Pursuing a Career in Gaming Animation Design

Congratulations! You finally decided to take the plunge and dive into the deep end of the animation pool. Animation is a part of a larger classification. That is, a classification of content called visual content.

That visual content is anything from infographics to videos. It can also include slideshows and media elements that involve engagement and gamification.

Animation serves the purpose of being one of the hottest new trends in visual content. And, while some may dismiss it as being too difficult to create, other have embraced this animation field with open arms.

When compared to live video, animation gives you more control over your brand and image. This form of media allows the use of colors and images, providing the opportunity to create a persona of your ideal customer. That is one example of how animation can be used in the marketing realm. It also allows the ability to bring your company or brand to life via true experiences. It is done in a way that is not possible with other types of content.

Animation video marketing begs for attention.

Well-produced animation entertains and educates your audience, transforming complex topics into easily digestible information. And, since information is presented both visually and aurally, your audience is more likely to remember your content. For those who have the photographic-type memory, this media type provides a visual imprint. For those who are better at remembering what they hear, there is the aural aspect of the medium. And, often times there are the opportunities for engagement and interaction, helping the kinesthetic learner to remember what it is that you are sharing with them.

 

Learning the Ropes

It may be easier to pull out a web cam or a smartphone, when “filming” a live video, but there are other aspects that can complicate live video. That may include finding the actors or participants for your video, ensuring that all of the legal aspects have been covered, having an on-site makeup person, as well as hair and wardrobe, and so much more. That is before we have even reached the point of post-production work on that video.

Sure, you can go for the raw, unpolished look and that is fine, too. It is especially good for cases where Facebook Live or Google Hangouts are used.

However, all of that live stuff aside, there are many advantages to the animation approach, as we have already mentioned. It doesn’t mean that animation is easy, necessarily, but it does remove some of the hiccups that are present with live video. The key thing that is helpful, in following your animation path, is learning how to create animations. Fortunately, there are opportunities to do just that. All you need to do is find a great animation school, training course, or full-fledged school of design and you are on your way to be the next pro!

 

Rules of Animation

The most important rule in animation marketing is to tailor your GIFs or videos to match your target audience.

Let’s use an example, shall we?

Just as you wouldn’t use rock music to attract an elderly crowd (unless they are some retired rockers and want to jam), you wouldn’t use lyrical animation style to market hi-tech smartphones to corporate Millennials.

The second most important rule of animation in marketing is that you need to use it on all of the media outlets.

If you set out to create an animation and then sit back and wait for your return-on-investment (ROI) to skyrocket on its own, you may be waiting for a while.

You need to put some actual strategy into it and work at it.

Oh, it may not be rocket science or brain surgery, as they say, but that doesn’t mean it rolls into your life like a cotton ball, either.

You need to integrate your animations and animation marketing strategy into a more comprehensive marketing strategy that covers social media platforms, sales presentations, and even your website. And, this is for starters…

 

Statistically Speaking

Marketing campaigns are supposed to push your brand up to the front of the line. Then, that same campaign, when planned and integrated correctly, should convert viewers into buyers and result in an increase in your profit. Simply put, animation can (and should) help turn your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts into child’s play.

You are probably wondering how that all works. I mean, isn’t SEO a matter of text-based content marketing? Yes and no. There are aspects of many of the marketing strategies that work with each other and integrate into that overall marketing strategy. Here we are talking numbers and statistics and edging those upward. What we really need to do is track what we are doing and record the statistical results so that we are able to identify what is working and what is not working.

 

Psychology at Its Best

By tapping into the psychological element, animation creates a memory that sticks with your target audience for a longer period of time. So, when you think about conversions (and the statistics of those conversions), keep the following in mind:

• In search results, videos and animations have a 41 percent higher click-through rate as opposed to basic text.
• Viewers spend 100 percent more time on a landing page that contains animation.
• A well-designed animation on your website can increase your conversion rate by approximately 70 percent.

Thanks to the development of animation software, creating animated marketing content is easier than ever. You will want to focus on your audience’s needs; you’ll reap the rewards of customer loyalty and higher conversion rates.

 

Conclusion

So, what is our call to action? The first step is to decide if animations are the thing for you and if you want to devote some time, energy, and even money into the development of animations that will move your brand forward. That may seem like an easy question to answer, but the key is that you should not be moving forward on that path if you are set against it. Seems obvious, right? Then it should be that easy to answer.

The next step is to plan your path… your strategy. One of the best ways to do that is to find somewhere to learn how to develop animations. Of course, you could also hire someone to make them for you. Then, from there, learn how to apply the usage of those animations to your best advantage.

And, who knows… You may be the one teaching the next class on animations and the use of animations in marketing strategies.