Why Should I Use Motion Graphics?
Everyone and their dog lives on social media these days and, because of that, it’s not a surprise that marketers quickly found their way to the socials not long after their debut.
And while social media gives marketers like you an excellent and convenient place to connect and engage with your target audience, there is a caveat: All of your competitors are on social media too and they have just as much access to your target audience, meaning there’s a lot to compete with.
What we’re trying to say is, if you want your brand to stand out, you’ve got to grab your potential customer’s attention before your competitors do.
It sounds difficult, but don’t worry. We find that the best and most consistent way to grab that attention is through the use of stunning visuals and, even better, stunning visuals that move.
We’re talking motion graphics, friends.
What Is Motion Graphics Design?
For a full guide on what motion graphics are you can visit that link, but when implemented correctly, motion graphics are the animated moving graphics that can stop your customers on your content mid-scroll, easily convey complex concepts, and increase overall engagement with your target audience.
Sounds ideal, doesn’t it?
This blog is going to help you make it happen. If you’re ready to keep your audience from scrolling by your content, then read on for a how-to guide to adding motion graphics to your page and leveling up your social media presence!
Animation vs Motion Graphics
Wondering what the difference is between motion graphics and animation? And where animated GIFs fall in the mix? Don't worry, we'll go over it all!
While motion graphics do fall under the umbrella of animation, there are some key differences in application.
What is Animation?
As mentioned above, you can read our full guide on how to use motion graphics in digital marketing, but in short, animation’s main goal is to tell a story. An animation can be 2D, 3D, stop motion (like the 60s Rudolph Claymation movie), and more, but its main job is to drive a narrative.
What Are Motion Graphics?
Motion graphics, on the other hand, are less concerned with telling a story and more focused on bringing elements of graphic design to life. Motion graphics are typically 2D and often involve animated text or other, normally stagnant, design elements to add some visual interest to whatever it is that the viewer is watching, like an advertisement or … ahem … a social media post.
They’re a great way to add movement and interest to your ads and posts and below are some examples of social media posts that can benefit from the addition of motion graphics.
Most Effective Ways to Use Motion Graphics
Animated Social Media Advertisement Design
Ads are more effective when your audience stops scrolling long enough to read them. We can’t explain why, it’s just science ;-)
So, for captivating ads that your potential customers just can’t resist taking a look at, we suggest using vivid colors or interesting visual and storytelling elements to help them stand out.
What those interesting elements are is completely up to you, your brand, and your personality, but motion graphics can really ramp up the interest your visuals generate by creating movement and life to catch the viewer's eye and keep them watching.
Motion graphics can also help you out by highlighting the most information in your ads like your brand name, your logo, your pricing, contact info, and more.
The motion not only keeps attention but makes information stick in your viewer’s head a little bit longer.
Just be sure to keep your ads short and engaging to entice your viewers to sit through the whole thing.
Motion Graphics for Tutorials and Explainer Videos
Let’s face it, people are busy, and they don’t always want to stop and read.
That goes double for reading instructions and manuals. (How many of you REALLY read the Monopoly rules before you played? Yeah, we thought so.)
So, if you’ve got a product or service that requires a little learnin’, why not set your customers up for success with engaging tutorials and explainer videos featuring some eye-catching motion graphics?
Use your motion graphics to highlight the steps of a step-by-step guide, draw attention to special or important instructions, showcase a before and after, or as an animated character (like Clippy!) to help you put a narrative into your explanation.
Be sure your tutorials are just as much an extension of your brand as your ads are so when they’re reposted and shared, no one has to wonder where they came from!
Announcements and Greetings
Even simple posts like holiday greetings, brand updates, and product announcements can be spiced up with a pinch of motion graphics.
Animated text, moving backgrounds, and animated icons or other visuals will grab your viewer’s attention and make a great impression!
Promo Videos
A good promo is a very effective way to spread brand awareness and reach those potential customers who may not have heard of your greatness just yet.
Start your promos with a good hook and take advantage of some sweet motion graphics to highlight your best selling points and differentiators, tell your brand story, incorporate CTA buttons, and label your products and services.
Make them entertaining and engaging enough and your followers will be happy to repost, share, and spread the word.
Animating Brand Values with Motion Graphics
Everyone loves a good story.
Why not use motion graphics to help tell your brand story in a way that really hits home for your audience?
