Video marketing in the funnel

At Nibble, we’ve talked until we’re blue in the face about how flexible and versatile video can be – especially powerhouse formats like explainer video.

However, a one-size-fits-all approach can only get you so far when using video as a tool to optimise your conversion rate. The sales funnel (sometimes called the marketing funnel or conversion funnel) is a template used by marketers to understand the customer journey.

To help you prevent prospects dropping out of this funnel, follow our quick guide on the most effective video to use at each stage.

Video strategy for the sales funnel

The exact stages of the funnel vary depending on which flavour of marketer you’re talking to, but generally from top to bottom it goes something like this:

1. Top of the funnel: Awareness

Right at the top of the funnel is the awareness stage, where getting noticed amongst a sea of other brand’s marketing is the name of the game.

Here, the prospect may be in-market and at a very early level of purchase intent, but they could also be completely ignorant of your product, brand and even the need to buy anything at all. 

Activity here should be wide appeal, targeting high impressions channels or using what user data you can to target prospects more likely to be responsive to your efforts. 

You need to make a connection, be memorable, create emotional resonance, prompt them to recognise a challenge and position yourself as the solution.

What video?

With an admittedly wide scope at this level, what’s the best video to appeal to prospects here? Speed is key at the top of the funnel; prospects’ interest needs to be piqued before they lose interest and move on.

Video explainers thrive here.

They’re short, informative videos that break down potentially complicated or abstract topics, products and concepts in a simple way.

They do this by combining explanatory voiceover with relatable characters and motion graphics to communicate a message quickly and effectively.

Whiteboard explainer videos are a great option, especially for brands on a tight budget. You’ll be in good company, since brands like Coca-Cola, Unilever and DropBox have all used whiteboard videos to great effect. 

Video infographics are another suitable format. Big numbers, flashy USP’s and attention-grabbing motion can be the perfect way to ensure your message cuts through.

Where?

Use top funnel video on your site’s landing pages to reduce bounces and communicate some key messages at peak visitor interest. They’ll also increase your user session duration, leading to an improvement in search ranking and, in turn, organic search traffic.

Engaging video on social media is far more likely to net you a thumb-stopping moment on your feeds as well.

2. Middle of the funnel: Consideration

In the middle of the funnel the prospect is aware of you, now counting your brand among one of their options for a purchase. You could be the frontrunner or one of many alternatives with varying suitability and appeal. Sometimes an ‘evaluation’ stage slips in here or just beyond here. 

You’ve got your foot in the door, now your job is to leverage their increased level of attention to give them some more detail and context about your product.

At this stage you can get away with longer videos to nurture your lead with informative, trust building content.

What video?

Prospects are likely to be comparing similar products and brands with each other at this stage so focusing on your USPs to differentiate yourself is vital.

Product videos let you show off your product or service in more detail. Prospects who are considering you at this stage respond well to seeing a demonstration of it in action. These videos are great for educating prospective customers and pushing leads closer to conversion.

Video case studies. These contextualise your product and provide some social proof.

Brand videos like an ‘about us’ or company purpose video can also be a differentiating factor if you and your competitors have similar products. 

Educational videos like top tips, how-to and tutorial videos can preempt some further questions your prospects may have, and give them a more practical view of your product, helping them to visualise what it’ll be like to own it.

Where?

Onsite, these can work on a landing page, but are generally more effective when placed slightly deeper into the product journey. Try hosting more detailed video content on a product page or comparison page once your visitor has shown enough interest to click through.

In an email campaign, messages with video have higher open and click rates. Since these are going out to existing subscribers who are (or were once) at a consideration level, they’re primed for a more detailed or specialised video.

3. Bottom of the funnel: Decision

It’s time to close the deal at the bottom of the funnel. Prospects have done plenty of research, options will have been whittled down, and they’re ready to buy.

They need that extra little push to encourage them to convert, so impress them and make them feel comfortable to make a decision.

What video?

Video testimonials like customer success stories or a product review can further provide the social proof that’s so important when making purchasing decisions. To make the testimonial more engaging, you can simply illustrate words with a short animation. 

Animated pitch/sales videos can do a lot of heavy lifting to support a sales pitch. Using a slick, well-produced product demo video can be a fantastic ally when you’re at the bottom of the funnel dealing with prospects face to face or on a call.

Animated FAQs with insider tips. These can be in a pacy question and answer format that can do some mythbusting, removing of mental obstacles or just give that extra layer of detail.

Where?

As mentioned, low-funnel video can be a pitch superhero, with the effect of refreshing attention, grabbing interest and being memorable. The perfect palate cleanser and some much needed variety during a meeting or call.

Email is an amazing channel for video delivery because it lets you be personal with your prospects, and gives them a sense that you’ve built a relationship with them.

Create your own animation video

If you enjoyed the read and you’d like to find out more about how video content from Nibble could help push your prospects down that funnel, then get in touch with us today!

The post Video Content Ideas for Every Stage of the Marketing Funnel [2022 Update] appeared first on Nibble.

At Nibble, how animation works and how it’s made is second nature to us. However, if you’re new to animation, its creation can seem a bit like a dark art…

Lucky for you, we’ve created an animated video brief template which we’re going to break down section by section.

