Videos as a medium have never been bigger than they are today. You can find them in nearly every website, either as its main source of content or simply part of their content. Among those pieces of content, you’d probably be surprised at how popular animated explainer videos are, and just how iconic motion graphics animated explainer videos are.
In this age of information, people seek knowledge about a product or a process, and it has never been easier than it is now. People could search for an item they bought but didn’t know how to use properly, or even an explanation of a governmental or bureaucratic process.
While a smartly-dressed professional person talking to you over a video can get the job done, people often need just a bit more to make it engaging and hold their attention. This is where motion graphics animated explainer videos come in. If a different style is needed, then whiteboard animation could be more appropriate.
Why Are Animated Explainer Videos Effective?
From the many different kinds of people who exist, and nearly as many different questions asked, it isn’t a surprise why animated explainer videos are so popular.
They provide a good stimulus combined with needed information that not only grab the user’s attention, but also keep them interested all the way through. On top of that, people tend to remember videos more than simple plain text, and we at Verve Videos made a video explaining that further:
Embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWA4V8VupRo&ab_channel=VerveVideos
What’s more, motion graphics animated explainer videos tend to be the most eye-catching form. With motion graphics’ simple but colorful design, and typical short, digestible form, people can find a handful of minutes to watch it. This is done on purpose by the creator, and is even part of the explainer video animation process to keep up with the effective trend.
Why Use Motion Graphics Animated Explainer Videos?
Motion graphic animated explainer videos are the most popular style to get your point across. Thanks to their malleability and rather simplistic nature, these videos can be as dynamic as a client would like.
It also helps that it’s the most common method, with many companies and institutions asking for their product, system, or service to be explained through motion graphics. This makes it ideal when representing the message with data like graphs and charts, which works well with with motion graphics style animation
If you search for any company website, it is a near guarantee that they would have a motion graphics animated explainer video on the website, and with good reason. Few people want to just sit there reading text on a screen;these companies know it, and that’s why they often hire animation studios to make them specially for their brand.
Who Asks for Animated Explainer Videos?
Since people always wish to know more about anything, companies and even government institutions would hire 3rd party companies to have motion graphics animated explainer videos made.
An explainer video is a perfect way to get a message out, as it attracts and retains the viewer. It’s unsurprising that many corporations would ask for these videos to be made to let the world know about their service as part of their marketing campaign, or simply a public service announcement by an elected official. Anyone and everyone can have an animated explainer video made for any number of reasons.
Government Bodies
At VerveVideos, we made a series of explainer videos for the city of Mississauga at the behest of the city’s mayor to encourage the people to go out and vote. Our case study showed that this was effective in achieving results, and proves that animated explainer videos should be considered as an option for any government to encourage their people to help make their city better.
Private Corporations
Digital marketing agencies know about the trend of animated explainer videos more than anyone, and even they would contract a 3rd party company to bolster people’s idea of it. At VerveVideos, we’ve done a similar video for the famous chocolate maker Hersheys to explain their partnership with Carefour and their expansion in the baking aisle.
Embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rJpEwqbLlA&ab_channel=VerveVideos
Whiteboard Explainer Video Animation
On the other side of the coin for motion graphics animated explainer videos, whiteboard animation videos are of simpler design than most other types of animated content. Where Motion graphics animated explainer video depends on the skill of the creator with the software, whiteboard animation relies mostly on the skill of the artist and their talent for animating what looks like hand drawn art.
Whiteboard animation has a hand drawn style on a white background, and while still simple, remains eye-catching and even iconic. For example, we all know Red Bull’s iconic whiteboard animated advertisements, with their simple design and zany characters, it has even become part of their brand.
This shouldn’t discourage anyone from spreading their message via whiteboard explainer animation videos, but in fact should use it as an opportunity. Where motion graphics animated explainer videos are the most common, standing out will be to your benefit. Depending on the type of message, whiteboard animations could even suit the message even more than other styles like motion graphic videos. These would be all parts of the explainer video animation process.
Storytelling is Whiteboard Animation’s Strength
Where motion graphics animated explainer videos work best with text and statistics, whiteboard animation explainer videos work better with storytelling. Both styles of animation have their strengths, and telling a story is whiteboard animation’s best quality.
There’s a human element involved, the art that seems hand drawn, and the user can see that, which is why the message can achieve similar results while using whiteboard animation as it would with motion graphics animation.
Simpler Than Motion Graphics Animation
Thanks to whiteboard explainer video animation’s simpler design, it can be made far quicker than the more complex motion graphics animation, and this makes them cost-effective in comparison.
A form of whiteboard animation explainer videos had taken over Youtube by storm a few years ago called ‘Draw My Life’, and they’ve been a hit for every independent creator on the platform who took part.
With the rise of smaller independent creators, it is proof that explainer videos don’t always need Pixar levels of animation with a Disney-grade budget to make a successful animated video. Whiteboard animation and explainer videos go perfectly well together with their simpler design, are inherently attuned to storytelling, and easy-to-learn style that can be taught to anyone.
What’s more, some of the most popular animation creators on YouTube are whiteboard animators, even more evidence that simpler design doesn’t mean less quality. If you want to reach a wide audience with a whiteboard explainer video animation, don’t discount the human element that’s in style, and how well it would connect with the viewer.
How Cost Effective is Whiteboard Animation
For motion graphics, while there is free software available, the industry’s known best way to make a video would be through the use of Adobe After Effects, at the cost of 21$ per month. For whiteboard animation explainer video software, there are countless freemium applications that are up to the task, such as Animaker, RenderForest, Animiz, and so much more.
If you wish for a premium whiteboard animation explainer video software, you can even get applications such as Doodle Maker for one-time payment of 49$, and even Explaindio at 67$ a year.
However, creating DIY animated videos can be extremely time-consuming and might not generate the best results. For this reason, we highly recommend you get in touch with an animated explainer video company for all your requests. Such companies garner much more professional results and their video creations are bound to benefit you in more ways than one can count.
Whiteboard or Motion Graphics?
Between these two styles of explainer videos, both motion graphics and whiteboard explainer video animations have their pros and cons when it comes to making a decision.
Whiteboard animation and explainer videos have intertwined in popularity with recent fads, and their style is definitely iconic and eye-catching. Whiteboard animation also has the benefit of being simpler to animate and cheaper to produce. If the message is written as more of a story, then it would work best with whiteboard animation.
With motion graphics animated explainer videos, you reach a wider audience with its appealing colors and dynamic style. Should the message involve statistics, graphs, and charts, then it would be best optimally used with motion graphics animation.
The answer on which to pick between whiteboard and motion graphics isn’t easy, and it all depends on the client and how they wish for their message to be spread to the world. With the two styles’ different strengths and weaknesses, there’s no wrong answers here, only different methods. The trick is only in figuring out which is best.
Final Thoughts
Animated explainer videos are the most efficient way to get the word out, be it for service or product, or even as a public service announcement. Through either whiteboard or motion graphics animation, it’s been proven that the most effective way is to connect the message’s presentation to the right animation style, regardless of either simpler or more complex design, it will still draw people in.