Consider animating sequences, your logo, and any symbols or elements that align with your brand to help create a narrative. Whether you’re using a slideshow, video with voice-over, employee interviews, or whatever, motion graphics can really polish up your content and set your brand apart.
Especially effective brand promos can really help you build an emotional connection with your audience and, once again, can easily be shared on social media to spread awareness of your business, products, or services.
What Kind of Motion Graphics Should I Use?
We’ve been going on and on about what kind of posts you can add motion graphics to for more visual interest, but if you’re looking for specific examples of the motion graphics themselves, then here you go!
Below are different types of motion graphics that you can use (and combine!) to add some flavor to any of the social media posts we listed above.
Animated GIFs
GIFs (or Graphic Interchange Format) are a file format that is most often used for short, looping animations.
They can help you convey a message, reaction, or emotion very easily and they’re loads of fun!
Try using GIFs for announcement and greeting posts for a charming way to engage with your viewers.
Animated Text
Animating your text can be an easy way to keep your viewer’s attention or even split up instructions or announcements and keep the focus on one bit of information at a time to make it more digestible for your viewer.
There are many ways you can animate your text, but a few examples are fade-ins and fade-outs, popping up letter by letter like a typewriter, rotating, spinning, or whatever you like.
Just be sure not to overdo it. You want your message to be engaging, not overwhelming or annoying.
Logo Animations
Animating your logo is a creative way to make it more memorable and, for lack of a better word … “cooler.”
Whether it’s something morphing into your logo (or vice versa), spinning and interlocking elements, or anything else your imagination can come up with, animating your logo definitely makes an impression.
Stop Motion
Stop motion of olden times consisted of taking individual frames of your subjects, moving the subjects a tiny bit, and then rinsing and repeating the process for as long as it took to create a movie, commercial, or a California Raisins’ Christmas special.
These days, you can just as easily get that jerky effect with good video editing software to give your ads or tutorials a nostalgic, charming quality.
Cinemagraphs
Cinemagraphs are those Harry Potter-esque photos or images that aren’t quite animations but aren’t quite stills either.
Instead, various elements of the photo or image will move, such as rustling grass, waving hair, or a subject blinking its eyes.
It’s a neat effect and one that will have your target audience taking a second glance once they realize that all is not as it seems.
Particle Effects
Particle Effects in motion graphics are the use of small, individually controlled graphic design elements (called particles, of course) that can be dots, lines, confetti, or whatever else you like, and are used to create movement and visual effects.
Though they are looping videos, they have the illusion of randomness and are perfect for simulating bubbles, snow, fire, rain, smoke, etc.
Use them in title sequences, logo animations, transitions, or backgrounds to jazz up your content!
Data Visualization
Data doesn’t have to be boring!
Use motion graphics to bring graphs and charts to life or to turn your infographic into a compelling narrative!
Seeing real-time business ups and downs, flows, and paths is a much more engaging way to emphasize information and present material that might have otherwise put your audience to sleep.
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Level Up Your Socials with Motion Graphics
If the only thing holding you back from using motion graphics in your social media marketing is not having the technical skills or the access to artists and animators to do it for you, then you’ve got a few options to consider.
- You can hire on someone in-house. This will ensure that your motion graphic designer works just for your company and understands all of the nuances of your brand. Just be aware that animation and other skill sets require expertise, so a motion graphics designer’s salary doesn’t come cheap. Click here for a rundown of what we’re talking about.
- You could also try to find an ideal candidate in the freelance market by posting a motion graphics design job on Upwork or other job sites. Just know that your results may vary based on the freelancer and their individual experience. Designers typically have portfolios on these job sites, so be sure to do your research and check their work to make sure that their skills can truly give you what you need.
- You can sign up with Designity for all of the motion designers and animators you'll ever need.
Our talent pool is made up of the top 3% of US-based creative talent, all experienced with animation and design programs like Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Animator. They know how to get the job done and they’re ready and willing to jump onto your account and create the eye-catching motion graphics you need.
And all while you continue to keep your focus on your business! Using the Designity platform gives you access to an amazing Creative Director who will manage all of your motion graphics projects and timelines, ensuring that you have the assets you need when you need them, letting you focus on what you do best.
So, are you ready to breathe new life into your socials?
Let us know because we’d love to get the creative process started and build you the social media presence your customers deserve!
How do you use motion graphics in your marketing efforts?