So to clear any confusion and get you up to speed on how the animation production process works here’s why we ask the questions we do, and how the answers lead to the most valuable briefs possible. By the end of this article, you’ll have all the tools you need to build a kick-ass brief for your animation partner!

What’s your full name/email/telephone number?

The basics. It goes without saying, but we’re going to need to get in touch to chat over your brief and start the creative process!

What’s your business website?

The first question on our brief which lets us learn a bit more about you. Giving our team the chance to click around your site to get a feel for who you are, how you present yourself, what you do and what your established branding and style is, the better.

If your aim is to post your video to your site, this is also a key piece of information for our team: knowing where your video is going to sit will inform our creative choices.

What type of video are you looking to produce?

We’re getting into it now. The first big question we ask of our clients is the type of video they want to produce.

Do you want to go for a snappy, versatile explainer video? Perhaps a product demo video for an app or a product launch? Or maybe you’re trying to go viral with a social media animation?

What challenge are you trying to solve with this video?

This one’s a little open ended, and deliberately so. What’s the goal here? What do you want the video to do for you and your brand? Drive impressions, attract prospects, boost engagement on social, shorten the sales cycle, enrich your internal comms, make training fun?

Video is an incredibly versatile tool which can apply itself to a range of challenges, so try to be as specific as possible.

We don’t need the full business case here (although that wouldn’t hurt!) but we want to hear the ‘what, so what, now what?’ of your project. Tell us about past struggles and false starts, tell us about your targets, tell us what ‘good’ looks like, tell us what metrics are important to you and how you ultimately hope to make the numbers go up. 

We’re here for the blue sky, north star goals, as well as the number-crunching nitty-gritty, so let us into your world, and animation becomes a much more seamless collaborative process!

Please select a desired duration of your video (in seconds)

The common problem that end-to-end creative studios like Nibble see with our clients is that they don’t have a proper brief when approaching agencies. That means production times often increase, and costs are dragged up with them.

This question is our hero when it comes to keeping costs realistic: how many seconds long is the video going to be?

As the note under this section in our brief kindly reminds: “you can expect (up to) a 50% drop-off rate after 60 seconds and (up to) a 75% drop-off rate after 90 seconds.” Wise words brief, wise words.

And we’re not just being needlessly fussy with our fixation on ‘seconds’. In animation production, more seconds means more frames, music, voice over, everything. Those each have costs, and whilst the difference between 60 and 70 seconds might not sound like much, it does add up, so keep a firm idea of how long you want your animated video to be at the briefing stage.

A range is fine too, we can work with that, but unplanned extensions later in the project are much harder to manage.

What’s your desired style treatment? 

No, we’re not talking about a trip to the hairdressers, this is animation style, and there’s probably a few more options than you were expecting!

• 2D animation – Characterful, impactful and fun, it’s the classic animation style loved the world over
• 3D animation – More expensive and time-intensive but perceived as premium. Sometimes it’s only option if your animated ambitions take place in certain settings
• Motion graphics – Slick, stylish and able to support data and figures effortlessly
• Whiteboard video – The budget-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on quality, clarity and effectiveness
• Hybrid – Another option that can be slightly cheaper. Use live action, stock footage, animated graphics and fonts to create an exciting, impactful video
• Kinetic typography – Sometimes the audio is the star of the show and really needs underlining, that’s where this animated wording style comes in
• Don’t know yet – Totally fine to not know yet, rely on our years of experience with similar brands and similar goals: we’ll work it out together

Do you have any references/examples of the videos you like? 

There’s a huge amount of value to be drawn from ‘inspiration’ or ‘benchmark’ video.

Do a bit of searching on Google, YouTube, Vimeo and social media to pull in as many sources of inspiration as you can. It’ll quickly show us what you like and what you don’t. 

This’ll take out some of the guesswork on the part of the agency, and get the ball rolling quickly in the following idea building stages.

Where will the video be shown?

As the brief builder says: this will help us determine any additional licensing costs that might apply. However, there’s more to it than that. Animation is versatile, so it can find a home in dozens of places on the web and out in the wild.

Knowing from the start what channels you’re planning on launching your animation through will inform all sorts of creative decisions. Not least of all is length, and we know how much impact that has on cost already!

Do you have a project deadline? / Do you have a project kick-off date?

Let’s talk timelines. The reason that a studio needs this information should be self-evident, really. For us, there are artists, scriptwriters, animators, voice over artists and more to align for each stage in the production process.

Is there a product launch, seasonal event or financial year end which you’re trying to align with? Let us know. We try to be flexible, but there are naturally plenty of moving parts (sorry) when it comes to animated video.

What’s your budget?

As it says in the brief builder: understanding your animation project budget range helps us to provide options which perfectly fit in around what’s affordable for you. 

If you’re not sure about it or just don’t wish to divulge your budget yet, that’s fine – the rest of your answers in the brief builder will give us enough to go on.

Now that you’ve got a bit of insight into why we need the information we do in our animation brief template, you should be able to go and complete it to its fullest. However, if you do still have any questions, our friendly team is always up for a chat, so contact us now!

The post Animation Production Brief Guide [+Template] appeared first on Nibble.

Video has become a firm and effective means of carrying out research ahead of making purchases online. In fact, for many of us video is becoming a make or break factor in our buying decisions.

When so much importance is placed on seeing a product in action, what’s the best way for marketers to use a product video and guide their prospects to conversion?

