by Ydraw | Aug 27, 2018 | Creative Marketing, Emotional Connection, Explainer Video, how to make a whiteboard animation, Marketing, Memory, Simple marketing, Story Telling, video, Video Content, Video Marketing, video online marketing, Video Strategy Guide, Whiteboard animation, Whiteboard Video, Writing a Script, Ydraw
“Hello, my name is Mr. Important the CEO of Important Products… but the true important person is you!”
Uh wrong… Can you believe this guy?
He has officially lost us within the first line.
Code #282: If you want your audience to believe your product is important… focus on them and their needs, not on yourself.
This code is very important when creating successful content.
Don’t be Mr. Important.
by Ydraw | Aug 21, 2018 | Marketing, Simple marketing, Video Marketing, video online marketing, Video Strategy Guide
“My Dad is cooler than yours!”
“Na uh, my Dad could beat up your Dad!”
“No way, my Dad can run faster than any one earth!”
“Oh yeah! My Dad is so strong that he can lift up a car!”
“Hey, Hey, that’s enough from you two…”
Do you remember when you were a little kid arguing about why one thing was better than another? It would go on and on, and after a while, the argument was no longer of benefit…it was just an argument for arguments sake.
This same problem often happens in our brand messaging. We want to prove every reason why our product is superior, but cramming every reason into your messaging loses the simplicity, and your target audience will get disinterested. Couple that with the long amount of time it takes to create that messaging, you are not only losing their attention, but you are rarely creating content.
How do we remedy this conundrum?
Simple. That’s it. Simple. Keep your Brand messaging simple.
If it’s easy to understand, it will stick with your audience. The next step is to keep creating and releasing that simplified content on a consistent basis. Once a week, two or three times a week. Whatever your goal is, if you have simple, easy to understand content, that is consistently getting in front of your audience, then you are going to have far greater success with your product.
Now how about a Simple Recap?
LONG-OVER-COMPLICATED MESSAGING + RARELY RELEASED CONTENT = BAD
SIMPLE MESSAGING + CONSISTENT CONTENT = GOOD
Got it!? Now give Ydraw a call. When you work with us, we’ll help you simplify your brand messaging, and start you on our system for releasing consistent content.
by Ydraw | Aug 16, 2018 | Creative Marketing, Explainer Video, Marketing, Social Media Marketing, video, Video Content, video hosting, Video Marketing, video online marketing
Has this ever happened to you?
You’ve produced new video content, created a buzz, promoted the living crud out of it and shared it on social media but even optimizing the title and description still didn’t get you the views that you were hoping for.
What went wrong?
One of the biggest challenges facing anyone in marketing is figuring out how to break through the noise to reach your customers.
While great video content is crucial, perhaps there’s something simple you may have missed:
Subtitles.
Captioning your videos can have a HUGE effect on how successful they are. This is true for movies, TV shows, social media videos, training content, and any other kind of video you might record or share.
Why are subtitles so important?
1) Not everyone watching your video can hear it.
2) Subtitles improve comprehension
3) Some people actually prefer watching videos with subtitles even if they don’t have to. (My teenage daughter is like this; I have to turn off the captions on Netflix every time after she watches something. Every. Dang. Time.)
4) Viewers are more engaged. As more people are producing high-quality video content, social networks like Facebook have made it easier to post and share videos on their platforms.
But do you know what’s the most annoying thing about scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed? When the air of silence is violently stabbed by the blaring audio from the video you just scrolled over! This is why social platforms have made ‘mute’ the default volume setting for videos that auto-play. As a result, many users are likely to watch your video without actually turning on the audio.
Captioning videos can help guarantee your viewers get the message, even if they don’t actually listen to what you have to say.
Beyond making your videos more accessible, captions keep your content competitive within the social media landscape and can even boost your SEO!
Everything you’d ever want to know about subtitles and eye tracking software can be found here.
http://refractory.unimelb.edu.au/2015/02/07/kruger-szarkowska-krejtz/
Did I read that entire article?… um… no (totally skimmed it) but what I CAN affirm is that if I’m awake in bed next to a sleepy spouse, eating lunch in a crowded restaurant, riding the bus, quietly not paying attention in church or a number of other moments where I’d choose silence; a video with subtitles will capture and keep my attention when a non-captioned video would just get lost in the upward scroll of oblivion.
Test it out for yourself.
Take a marketing video you’ve already produce and slap some captions on it. (If you don’t have caption-slapping abilities… Ydraw can do that for ya in a jiffy!)
