At Design Pickle, we understand the power of motion graphics and animated marketing. Whether it’s a GIF or full video commercial, motion assets are one of the most effective tools in your arsenal when it comes to getting an audience’s attention. But how do you make sure these assets are returning the ROI you want? Here are our top tips for maximum returns on your motion graphics:
1. Write a Really Great Creative Brief
It all comes back to the creative brief. The more detailed, specific and focused it is, the better chance your motion graphic will hit its mark. Make sure your expectations of what you want and your vision is clearly articulated.
For example, always include inspiration, from art style to animation speed and style to sound pacing, these examples are critical for your designer to understand what you’re looking for. A great creative brief for a motion asset will also identify where the final asset is going to live or how it will be distributed, which includes the right file size and dimensions, saving your artist any hassles and delays with re-sizing and fitting platform requirements.
2. Make Sure It Has a Clear CTA
If your motion asset doesn’t have a clear CTA or desired outcome, how do you know if it was successful? Without knowing your goal, you might not have a clear CTA. What is the desired next step you want the viewer to take? Is it obvious to the viewer? It should be!
Great motion assets don’t just entertain the viewer—they also have a call-to-action, or CTA. Whether it’s encouraging viewers to like, share, or visit a website, or booking a demo, or buying something, make sure that your asset has a clear CTA. That way, you’re making the most of your motion and giving viewers the opportunity to act on what they’ve seen.
3. Test Before You Invest
Before you go all-in on an animated campaign, consider taking some time to test the waters. This includes knowing your audience, the channels, the messaging, a competitive angle (or unique selling point), etc. How does your audience respond to the kind of content you have in mind? Sometimes you have to take a stab in the dark and test a completely new asset, but if you can pull in learnings from previous content testing, even better.
4. Make It Evergreen
Evergreen assets (i.e., not time-sensitive) have the potential to live on forever, so think about how you can make your asset stand the test of time. Depending on what you’re creating, consider different styles and themes that won’t become outdated quickly. You want to create something that will be useful for months or even years down the line—not just a one-time hit. This also ensures your content has ROI beyond this week or next month.
The longer your asset returns metrics like impressions, views, clicks and conversions, the more ROI you’re getting! Platforms like TikTok and Instagram tend to surface old content occasionally, so if your content is evergreen, there is more of a chance it will still feel relevant even if it’s “old.”
5. Tell a Story
Motion graphics and animated marketing are typically used to tell stories—and the more creative, the better! A good story is always engaging and entertaining, but it also should have a purpose. At Design Pickle, we believe that telling a great story can be one of the most effective ways to get your message across. Think about the why behind your message and how to make it stand out in a sea of content. When there’s a story, there’s a higher chance for your audience to retain and recall your brand (and come back to convert).
6. Get Creative with Your Distribution
When you’re creating motion assets, consider where they will live and how people are going to see them. There are so many different channels available today that you can get creative with your distribution strategy to maximize ROI. Don’t make the mistake of putting all your energy into the creation of the asset, and then flop the delivery.
Crafting a really great distribution strategy, from organic to paid, across earned and owned channels, is critical to the success of your asset. From time of day, to tags, to meta description to targeting, you’ll want to carefully think about your approach so it’s intentional. Worst case scenario, you learn what and where and when not to put your asset for next time.
To sum it all up, getting a high ROI from your motion assets is not rocket science, but it does require strategic planning. From writing a detailed and focused creative brief to ending with a clear CTA, from testing before investing heavily to thinking evergreen, from telling a compelling story to being creative with your distribution, all these make a huge difference in the effectiveness and success of your motion graphics and animated marketing campaigns.
At Design Pickle, we are the experts in creating motion assets that captivate and convert. So why not leave the hard work to us? Book a consultation with one of our motion graphics experts today and let’s start creating magic for your brand. Remember, in the world of motion marketing, the only limit is your imagination!
Ready to take our platform for a test drive or speak with one of our experts? We’re excited to hear about all of your design needs. Let’s chat!