Why are product videos great for marketing?

As a recap – a product video is a short video introducing your product or service, and showing it in action. Seeing this practical aspect of your product is much more compelling than reading a series of bullet points outlining what it can do.

They’re great for educating prospective customers and pushing leads at the consideration stage of their purchase closer to conversion.

Animated product videos offer the flexibility to explain even very complex concepts in seconds with a blend of motion graphics, live footage and engaging voiceover. The most popular examples of product demo videos include software walkthroughs, online product presentations and “how-to” content.

Where can you use a product video?

Product videos are a safe investment because they’re so damn flexibile; they’re well suited to plenty of different channels so here’s a few of our favourites, along with considerations on how to optimise your product video for them.

Landing pages

Great for: Engagement, brand trust

Animated explainers make perfect content for your top funnel activities like generating brand awareness. Even if those prospects aren’t ready to buy yet, a well-crafted animation can make your message more ‘sticky’, increasing brand recall as the buyer journey continues. This is an important consideration, especially if you heavily invest in paid advertising, such as social media ads.

On a landing page you have to fight hard to catch attention and prevent a bounce, so frontload your product video with attractive, colourful visuals which show off the product in use.

Social media and YouTube

Great for: Retargeting campaigns

Speaking of social media – product videos can form a key part of a retargeting campaign. Once you’ve identified a level of interest in a user, targeting them with a product video has a much higher chance of resonating with them since they’re more likely to be in-market for your product.

Alternatively, you can lead with the video and based on your viewer’s level of engagement, retarget them with a relevant landing page

Just remember to optimise video length to each channel – that goes for each different social media platform too! What works on YouTube might not work on TikTok, Facebook or Instagram.

In the journey (conversion point)

Great for: Conversion rate optimisation

Now, this is where product videos really shine. When used further down the funnel, they’re effective tools for conversion rate optimisation.

Placing a product demo video somewhere slightly further down the funnel than a landing page can be really effective because the visitors that you’re reaching have an increased level of interest in you and your product by the time they get there. They’ve moved from awareness to consideration in the conversion funnel.

For example, you could create a video to explain your subscription options by placing it on the pricing page to appeal to more qualified leads who have a higher purchase intent. Or you could put tutorial and FAQ videos on your product pages to help shorten the sales cycle and reduce the amount of time you’re committing to answering queries.

This gives your product video the opportunity to go a little longer and into further detail than your standard landing page explainer video which is designed to grab attention quickly.

Sales pitch

Great for: Pitch optimisation

Video can do a lot of heavy lifting to support a sales pitch. It’s unlikely to outright replace the pitch (don’t worry direct sales people!), but using a slick, well-produced product demo video can be a fantastic ally when you’re dealing with prospects face to face or on a call.

Video has the effect of refreshing attention-grabbing interest and being memorable: in other words, the perfect palate cleanser and some much needed variety during a pitch.

For these product videos, perhaps try avoiding some of the repetition that might have already occurred during the pitch. Try concentrating on a handful – or even just one – of your product’s key features or benefits. The alternative would be to actually kick off with a video to prime your prospects ahead of the pitch itself. In which case, treat the video as more of an introduction piece.

Crowdfunding

Great for: USP demonstration

Crowdfunded products are usually innovative or unique, so prospective investors probably don’t have a good reference point for what they’re looking at. That means they need an extra incentive to make a confident purchase.

You’re trying to win over your viewer enough for them to take the risk on pledging to your product when they don’t have firsthand experience with it. There’s no better tool than video to get that done.

There may be some hand-holding needed to get prospective investors on-board, so a product video here should take it’s time to outline the challenge it’s trying to solve, then concentrate on its USPs, before presenting a view of the better life that’s enabled by your product.

Product video production services

At Nibble, we craft beautiful, engaging and highly effective product videos for start-ups, large corporations and everything in between. All we need is a quick chat to go over your goals, then our talented in-house team of creative animators, scriptwriters, illustrators, voice-over artists and project managers can kick off a seamless and collaborative animation production process.

Contact our team today to get a no-obligation project estimate!

The post Product Video for Marketing: How to Maximise Its ROI in 2022 appeared first on Nibble.

Product videos are being used by marketers and product specialists all over the web.

They’re a great time saving conversion tool which helps to add information about your product to an audience whose interest you’ve piqued already.

They’re not just great for physical products, but SaaS, and service-based products as well.

If you’re facing the challenge of creating an effective product video for your brand, check out our guide to creating high-converting product videos. 

And if you’re just seeking inspiration – here’s a rundown of some effective examples. 

Healthcare Product Video Examples

Ieso

Ieso Health from Nibble on Vimeo.

Bright, colourful 2D animation puts the gentle narration into detailed context here.

There’s some useful stylised versions of the product’s performance via screen capture as well, which gives viewers a firmer idea of what Ieso Digital Health, does and how it does it.

Babylon Health

Watch the Babylon Health explainer video here. 

An effective blend of 2D animated elements and app screen capture drive home the usefulness of the app, and the positive effect it has on patients and healthcare professionals.

SnatchBot

This one from SnatchBot is simplicity itself – proof that you don’t need a big budget and an all-singing, all-dancing product video.

