In the dynamic realm of business, animation emerges as a captivating tool that uses moving images to convey messages, tell stories, and engage audiences. It simplifies complex ideas, boosts brand visibility, and enhances communication, making it a valuable addition to any business strategy. As we step into 2024, the business animation landscape is evolving rapidly. Innovations, tools, and trends are reshaping how businesses leverage animation for marketing, education, and overall engagement. In this article, we will take a closer look at popular business animation ideas and how to make business animations.

Popular Business Animation Ideas

1. Animated Infographics

Animated infographics are a dynamic and visually engaging form of data representation that combines the principles of traditional infographics with animation elements. Animated infographics serve as dynamic storytelling tools, breathing life into data and statistics while significantly enhancing the impact of presentations. With that in mind, below are some of the ways you can use animated infographics to freshen your business:

Product launches

Animated infographics help showcase the features, benefits, and performance metrics of a new product. Use animations to compare the new product with competitors, highlight unique selling points, and provide an overview of its market positioning. For example, F.Learning Studio helped UV Smart created a mesmerizing infographic to support the launching of their new product, D45, in Europe, which attracted a lot of interests from healthcare professionals and medical devices resellers.

Employee training

Incorporate animated infographics into training materials to explain complex processes, company policies, or procedural workflows. Animations make the training content more engaging and facilitate better comprehension.

Investor pitches

Create animated infographics for investor pitches to visually represent financial forecasts, market opportunities, and growth strategies. Animated visuals can effectively convey the business potential and captivate investor interest.

Marketing campaigns

Integrate animated infographics into marketing campaigns to present market research, consumer behavior data, and campaign performance metrics. Animated visuals can effectively communicate the success and impact of marketing initiatives.

2. Short-form Animation

Short-form animation refers to animated content that is brief in duration, typically lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Short-form animation helps capture viewers’ attention rapidly and is very effective at telling stories in a short timeframe. You can elevate your business with short-form animation through these three ways:

Social Media Marketing

Short-form animations are popular on social media platforms for delivering quick and engaging content. Animated posts, GIFs, and short videos are effective in capturing the attention of scrolling audiences. For reference, watch the video below that F.Learning Studio made for Alpha Insurers.

Educational Content

In education, short-form animations are used to explain concepts, simplify complex topics, and engage students with visually stimulating content in a concise manner. You can create short animated explainer videos that educate your target audience about the product you are offering.

Entertainment

Animated shorts, brief animated clips, and micro-animations serve as entertaining content for online platforms. They provide a quick dose of amusement, often incorporating humor, storytelling, or artistic expression. Using short-form animation videos to entertain your target audience is a fantastic way to boost engagement, brand awareness, and even conversions.

3. Testimonial Animations

Leveraging customer testimonials through animated narratives can be a compelling strategy to build trust and credibility. Here’s a deeper exploration of the suggested testimonial animations:

Customer Success Stories

Animated narratives allow you to evoke emotions and create a more profound connection between the audience and real-life success stories, while adding a visual dimension to testimonials, making them more engaging and memorable than traditional written or video testimonials. Below is an example of an animated testimonial video from Westfield Insurance for reference.

Animated Reviews

Animation transforms reviews and feedback into visually captivating content, increasing their visibility and impact. Animated reviews allow you to infuse your brand’s personality and style, making them more aligned with your overall brand image.

Influencer Testimonials

Feature testimonials from influential figures in your industry. Their endorsement adds credibility and authority to your brand. You can also showcase testimonials from customers who have a significant influence in their respective fields. This strategy can broaden your reach and impact.

4. Character Animations

Character animation is a form of animation that involves bringing characters to life through movement, expressions, and actions. It brings two benefits to a business. Firstly, it helps develop animated characters that can represent your brand, fostering recognition and connection. Secondly, it adds a human touch to communication through animated characters, making interactions more relatable.There are 4 ways you can leverage character animations to upgrade your business:

Brand mascots

Develop a unique animated mascot for your brand. This character can serve as the face of your company, appearing in marketing materials, social media campaigns, and promotional content to create a memorable brand identity. For reference, watch Duracell‘s video below.