Then launch that video into social media cyberspace and see what happens when your watchers become readers.
Written by: Lesa Thomas
by Ydraw | Aug 2, 2018 | Animated Whiteboard Videos, Creative Marketing, video, Video Marketing, Video Strategy Guide
You did it!! You’re ready to start making your video.
So what’s next? The Ydraw process has stood the test of time in creating awesome videos, so don’t worry, you’re in great hands. There are 3 steps to our process: The scripting and scene plan phase, art phase, and production phase.
Here are some tips and trips and to make the overall process smooth and enjoyable.
SCRIPTING AND SCENE PLAN PHASE
During this time you’ll work with a creative director to nail down your script and scene plan. We like to think of these videos as a teaser to your product or service. We want to make sure that just enough information is included so that it sparks interest in the topic, and causes the viewer to take action. We don’t want to include every minor detail involved in your product or service, as this is likely to bore your audience.
So what makes a video successful? The headline and call to action!
A headline is the first couple of sentences in your video. These sentences are what hook your viewer immediately! A call to action appears at the end of the video, and instructs your viewer to do something! It can be as simple as visit your website, click the link, fill out a form, etc.
Below are a few DOs and DON’Ts to creating your script.
DO:
-Share all your ideas with the creative director.
-Collaborate and discuss the MOST important information needed in your video. (Remember it’s a teaser!)
-Keep your audience in mind, and solve their needs.
DON’T:
-Ramble on about minor (non-important) details.
-Make your message all about you. (Remember, the viewer is the star!)
ART PHASE
Once the script and scene plan is approved, we send it off to an artist!! (Check out our art styles page to see all the different options!) The artist then creates the artwork based on the information described in the scene plan. We love to send them reference images, color schemes, logos, and any other documents that help them create the scenes!
We send these scenes over to you so that you can meet with your team and talk through your changes. We want your artwork to be perfect!
Below are some DOs and DON’Ts in the artwork phase.
DO:
-Share your artwork with your team.
-Make sure the artwork tells your story.
DON’T:
-Get the opinion of every family member, neighbor, and person on the street you talk to. Involving too many people in your video’s production forces you to pick and choose whose opinion matters most, and definitely slows the process!
-Focus too much on minor details.
-Complicate the artwork. Keep in mind that simplicity is key!
PRODUCTION PHASE
Once your artwork is approved, we send it into production. This is the best part. You get to sit back and relax while we bring your video to life! We’ll add in the voiceover, animation effects, and music and sfx, and send you the finished video link.
Overall, our advice to clients would be to not sweat the small stuff! Sometimes, we see our clients get hung up on minor details that often times have no impact on the video’s message. We love creating videos, and want you to enjoy the Ydraw process too!
Want to get started? Contact us today to start making an awesome video 🙂
by Ydraw | Jul 26, 2018 | animated explainer video, animation, Animation Production, Animation Video, Creative Marketing, Explainer Video, explanation animation, How to pick a video style, Marketing, Motion Graphics, Video Marketing, video online marketing
So what are Motion Graphics and why should you use them? “Motion Graphics” is just a fancy term used to describe a mix between graphic design and animation. Most motion graphic videos you will see these days are purpose driven with the goal of presenting information to the viewer.
There are many reasons why you should choose to advertise or explain with Motion Graphics, the biggest reason being emotional response. Video creates an emotional connection with the person watching far quicker than any other content platform. Did you know that using video on your landing page could increase conversion rates by as much as 80%? Animated marketing videos in particular are a very useful tool to deliver your business idea in just a couple of seconds.
Another reason why Motion Graphics are the way to go is because it is perfect to explain a complex or abstract idea in a very simple, fast and compelling way. With an Internet attention span continuously decreasing this is a very valuable point to mention.
There are literally no limits when it comes to the creative aspect of Motion Graphics. You want a flying monkey in your video? Here’s a flying monkey. You want a man scuba diving off the coast of Bermuda with Great White Sharks? No problem the video can be created quickly and on a budget without the hassle of creating expensive sets and hiring film crews/actors.
Motion Graphics are extremely effective because we are all visual learners. People learn and understand much more efficiently when they are taught with the help of drawings, diagrams, charts and different designs.
If you are trying to determine how to create your next marketing video just remember, Motion Graphics is the way to go. There are literally no limits to what you can show with Motion Graphics. But more importantly, your audience will connect with the information or product you are presenting quickly and effectively.
Check out one our latest and greatest Motion Graphic videos below: