As an artist and aspiring animator, I know the value of motion graphics firsthand, but did you know that it’s also an invaluable tool you can use as an entrepreneur to grow your venture?
What exactly are motion graphics?
Motion graphics are simply described as, “pieces of animation or digital footage which create the illusion of motion or rotation and are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects.” Motion graphics animation usually features shapes, objects or text that are being set in motion. “What does that look like you might ask? Let’s take the Institute’s logo and give it some movement.
Why is this so valuable?
The way in which people consume information is changing and that means your marketing strategy needs to begin adapting to this change if you’re going to succeed at reaching your various stakeholders/consumers.
In a recent statement by Adam Mosseri, the CEO of Instagram, he states, “we’re no longer a photo-sharing app or a square photo-sharing app…” “There’s some really serious competition right now. TikTok is huge, YouTube is even bigger. People are looking to Instagram to be entertained.”
Video advertising strays from the cheesy car salesman pitches of the past and leans towards the Pixar-like storytelling that’s made Disney an animation powerhouse. Using elements like the tone of a narrator’s voice, music, color theory, and the stylistic movement of the animations can create a strong digital brand identity. This is a chance to build a world your target audience wants to be a part of. For example, maybe you are trying to attract supernatural buffs, try dark colors with green hues, blurry shadows and glowing eyes, the sound of leaves crunching and distant howling, and have a narrator that sounds straight out of ghost adventurers.
How can YOU integrate motion graphics into your overall startup strategy?
As I mentioned earlier, motion graphics can illustrate complex ideas visually, so the use of them can be quite extensive.
Say you’re developing a complex neurological device that can be implanted into the brain. Instead of filling your pitch deck with stagnant images and too many words, you could create an animated video that visually guides people through the surgical process of implanting your device. Creating “how to videos,” promotional product videos/animations and GIFS are all forms of video content that can be used to convey your message to a particular audience – whether it be VC’s or your target market. Here’s another example: you’re a service-provider and you want consumers to understand how they can get from “I have a problem” to “someone is coming to fix the problem,” using your app. I know you’ve seen this type of video before, it’s the classic “how-to” and it’s a very effective way to communicate both the use of your app and the functionality of your product – you can’t go wrong there.
To round out our conversation, I’ll mention one last thing, especially if you aren’t convinced yet that motion graphics are the way to go. One of the best qualities of motion graphics is its ability to be used on multiple platforms. You can reuse this content on your social media channels and even your website. I suppose this is why they say, “content is king!”
About the Author: Jared Beltran, BA’22
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