Product demo

Showcase your products or services through animated characters in demonstration videos. The characters can interact with the product, highlight its features, and demonstrate how it solves a customer’s problem.

Corporate culture videos

Use animated characters to create videos that showcase your company’s culture, values, and mission. This adds a creative and personalized touch to internal communications and employee onboarding.

How to Create Business Animations in 2024

In case you are wondering what you need to do to create a business animation video, we are here to help you. Let’s explore the different options you can choose from to create a business animation video, including software and tools or DIY animation platforms you can use to create animation yourself and the different animation studios/freelancers that you can hire if you need support from experts.

1. Software and tools

The animation software landscape in 2024 is as diverse and vibrant as ever, catering to all skill levels and budgets. Whether you’re a seasoned animator tackling a complex animation masterpiece or a curious beginner dipping your toes into the world of motion graphics, there’s a tool out there waiting to bring your vision to life. Here’s a deeper dive into the offerings:

Adobe After Effects

This industry standard holds its reign for a reason. With its robust 2D and 3D animation capabilities, advanced compositing tools, and extensive plugin ecosystem, After Effects empowers experts to create anything from stunning motion graphics to full-fledged animated films. However, be prepared for a steeper learning curve and a heftier price tag.

Autodesk Maya

Another industry heavyweight, Maya shines in 3D animation, offering powerful modeling, rigging, animation, and rendering tools. Beloved for its character animation capabilities and visual effects prowess, Maya caters to studios and professional animators requiring top-notch 3D solutions. Be aware, though, that mastering Maya demands significant dedication and investment.

Vyond

If you’re looking for a user-friendly entry point into 2D animation, Vyond shines with its drag-and-drop interface and pre-built characters and scenes. Ideal for creating explainer videos, short marketing animations, and social media content, Vyond caters to beginners and non-technical users seeking a quick and intuitive animation experience.

Powtoon

Known for its simplicity and ease of use, Powtoon excels in creating presentations, social media videos, and marketing animations. Its pre-built templates and intuitive interface make it ideal for beginners and those who need to churn out animations quickly and efficiently.

2. DIY Animation Platforms

Forget complex software and intimidating interfaces! The world of animation has opened its doors to everyone with the rise of DIY animation platforms. These online havens offer a gateway into creating professional-looking animations, even if you have zero experience or coding skills. Let’s explore what makes these platforms stand out and how you can harness them to unleash your inner animator:

Biteable

Biteable helps create professional-looking social media animations, explainers, and infographics with pre-built templates and easy editing tools.

Moovly

User-friendly platform with a library of templates, characters, and assets for explainer videos, presentations, and marketing content.

Spark Video by Adobe

Easy-to-use tool for creating short, engaging social media videos with text, images, and animation elements.

3. Hiring Professionals

For complex animation projects or when you simply want a hands-off approach, collaborating with professional animators unlocks a world of possibilities. But navigating this realm comes with its own set of considerations. Let’s delve deeper into the world of studios and freelancers, and equip you with tips for successful collaboration:

Working with animation studios

• Ideal for: High-budget projects, intricate animations requiring diverse expertise (character design, rigging, 3D modeling, etc.), and projects demanding a full-service experience from concept to final render.
• Benefits: Access to a team of specialized animators, streamlined production process, and established quality standards.
• Considerations: Higher cost, potentially less flexibility in communication and creative direction.
• Studios to choose from:
  • For 2D animation, consider F.Learning Studio, which is a budget-friendly 2D animation studio with more than 2,000 animation minutes produced each year. They are rated 5 stars on Clutch.co (an online platform that collects online feedback), working with big names such as University of New South Wales, NHS and Boehringer Ingelheim.
  • For 3D animation, consider Indigo Productions, a full-service creative video production company based in New York City. They were founded in 1991 and have worked with top brands such as Samsung, Sony Pictures and Givenchy. Another option is Yans Media. They create unique explainer videos, animation services, motion graphics for companies and businesses in both 2D and 3D animation styles. They have worked with global clients such as Visa, Cisco and Intel.