Sometimes a shot of live action, overlaid with the speech bubbles of your tool can be enough to give your audience a valuable taste of your service in action.

Tech & SaaS Product Video Examples

Bird Buddy

Created by Nibble’s sister company, Fudge Animation Studios, this product video for smart bird feeders Bird Buddy really brings the product to life.

It’s got awesome, characterful 3D animation, with energetic transitions and motion graphics which are both charming and engaging.

Slack

The soothing tones of podcast host Roman Mars delivering product description accompanied by sleek motion graphics are very successful in communicating non-visual concepts in the video format.

That’s without ANY screen capture or live footage of the platform in action, too.

SurveyMonkey

This is a screen capture product demonstration video masterclass from SurveyMonkey. 

With 3D animated elements alongside a sprinkling of helpful written callouts, this video gives a pacy, inspiring view of the service, without needing voiceover at all.

HR Product Video Examples

Talent Deck

Talent Deck from Nibble on Vimeo.

Part explainer video, part product video, this video from Talent Deck takes a complex (and dry!) process involving analysis and data processing, and actually makes it interesting.

Sure, a little hand holding is needed to really lay out the challenge, solution and outcomes, but with charming motion graphics and 2D character animation, it does the job wonderfully.

Freshteam

With a generous helping of screen capture to show off loads of use cases, this one feels almost like a full-blown demonstration!

By using so much real footage of their tool, blended with clever transitions, motion graphics and 2D characters, Freshteam are able to give their prospects an incredible insight into how they work.

Sage

Sage takes the opportunity to smash through so many of their super useful features in this product video.

The extra layer of detail they’re able to communicate through a series of ‘how to’ sections almost gives the viewer an immersive pitching experience. The effect is that users get a lightbulb moment as they see these features in motion. Something like: “oh yeah! That’d be so useful for me!”

Finance Product Video Examples

Plum

This is as quick a product ad as you’re ever likely to see.

In lightning fast time it gets stuck into what the financial app Plum does and why it’s great. All it takes is some lovely 3D graphics, some screen capture and a tight script.

Revolut

Another speedy one; this video for Revolut provides a mini case study which aims to resonate with their prospects quickly. It’s another slick combo of motion graphics and floating screen capture callouts which tells the story so well here.

Apple Pay

Animated icons and screen capture illustrate each feature impeccably before playfully transitioning seamlessly into the next.

It’s super easy watching, and the smoothness of the animation mirrors the convenience of the service itself. Would you expect any less polish from Apple?

Manufacturing Product Video Examples

Cat®

What better way to show off the power and precision of your product than to put it in the easily understandable context of Jenga?

The relatable activity carries its own set of themes, namely the precision, strength and fine motor performance required to complete a physically demanding goal, which expertly hammers home their value.

CHG Meridien

CHG Meridien from Nibble on Vimeo.

This series of 2D animated scenes really reinforces who CHG are and what they do, before presenting a tantalising glimpse at their platform alongside a well-timed CTA to learn more.

Katana

Katana – Smart Workshop Software from Katana – Smart Workshop Software on Vimeo.

Another great example of a product video, this time using a cute, isometric 2D animated style paired with simple screen capture segments to show off their usefulness.

Ecommerce & Retail Product Videos Examples

Nikon

Nikon uses high-quality 3D renders of the physical product itself. This choice lets them provide more detail than you could achieve even in real life thanks to x-ray cutaways, zoom ins, teardowns and module demonstration. All the while, there are jaw dropping examples of the visual output of their camera alongside impressive feature callouts. It’s enough to make professionals, casual selfie-takers and everyone in between want to level up their photography game.

dbramante1928

dbramante1928 Product Animation Video by Nibble from Nibble on Vimeo.

A blend of live action, 3D modelled and motion graphic elements come together to show off a physical product in an exciting, visually arresting way that’s still grounded in reality. This style of product video gives you full control over a polished, idealised version of your product through photorealistic 3D modelling.

Volvo Trucks

Simply iconic – we should have all seen this one by now, but may not have really considered it to be a product video. It’s using the same technique as the Cat Jenga video: contextualising precision with a recognisable activity. In this case, Volvo Dynamic Steering is the enabler for an incredible and unconventional physical demonstration of its effectiveness.

Mobile App Product Demo Video Examples

Crew Nosh

Crew Nosh from Nibble on Vimeo.

A stylish combination of animated screen capture and 2D animation that brings to life the Crew Nosh meal ordering app. Sure, it’s a very specific use case, but that’s where a specialised solution is most required.

FujiFilm POP Book

FujiFilm POP Book from Fudge Animation on Vimeo.

This product video straddles the line between 3D and live action with its 3D renders for the phone and photobook. It’s a clever way to demonstrate the core offering of the FujiFilm POP Book, that being the ability to turn the digital into the physical.

Headspace

Simple and clear communication of why the product exists, what the product does, some features and benefits, and what impact it has on the lives of its users. A product video by numbers.

Services Presentation Video Examples

Upwork

The gorgeous 2D animation in this short and sweet product video communicates Upwork’s purpose and value in a snappy, tongue in cheek way. 

Spiral Hosting

Spiral Hosting from Nibble on Vimeo.

Even for a product video, humour is important. It’s especially important in this video where the over-the-top British theme is used as a catalyst for showcasing a set of USPs and features which depend on their location British location. And this applies to this great product video we crafted for the global web hosting provider, Spiral Hosting. 

