Explainer videos are one of those crazes that set the internet on fire. So, what accounts for this success? Well, they make complex topics easier to understand, they’re cute and they’re supremely cost-effective. But, not all explainer videos are the same; different styles abound, with different functions and different intended audiences. Today, we’ll learn about whiteboard animation, one of the simplest, most fascinating styles out there. If you’re interested in engaging your audience, upping your viewership numbers, and gaining more clients, read on!

But, why whiteboard animation? Well, depending on how old you are, you may remember your time in school vividly. That, in turn, means that you very likely remember how the teacher used to explain new concepts to students by writing on a chalkboard or whiteboard. Sure, it may seem a little primitive if you look back on it, but it was clear, concise, and easy to follow. Sometimes the old ways work best.

Whiteboard animation leverages this simplicity and takes it a step further. Essentially, it’s a perfect marriage of live-action video and animation; a super-simple idea that can illustrate hard-to-grasp concepts in a short timeframe, and looks good to boot!

Let’s take a deeper look.

The Explainer Video: What and Why

As I pointed out above, whiteboard animation is part of the greater spectrum of explainer videos. You may not have heard of ’em by that name, but you’ve 100% come across them. How do I know? Because they’re everywhere. Lemonlight has a really short, to-the-point explanation about the magic of the explainer video:

 

An explainer video is a short-form video usually used for marketing or sales purposes that highlights a company’s product, service, or business idea in a compelling and efficient way. Most businesses host explainer videos on their landing pages or feature them on the homepage of their website. Some even use these videos to advertise for their product or service on Facebook or other social media websites.

  1. They also point out — and rightly so — the chief virtues of these videos. To wit:
  2. They’re short, succinct, and attention-grabbing. You make your point in two to three minutes tops, and you get out.
  3. A strong focus on a CTA (Call to Action). If you’re selling a product or service, your audience should already be hovering on the ‘Buy’ button before the video’s over.
  4. Problem-solving. Whether your video is for educational purposes or marketing, it should always present the material as a solution to a problem or issue.
  5. Match the intended audience and brand tone. This should be a no-brainer. Always, always do a thorough case study before making a video. However cute or funny your final product is, it’ll be worth diddly squat if it flies right by your audience. Always know who you’re speaking to!
  6. Make it worth watching. Quality should always be at the forefront of your mind. All those dime-a-dozen, forgettable videos? Right, they’re in the garbage bin of history. Make something that’s memorable and that sets a high bar.

Whiteboard Animation

Some explainer videos use animated or live-action styles. Whiteboard animation is meant to convey a cross between the two. Basically, it’s meant to look as if a person is drawing on a whiteboard or blackboard in real-time. The original whiteboard animation videos were pretty much artisanal, and thus took a pretty long time to make. The animators would go frame by frame, taking stills of each part of the process, which they then put together in a process much like any 2D cartoon.

Of course, this was pretty time-consuming, and therefore costly. Even though they’re cheaper than they used to be, many still turn to platforms like VideoScribe that automate a big part of the process. It may not look quite as good as the real thing, but it gets the job done. If you’re in a pinch, you might want to check it out. Still, be forewarned that people can tell the difference, and it’s always better to invest in quality solutions rather than pre-baked ones.

Some of the Benefits

Now that we’ve established the basics of whiteboard animation, let’s take a look at some of the additional benefits.

