By Callum Shone, Videographer at Hive Business
Animations (also known as “motion graphics” in a commercial context) have become increasingly more prevalent on the web in the last decade for companies that want to communicate their product, explain a service or highlight their particular ethos just as video is used for.
You will undoubtedly have seen some short animation videos as adverts on YouTube, on a company’s website or increasingly on TV and there are several reasons why a company might want to produce a short animated video rather than a live action video.
It often makes sense for a dental practice to choose video to showcase their patient testimonials or clinician interviews for the purposes of allowing the audience (and potential new patients) to see who will be treating them and to see inside the practice itself. The animation route often makes a lot of sense for a video that explains how something abstract works such as explaining or reassuring audiences about a specific treatment, a pricing plan or an oral condition.
Here are some reasons why dental practices should consider using animations as part of their marketing tactics:
Time
In the past, I’ve recommended producing an animation video to avoid using actors or showing scenes which contain gore or something that could be off-putting to the viewer. Animations often give a far more polished version of events but succinctly explain the detail needed to leave the viewer informed.
For example, you might want to demonstrate to potential patients how dental implants work. There can be a lot of anxiety around implants as it involves surgery and a video using actors to show the procedure would not be appealing!. Using an animation would allow you to explain and illustrate what will happen and the core principals behind this treatment to help alleviate fears. It could feature a reassuring voice over, whilst having dynamic, stylish, fun or elegant visuals that explain and demonstrate how the treatment works.
Cost
It’s by no means always the cheapest option, but usually a good animator can create animations at a lower cost than a live action video. However, a decent animation should not be thought of as a “cheap” alternative to video.
As well as the animator’s fee (who will be doing the core work for the project), often a director, voice over artist and graphic designer’s fees need to be allowed for too. However the billable hours are potentially much smaller as you now have people collaborating remotely as opposed to people travelling to locations to film.
Brand awareness
Animations often make heavy and intentional use of colour, style and often text. A company’s brand can be translated and disseminated into all aspects of the animation. Even without seeing the company logo, the audience can make a strong connection between the visuals they see on screen and your brand.
Audience engagement
Animations can undoubtedly engage and please audiences through the use of strong imagery, abstract shapes and scenes that transition into each other in a pleasing way, allowing for an uninterrupted flow of information.
As I side note, I can’t think of anything less engaging than the dreaded whiteboard animation! (Yes, I am a snob!) Don’t get me wrong, there are some genuinely skilled creators of whiteboard animations out there who understand the medium and can actually make the videos bespoke to your brand but generic whiteboard animations are also rife today as “a more cost-effective option” for companies who are not concerned with the aesthetic appearance of the animation and don’t appreciate that it could be doing more harm than good to their brand. If simplicity is what you are after from your animation, a well-executed explainer video can please, wow and engage in a way that may last longer with the audience.
If you would like to find out more about how animations could work for your dental practice and or if you’d like to see some examples of animations we’ve made, please get in touch on 01872 300232 or email us at hello@hivebusiness.co.uk.