Lyft

Sometimes your product video is essentially marketing people and interactions. A tough thing to do well, but Lyft’s textured cutout style paired with simple, emotive scripting makes this video memorable and inspiring. 

Get your own product video

Hopefully that lot has inspired you to kick off planning your own animated product video! 

And remember, working with a creative studio can make a long and painful process so much more manageable, so give us a shout today if you’d like to learn more about our animation and video production services.

The post The Best Product Video Examples from All Industries [2022 Update] appeared first on Nibble.

 
Product videos are a super powerful, versatile tool for marketers and product specialists across all manner of industries.

To help you on your way to producing an incredible video, here’s our advice and best practices guide with some inspirational examples.

What is a product video?

A product video is a short video introducing your product or service, and showing its use case in action.

If an explainer video goes over the challenges, what your product can do and the difference it makes to customers, these types of videos are geared more towards showing exactly HOW it happens. Seeing this practical aspect of a product or service really lets your viewers understand why you’re the perfect fit for them.

They’re great for educating prospective customers and pushing leads at the consideration stage of their purchase closer to conversion.

Animated product videos offer the flexibility to explain even very complex concepts in seconds with a mix of motion graphics, live footage and an engaging voiceover. The most popular examples of product demo videos include software walkthroughs, online product presentations and “how-to” content.

What should be included in a product video?

At Nibble, we’ve helped clients in tech & SaaS, pharma & healthcare, manufacturing, HR, eCommerce and finance to produce product videos. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach, but even across that broad spectrum of sectors, there are some important beats you should be hitting to ensure an effective video.

Think about how your product video can help to bring the offline product buying experience to the online world and in doing so, enhance it with video features that you couldn’t replicate in a pitch.

1. Introduce your product to the world

What does it look like?

Use 3D renders, live action footage and/or screen capture to show your product working in context. Alternatively, you might want to use the power of clear description assisted by illustrative motion graphics to communicate in words what your product is.

2. Showcase your product’s capabilities and features

Highlight your product’s top features, provide step by step explanations and show your users the added value. Cover what it is, what it does, how it does it, and why it’s great.

3. Demonstrate how it meets a challenge

Following on from the above, show some key challenges your product exists to overcome. You want to allow the audience to relate to the example you’re presenting. Give some background to the problems your brand and more directly – your product – are trying and succeeding in solving.

4. Call to action

Of course, you need to round things off with an invitation to get in touch, or purchase, once your video has done its job in educating and warming up your lead.

Remember – product videos are a sort of explainer video, just more centred on the product itself. That means you should be doing some of the same things, like adding recognisable human, emotional touchpoints for your viewer to resonate with, but keep it output focussed instead. Even for SaaS or B2B, people respond to people so present these benefits to what your product is capable of enabling for them.

How long should a product video be?

90 seconds should be plenty – but some product videos run to 2-3 minutes if their audience is expected to be more engaged.

Don’t feel the need to cram in too much detail, this isn’t a tutorial video.

And try to avoid getting bogged down in your brand story (unless it’s very snappy, and relates directly to your product). The exception is when your flagship product IS the core of your brand, like Chilly’s bottles, TOMS shoes or Dropbox.

If you’re planning to broadcast your video on social media platforms, you might find this cheat sheet helpful!

Product video production process

Here’s a simplified version of how we do things at Nibble with our collaborative video production process.

1. Creative kick-off session

Lay out the key deliverables, call to action and what project success looks like, then come up with a fantastic concept to meet those expectations. Cover what content and style will best engage with your audience. 

Here’s where you’ll decide on a budget, timescales and whether to risk going it alone with a video production tool, or work with a creative agency for a more managed, polished project.

2. Scriptwriting

Draft a script for the video. This might mean starting from scratch or developing some product copy you already have. Make sure the language, tone, length and flow are all spot on. Studios will pair this with a shot-by-shot written description of what the viewer will see on screen.

3. Storyboarding

Storyboards are a grid of roughly sketched panels which show all of the shots in your product video and the order in which they’ll appear. Accompany each panel with the voiceover that will feature during that shot, as well as notes that describe the action.

4. Artwork

Flesh out the storyboard sketches to create all of the artwork for the product video. These are the ‘layouts’; essentially a polished version of the storyboards in the final style.

If you’re adding live action elements to your product video, you’ll want to do your shooting at this stage.

5. Animation

Now we get to the most exciting part of the process – the animation itself! It’s difficult work to get this right; here’s where our expert animators do what they do best. Using the layouts, a skilled animator fills out the spaces in between them to create the illusion of motion. 

Live action footage can also be blended with animated elements here.

6. Sound design

Mix your voiceover with music and any sound FX required. Studios can offer you bespoke sound design with access to award-winning composers, but in the majority of cases stock music will do just fine.

7. Voiceover recording

Take your script and record it. Trust us, your audience will be able to tell if you cheaped out and didn’t get a professional VO artist with a decent recording setup! Creative agencies will manage the artists, studio, producer, sound engineer, direction and editing.

