Ever wondered what’s one of the sneakiest stumbling blocks that can trip up your 3D animation campaign? Well, it’s not about the actual animation creation but everything leading up to it.
The culprit? Lack of preparation. Animation is like that intricate puzzle, and if you don’t lay down a solid plan from the get-go, you’re inviting chaos into your production journey. And let’s not even talk about the final result—it might not be the masterpiece you envisioned.
The truth is, there’s no step-by-step manual for crafting the perfect campaign that represents your brand. You’ve got to make sure that there is no miscommunication when you convey your ideas to the animation company you hire.
Whether it’s your first rodeo with a 3D animation studio or you’ve been down this road a few times, figuring out where to begin can be downright perplexing.
But hey, don’t lose heart. We’ve got three fail-safe steps that can steer your animation project in the right direction. By the end of these, you’ll have a top-notch creative brief that’ll be the North Star guiding your journey to a best-in-class 3D animated video.
STEP 1: SET THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR ANIMATION CAMPAIGN
It is a well known fact that animation knows no bounds, and creativity is a bottomless well. However, the cruel truth is, time and budget have their limits. You’ve got to define the rules of the game upfront, or your project might spiral out of control—in terms of both scope and spending.
But don’t view constraints as the shackles around your mind. They set reasonable limits on how long you can dive into strategy and production. Plus, they make life easier for any external partners trying to get a grip on your animation project’s scope and pricing. In the end, this will help you choose and hire the right animation studio according to your requirements.
The best part about setting boundaries is that they help the creative minds working on your project steer clear of the dreaded blank canvas syndrome, that paralysing mental block that can leave artists staring into the void.
So, what should you document when setting these boundaries?
- Budget: The first thing decided in a campaign is the budget. How much can you spend on your animation campaign? This is where you take a look at the cost of 3D animationand make a list of affordable animation companies.
- Target audience:If there is one thing that you should keep in mind while planning out your animation campaign, it is most definitely your target audience. You need to ensure that the storyline and the message you convey via your animated video reaches out to the correct audience.
- Aspect ratios:Aspect ratios matter a lot when you are posting your animated video on different social medias. You can’t really use the video crafted for Youtube on Instagram. Therefore, it is best if you ask your animation service provider to create the video for a specific format. If you want to go all out on every platform, you can always get different copies of that animated ad in different aspect ratios.
- Specific styles:Animation varies in styles. It could go from realistic commercial animations to cartoon style explainer videos. You’ve got to decide what fits you best according to your brand tone, message and budget.
Fill your creative brief with as many details as possible. When your animation outsourcing team is armed with this info, crafting a killer final product becomes a breeze.
STEP 2: CHOOSE THE BEST ANIMATION COMPANY
Once the brief is clear, it is time to assemble a good animation time. Most animation projects, whether they’re for motion graphics or 3D animation, follow a waterfall format. Each step needs a thumbs-up before the team moves on to the next. So, how do you keep track of that?
Well, you could have an inhouse animation team that can work with you to bring your brief to life. Or, you could go ahead and reach out to some animation outsourcing companies. They’ll share the load so that you can get that campaign out ASAP.
However, if you don’t have an inhouse animation team, don’t try to DIY your animated video. You can handle the pre production but it is best to leave production to the experts.
Hiring a professional animation studio will help you release a campaign that looks exactly how you envisioned it. 3D animation companies around the world have teams of storyboarding artists, 3D artists as well as expert animators. You’ve got an entire team dedicated to your vision. The result? A successful campaign (well, almost)!
STEP 3: MARKETING YOUR ANIMATION
Why almost? Up to now, we’ve been talking about strategy for your animation project and campaign. But don’t forget—you need a strategy for the actual marketing itself. After all, a successful animation is more than just fancy characters dancing across the screen (although we love that part too).
In the steps above you’ve figured out your target audience AND acquired the compelling content. That’s 70% of the work done and dusted. So, what next? Making sure this content reaches that audience.
Get your digital marketing team together or hire a marketing team to make sure that your video is viewed by people all around. The more views you get, the more the leads you get to convert.
Firstly, you’ve got to release that animated video onto all the social media platforms that seem relevant. However, that’s not just it. You’ve got to make use of your follower demographics, use the right hashtags and alot more of that SMO stuff.
Next, you are going to need a landing page. Seems extra? Well, 60% of marketers say their customer acquisition cost has gone up ever since they added a video to their landing page.
Additionally, a landing page will help you figure out how well the animated video campaign is doing. Just calculate the traffic on the website, the leads it gives out and get an idea of what the ROI of the animated video was. So, make sure you get a web development team on board.
In the end, remember that a stellar animation and marketing strategy lets your campaign:
- Forge an emotional connection with the audience.
- Deliver a potent message that sticks.
- Cement a strong brand identity.
GET STARTED ON YOUR ANIMATION JOURNEY TODAY
Now, with these three steps locked and loaded, you can leap into any animation project with the confidence that you’re on the right path. A well-mapped process and scope help you keep tabs on deadlines and budgets, and they ensure everyone knows what you’re aiming for and how to make it happen. Cheers to exceptional animations in the making!
Remember, if you need some extra help in there, we’ve got your back! Hire the best animation studio and get ready to run a viral animation campaign.