Recommended reading: 5 Best Animated Video Production Companies [Update 2023]

Working with freelancers

• Ideal for: Smaller projects, specific animation needs (e.g., character animation, motion graphics), and budget-conscious options.
• Benefits: Greater flexibility in choosing specific skill sets, potentially lower costs, and potentially more personalized communication.
• Considerations: Requires careful vetting of skills and experience, managing communication and deliverables throughout the project, and handling potential delays or revisions.
• Where to find freelancers:
  • Upwork: One of the largest platforms with a vast pool of animators across various skill levels and budgets. Utilize filters and client reviews to find suitable candidates.
  • Fiverr: Known for its project-based approach, Fiverr offers animation services at varied price points. Clearly define your project requirements and budget to attract qualified freelancers.
  • Behance: While primarily a portfolio platform, Behance allows users to list their availability for freelance work. Search by skill set and location to discover talented artists with diverse styles.

Remember, working with animation professionals can be a rewarding experience, propelling your project to new heights. By choosing the right partner, setting clear expectations, and collaborating effectively, you can translate your vision into a stunning animation that captures your audience and achieves your goals.

Business Animation Success Stories

A classic example of a business that successfully uses animation in their operations is Cargoful. They work in the logistics sector, providing software solutions for fleet planning to transport companies.

Cargoful came to F.Learning Studio with a request for an explainer video. They wanted to release an approximately 1 minute commercial video with voice over to explain about their company and their services. Opting for an explainer video was a strategic move for Cargoful, considering the complexity of their service, because explainer videos excel in simplifying complex information and effortlessly capturing viewer attention.

In crafting the video, we strategically structured the initial segment to present the challenges that Cargoful’s clients often encounter. The subsequent sections seamlessly introduced their services and illustrated how these services effectively address the challenges. Our approach capitalized on the inherent strengths of explainer videos in highlighting features and visualizing benefits to bring out Cargoful’s fleet planning prowess. Specific features, such as automatic planning for Full Truckload (FTL) and Less Than Truckload (LTL), as well as real-time communication and routing, took center stage. Simultaneously, the video demonstrated the benefits of their services, showcasing how Cargoful significantly reduces the time spent on intricate planning issues and enhances fleet utilization.

The positive response from Cargoful following the video’s completion serves as a testament to the efficacy of explainer videos in the realm of business communication. The video not only clarified their service intricacies but also effectively conveyed the strengths and advantages of Cargoful’s fleet planning solutions.

Tips for Creating Effective Business Animations

Business animations have the power to engage audiences, explain complex concepts, and drive results. But amidst the bells and whistles, clarity and purpose are vital. Here are some key tips to ensure your business animations are not just visually stunning, but strategically effective:

1. Keeping it concise and focused

• Less is more: Resist the urge to cram everything into your animation. Identify the core message and tailor every element to support it.
• Know your audience: Understand their attention span and tailor the length accordingly. Aim for bite-sized pieces that pack a punch.
• Focus on one key takeaway: Don’t overwhelm viewers with multiple messages. Leave them with one clear action or understanding.

2. Aligning animations with brand messaging

• Embrace your brand identity: Infuse your animation with your brand colors, fonts, and overall visual style for seamless recognition.
• Focus on benefits, not features: Translate product details into tangible benefits that resonate with your target audience.
• Highlight your values: Let the animation subtly showcase your brand’s mission, values, and the impact you create.

3. Testing and Gathering Feedback for Improvement

• Get diverse perspectives: Show the animation to colleagues, target audience members, or external testers to gather honest feedback.
• Test on different platforms: Ensure the animation displays correctly and delivers the same impact across various devices and screens.
• Iterate and improve: Use the feedback and data to refine your animation, enhancing its impact and message delivery.

Conclusion

In today’s dynamic digital landscape, capturing attention and communicating effectively are crucial for businesses. Animation has emerged as a powerful tool, transcending entertainment and becoming a strategic asset for brands across industries. To make 2024 the year to animate your business growth, we hope this guide has helped you to discover some of the most popular animation ideas for business, ways to make one as well as tips for creating effective business animation. If you still need help with starting a business animation project, feel free to contact F.Learning Studio to receive a quote. We are more than happy to help assist you from start to finish.