8. Screen recording

Producing a high-resolution screen recording is often required for product videos that showcase features and functionality in software or apps. Beyond a bog standard screen recording tool, specialist solutions can give you full control over the speed and fluidity of mouse movements as well as clicks and transitions. They can offer us the ability to pan across and zoom in and out of sections that require focus. You should also apply titles, annotations and callouts to ensure your recording is as informative as possible.

9. Delivery

Export your product video in your chosen format. Then it’s over to the marketing team to launch, promote and track the performance of your video! Does the video deliver on what you set out to achieve? Track views, page visits, leads generated and more.

The best examples of high-performing product videos

Are you looking for inspiration for your next product video?

Here are the best product videos we’ve seen to date!

Headspace

Why it’s great: Simple, clear and snappy communication of why the product exists, what the product does, some features and benefits, and what impact it has on the lives of its users.

Babylon Health

Babylon Health from Fudge Animation on Vimeo.

Why it’s great: An effective blend of 2D animated elements and app screen capture drive home the usefulness of the app, and the positive effect it has on patients and healthcare professionals.

Slack

Why it’s great: The soothing tones of podcast host Roman Mars delivering product description accompanied by sleek motion graphics are very successful in communicating non-visual concepts in the video format. That’s without ANY screen capture or live footage of the platform in action.

dbramante1928

dbramante1928 Product Animation Video by Nibble from Nibble on Vimeo.

Why it’s great: A blend of live action, 3D modelled and motion graphic elements come together to show off a physical product in an exciting, visually arresting way that’s still grounded in reality. This style of product video gives you full control over a polished, idealised version of your product.

SurveyMonkey

Why it’s great: This is a screen capture product demonstration video masterclass. With some 3D animated elements thrown in, alongside written callouts, this video gives a pacy, inspiring view of the service, without needing voiceover at all.

if you’re looking for more inspiration, check out our roundup of the best product videos for all industries. 

Produce your own product video

At Nibble, we craft beautiful, engaging and highly effective product videos for start-ups, software companies and large corporations. We take our time to understand your product and your audience to produce an animated video that just works. Our talented in-house team includes creative animators, scriptwriters, illustrators, voice-over artists and project managers to ensure a seamless and collaborative animation production process.

We don’t believe in a one-fits-all approach. We want your video to stand out from your competitors and truly engage your audience.

Contact our team today to get a no-obligation project estimate!

The post How to Make a Great Product Video in 2022? [Guide with Examples] appeared first on Nibble.

Introduction

You’ve heard it before – but in this highly competitive world, connecting with your customers is more difficult than ever. 

One of the reasons marketing strategies fail is a lack of understanding when it comes to the needs and challenges of your audience. If you don’t know what the motives are behind your customer’s behaviour, chances are you won’t be able to come up with a message that resonates with them. 

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This blog comes from the Creative Marketing Bible published by our team in 2021. To download your free copy, click on the banner below!

Do you speak Marketing?

One of the best examples to illustrate the importance of knowing your customers is the language you use in your marketing materials such as on your website or social media posts. 

Brands that struggle to properly understand their target audience end up using industry jargon that is barely understandable by those outside their field. 

For instance:

Drill down → Analyse

Pull the trigger → Initiate 

Baked in → Accounted for

Best of Breed → Best

Execute → We’ll do it

You know what I mean?

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This kind of language makes a reader feel out of the loop if they don’t immediately understand it – leading to a feeling of alienation, and less chance of your message resonating with them.

While other businesses wander in the dark, you can use simple, natural language to stay competitive. 

What does H2H mean in marketing?

In a global marketplace being driven by technology, the concept of humanizing a brand and connecting with like-minded individuals is a key strategic opportunity for moving a business forward. It’s a simple concept but people are creatures of habit and it takes a pretty significant shift to give up our favourite business jargon. However, at the end of the day, companies exist because human beings are directly responsible for the way a company behaves.

With Human to Human (H2H) communications, you can build trust and tap into people’s emotions – whether you operate in a B2C or B2B environment. 

In this context, there is one thing that you ought to remember:

B2C Marketing = selling to people

B2B Marketing = selling to people who work for companies 

No matter what sector you work in, you’re still marketing to people – and they should always lie at the heart of everything you do. By embracing all elements of H2H marketing including using jargon-free language and creative business storytelling, you’ll be able to distinguish your brand from your competitors and make your brand stand out. 

Look at it from this perspective – your potential customers have an attention span of just eight seconds, so it’s your job as a marketer to make the most out of it. If you fill your website with pretty but meaningless, fluffy copy, chances are your visitors will bounce from your site as soon as they land on it.

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On the other hand, if you immediately catch their attention with a thought-provoking story or engaging explainer video, you’re off to a much better start. 

So, if you’re looking to get ahead of your competition, start building that personal connection with your customers by embracing clear human-to-human communication. 

B2C Marketing = selling to people

B2B Marketing = selling to people who work for companies 

Speaking of the 8 second attention span… What are some creative ways to capture your audience’s attention span within seconds? 

Four must-have lead generation tools for your business

Within 8 seconds, your customer has already made their first critical decision; whether to keep listening, enter into a conversation with you, or end it right away. This tiny window of time is critical in deciding whether you win or lose new business.

Landing Pages

Let’s imagine a scenario where a prospect lands on your page and is trying to evaluate your offer to decide whether you’re the right fit. If your landing page is a regular page (or, even worse, just your homepage), you’re likely to lose their attention immediately. 