  • People want to watch more videos, not less. About 85% of them, actually. If that’s not a signal to get off the couch and start populating your websites and social media with high-quality videos, I don’t know what is.
  • Everybody loves sharing. Companies that share videos on Twitter and other social media up shares by over 1200%. If generating ten times more reactions to your post is not your thing, then yeah, move along (but don’t really).
  • Whiteboard animation helps you create and heighten brand awareness. This has the dual role of creating new traffic, as well as impacting ROI (Return of Investment) positively.
  • Humans are visual, which means that we tend to highly value instant gratification and eye-candy. Videos work this impulse quite nicely, providing content that users can’t tear their eyes from. In a good way, I mean. We don’t want a repeat of A Clockwork Orange.
  • It’s a great way way to create an immediate emotional connection. Text is great, but it lacks that human touch that makes videos so enticing. If you’re looking to humanize your brand and make your audience feel like they’re right there with you, nothing beats the old audiovisual combo.
  • They’re super-flexible. You can tailor them perfectly for whatever audience you’re targeting. There’s no one-size-fits-all whiteboard animation. You can switch up styles, tones, narrators, illustration styles — anything!
  • Mobile is where most people are watching videos nowadays. Thus, it almost goes without saying that all of your video content needs to be mobile-friendly, no two ways about it.

They’re Visual Stunners

There’s a huge benefit in creating visual engagement. Explainer Videos says:

People relate to visual communication far better than textual communication. That’s the reason why channels such as Instagram are becoming so much popular. A concept backed by an amazing visual increase in its appeal several times.

Explainer videos are ideal for companies to get their message out on Facebook and Instagram and. You don’t have to depend on employees to market your products. What’s more, explainer videos are engaging and persuasive. The use of animations, voice-over, storytelling technique, and so on, drive engagement rates and video views.

But that’s not all, of course. Whiteboard animation videos allow you access to tracking metrics.  Uploading plenty of vids is all well and good, but you need to see whether they’re performing successfully. Metrics allow you to easily understand whether the video is up to the task or not. If it’s not, you can easily make changes or adjustments that better fit your audience’s preferences. The client may not be right 100% of the time, but it doesn’t hurt to listen!

whiteboard animation for designers

Some More Benefits

You know, just in case you’re not convinced already. If you still need a bit of a push in the right direction, here’s one incredible fact about explainer videos:

Very few people remember what they read. After 72 hours of visiting a website, do you think that people think of the words? Hardly, just 10% of visitors remember the text, while 65% remember images and visuals, a significant improvement. Want to know how many remember the video? Over 90%. What’s more, over 80% of the users who watch one of your videos to the end will click on your products to know more. 

Considering that 55% of people are watching videos daily, and more than 78% are doing so more than once a week, I think the die has been cast. Whiteboard animation is a great cost-effective way to leverage the power of video advertising and win over your audience.

Who Should Make My Whiteboard Animation?

If you’re interested in getting the most out of it, though, you’re going to need consummate professionals at the helm of your video marketing strategy. Sure, yeah, you’ll probably be tempted to try out one of those websites that practically do the whole thing for you, and why wouldn’t you? They look OK, and they get the job done, right?

Well, yes and no. You see, with the rise of industrialized solutions for practically anything, sameness and repetition are rampant issues. You may think that paying for a service that’s not bespoke can cut costs, and it does. But people can tell the difference, and they tend to gloss over content that looks just like the stuff they’ve seen a million times. You’re competing for a very meager portion of your audience’s attention economy. Being able to stand out in some way is not optional, it’s absolutely necessary to make it.

So, what’s the simplest solution? Outsource your whiteboard animation to true professionals who’ll create something for you from scratch.

Bunny Studio

At Bunny Studio, we pride ourselves on having a multi-national, diverse roster of incredible talent for… well, pretty much anything, really. We top-to-bottom design, voice-over, video, audio, and writing solutions. So, what does that mean for your whiteboard animation? We can:

  • Create a script that represents your brand, company, and corporate identity to a tee. Our writing team is second to none.
  • Design, illustrate, and animate every little part of it until it looks just perfect. You decide the style, we provide the flair.
  • Choose the right vocal professionals for the job out of a roster of over 28,000+ voices.
  • Mix, edit, and get the audiovisual elements looking like a million bucks.
  • And, to boot, we can provide all the marketing and publishing help you need to become a success. We even offer SEO services!

So, if you want a true team of professionals to handle your whiteboard animation, there’s no better place than Bunny Studio. Give us a call if you need quick, efficient, high-quality video solutions,  and we’ll take care of everything for you.