization exactly, but you still want your words to pop off the screen. That’s where you can use kinetic typography. It brings attention to the narration by putting it on screen in creative ways. If you’re just looking to highlight what is being said and you don’t necessarily need the visuals, then this could be a good approach.

Arrow Alternative Care wanted to keep the focus on its words, but also wanted those words to jump off the screen to capture attention. They went with a kinetic typography video.

Live Action

For making that human connection with people, nothing really beats live action. Showing real people, especially people in your company, is a great way to get your audience to identify with your company more. You could go with a behind-the-scenes look at your company or maybe an in-depth chat with the CEO. Approaching some of your satisfied customers for live action testimonial videos can help establish trust with people. Or, creating a brand journalism type video that is framed as a news spot will be familiar with people.

Because they use real people, live action videos are adept at establishing thought leadership in a given industry. We, of course, love us some animation here at WizMotions, but we’ve also enlisted real live spokespeople like in this video.

Screencast

This type of live action video shows a person’s computer screen. Naturally, it is good for training purposes or for showing off the features of a piece of software for marketing. If you can demonstrate how to use your product while also showing clients what it can do for them, you’ve got yourself an effective video.

This video for NSO explains how to sign up for insurance coverage while showing what the person would see on their computer screen as they are going through the sign up process.

Mix and Match

You don’t have to be limited by the style of video you choose. You could make a testimonial video animated or you could make an explainer video live action. Going against what is expected can actually make the video even more memorable. The video style should never stifle creativity, it should just act as a starting point.

Here is a video for Silicon Valley Bank that mixes and matches styles seamlessly. It deftly transitions from live action to animation.

No matter what style of video you choose, make sure it fits your brand and the message you are sending because style matters. All types of videos have their own unique strengths and harnessing these strengths will help you create an engaging video that will draw in viewers and convert them to customers.

Whether you choose 2D, 3D, cutout, graphic, kinetic typography or whiteboard animation, or live action brand spokespeople, WizMotions can help. Click here to get started on planning and pricing your very own whiteboard animation video.