Every campaign needs to have a designated landing page featuring a clear headline message and engaging content to support it. For example, if you are a SaaS provider trying to increase signups for product trials, you ought to have a landing page that explains why people should give you a try and what’s in it for them.

To create your own landing page, you can either build it in-house as an addition to your existing website or opt for a codless landing page builder from LeadPages, Landingi or HubSpot.

Explainer Videos

Bearing in mind that you only have eight seconds to help them decide, a great tactic to capitalise on the need for instant engagement is to turn the entire message into an animated video explainer.

An average explainer video lasts up to two minutes, and is one of the most effective marketing tools to engage and convert your prospects. It fulfils the need to grab attention quickly, and to succinctly introduce the viewer to your solution. Explainer videos suit businesses of all sizes but are the most commonly used in startups to break down complex ideas and processes and bring clarity into them.

Live Chats

If your goal is to initiate contact, instead of embedding traditional contact forms, you might want to try live chats.

There are plenty of solutions on the market that offer custom chatbots (e.g. Continually) and real-time chats (e.g. Drift) as a more engaging alternative to static forms. Again, if you can trigger your welcome message within the first few seconds of your customer’s visit, chances are you’ll be able to capture their attention.

Personalisation

Last, but not least – there is no better way to get your prospects hooked than running a personalised campaign that specifically targets your segment’s needs. The days of ‘one-size fits most’ marketing are behind us!

For example, if your SaaS product can be used by both business development and marketing teams, a good idea would be to create two separate campaigns that point segments to two different landing pages. Each landing page should showcase different benefits that are applicable for each segment so they can instantly assess whether your solution could help them solve their own challenges.

At Nibble, we offer bespoke animation services to marketers who wish to connect with their audience on a deeper level. We produce beautiful animations for marketing campaigns, website, sales and onboarding videos, leveraging the power of effective storytelling and bespoke craft. If you’re looking for an animation studio to help with producing your own video, give us a shout! 

The post Marketing Communication Plan: How to Connect with Your Customers? (Tips) appeared first on Nibble.

Introduction

User experience, also known as UX, is a popular process in technology and design. It plays a significant role in ensuring an effective and efficient design, particularly in relation to customer interaction.

Some sources say that the term dates back to the early 1990s and credits a cognitive psychologist by the name of Donald Norman for introducing user experience when he joined the staff at Apple. Norman is considered the User Experience Architect for utilizing user experience to embrace the concept and purpose of human interface research.

Despite having been around for years, though, many still do not completely understand the concept and purpose of user experience. There are still several people who don’t know why UX is crucial in the technology and design process.

What is User Experience?

User experience is a term that holds many meanings, depending on which aspect of the product development process it is used.

UX refers to the way people interact when they use a product. For example, when you’re driving your car, you turn on the ignition switch, so you interact with that switch. Your experience will depend on certain aspects of the product, including but not limited to the material, colour, ease of use, appearance, and other essential design factors.

In digital design, user experience refers to the factors that affect how a user or customer interacts with a particular product. Every time someone uses a digital product, they pay attention to how that product makes them feel; how satisfied or unhappy they were with the experience.

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Typically, UX is evaluated according to questions that provide insights into users’ activity and interaction with the product. This includes questions that help designers and developers see how their product makes customers behave, feel, and react.

Customers often find themselves asking these questions:

• Does this product offer the value I am looking for?
• Is this product functional and efficient?
• How satisfied am I with the product’s ease of use?
• How convenient is it to use the product?
• How pleasant has my experience been?

The typical characteristics of a digital product with good UX are:

1. It is useful
2. It is usable
3. It is desirable
4. It is accessible
5. It is findable
6. It is credible
7. It is accessible

User experience is also about developing a product and improving or optimizing it to increase customer satisfaction. It is about making everything easier for the customer so that every product experience is always enjoyable and satisfactory.

UX is not only about keeping the customers happy, though. It is not only about design. It is about prioritizing customers and creating a unique, satisfying, user-centred product. It is about putting the customers in the front row and empathizing with them in creating the digital product’s hows, whys, and whats.

User experience design or UX design is about developing responsive web design that creates consistently positive user experiences across various devices, such as mobile/smartphones, desktops, and tablets. It understands and adjusts to each of the device’s goals.

For example, if a designer is creating UX for a retailer’s website, the goal should be to improve the checkout experience. Products should show after only a click or two, and the checkout process should not take more than two steps to complete. This convenience should carry on through other devices as well.

Developing good user design and experience is also about ensuring that all content is legible regardless of the device used.

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While user design cannot be designed per se, UX designers know which conditions or design elements are needed to solicit positive impressions. Essentially, a user experience designer creates a design for user experience or features that elicit positive reactions – such as a pleasurable experience.

Important User Experience Factors to Remember

1. User experience is not only about the user; it is also about a business’s goals and needs.

An improved and optimized user experience helps boost a business’s online presence and reputation by ensuring customer interaction and satisfaction. The more people visit the website, the more potential leads and conversions get in.

For example, if an e-Commerce website has had complaints in the past about customers who found the checkout process too long, UX designers will work to improve the process. By cutting short the long checkout process (i.e., from five steps to only two), they effectively optimize and satisfy customers, bringing in more sales.

If customers love a product, it will be easy for businesses to achieve their goals.

2. User experience design is not an overnight process, and it can also cost a lot.

UX is an innovative marketing strategy, so it is expected to cost money. But if businesses want to take their website (and company) to the highest level in customer experience, user experience should be a priority. However, success is a process; it is not an overnight thing – just like any other marketing strategy. User experience design is an evolving, ongoing process. A good example of this is the Nokia phone.

Before mobile interactions were introduced, Nokia was way up in the success ladder, almost untouchable. When Apple came out with the highly innovative iPhones, Nokia slowly faded out of the picture.

3. User experience design focuses on understanding people.

A good UX designer spends time studying the actions of website visitors. If they do not understand people or exert efforts to do so, they won’t be able to come up with an efficient, effective, and satisfying design.

UX designers must know and understand what customers want and need and what their behaviours mean in terms of their perception and use of a particular product.

Why UX Matters

User experience matters a lot because users – or customers – are an integral part of business success.

To keep them satisfied, entice them to become repeat customers, and gain their trust, businesses need to give them a product they will enjoy and find useful, convenient, easy-to-use, desirable, and credible.

The post What is User Experience and Why It Matters? [Full Guide] appeared first on Nibble.

Introduction

Businesses around the globe have been forced to close due to the Coronavirus outbreak. However, nothing can limit human creativity, as proven by the numerous businesses that have prospered and survived the past two years.

Downtime does not have to mean squandered time or lack of productivity.

While some of your competitors are lamenting the lack of business, take this chance to update your  web design essentials and breathe new life into your marketing approach.

Here are five simple but effective marketing ideas to consider:

Make It Easier for Customers to Find You Online.

If you haven’t noticed, there are more people online than ever. Search traffic has increased dramatically over the course of the pandemic. We are all pinned to our phones and laptops, not only to check for updates but also to seek methods to pass the time and entertain ourselves. For a lot of people, this means shopping.

Anything that is available on the internet right now will be devoured more than ever before. And as a brand or business, this is not the time to be anonymous on the internet. Instead, you should be devising effective SEO strategies and crafting creative digital marketing tactics that will help you get to the top of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).

Make sure users looking for your products or services can easily find you online.

Work on Boosting Your Local SEO.

People have been cutting back on travel and choosing to stay close to home. When they do leave the house, they are often looking for local places where they can get the goods and services they need.

For this reason, it has become more important for local businesses to invest in their local SEO and optimise their website for “near me” searches. This will allow customers in the area to locate and contact local shops and service providers easily.

Another method to improve local SEO during this time is through positive reviews – on websites, social media pages, and online review sites.

With more customers choosing to purchase online, it’s high time for brands and companies to focus on establishing their online reputation and take a proactive strategy to gain a competitive advantage.

Get into the Email Marketing Game (If You Haven’t Yet).

Email is one of the most cost-effective marketing platforms available, with a whopping 4400% return on investment. And now is an opportune moment for firms who haven’t had time to set up an email marketing program to do so.

If you’re still starting to build an email marketing strategy, you can use this downtime to craft excellent email content and create effective drip and lead nurturing email campaigns that generate trust, establish authority, and ultimately lead to sales.

Email is one of the most cost-effective marketing platforms available, with a whopping 4400% return on investment.

For brands with an existing email strategy, now would also be a good time to analyse their methods and look for ways to improve. Take this downtime as an opportunity to not only build successful email campaigns but also to plan your next moves several months ahead of time and make the most of the economic recovery.

Build a Stronger Relationship with Consumers.

This downtime is the perfect opportunity for your business to engage with customers, take part in the conversation, and cultivate relationships that will benefit businesses once circumstances improve.

 Here are some useful ideas to consider:

• Join Facebook and other social media communities where your target market hangs out.
• Participate in relevant forums and use your expertise to assist people in resolving issues.
• Check in with current customers via personalised emails and phone calls to see how they’re doing and if there’s anything the company can do to assist them.
• Offer exceptional deals. This will not only help the company maintain sales, but also demonstrate its support to consumers throughout this uncertain time period.

Seek New Partnerships.

Partnerships can be extremely beneficial to a company’s growth. They introduce businesses to new audiences, encourage sales through trustworthy referrals, and increase revenue through multi-product or service discounts.

If the company is currently experiencing downtime, you can  use the extra hours learning about and searching for viable partnership opportunities, such as:

• Collaborations with influencers
• Joint venture discounts
• Referral commission programs
• Affiliate marketing

A solid partnership with reputable brands can quickly introduce the business to new audiences, build immediate credibility, and boost sales. This slow period is an ideal time to look into potential alliances that will pay off as things gradually get back to normal.

Get Ready for the Bounce-Back Surge. 

A smart firm with a robust marketing strategy will figure out how to make unfavourable situations work for them. 

The coronavirus is already under control, and it won’t be long until consumers’ purchasing patterns return to normal. Business may be slow right now, but it’s no reason to let up on your momentum. 

Prepare and push now, while others are taking a breather. Grab this opportunity to revitalise and reinvent the brand to give it a competitive edge when things get better.

Are you looking for more creative marketing ideas to implement in 2022? Download a free copy of the Creative Marketing Bible Today. 

The post 5 Marketing Ideas to Consider During the Pandemic Downtime appeared first on Nibble.