Motion Media and Video in the World of Content Marketing

Here's how you can surely capture the attention of your audience. 

Video and motion graphics are becoming a game changer when it comes to content marketing, but knowing the right ways to implement them are important.

In recent years, we have seen a rise in video based content as well as video-based advertising, and it's no secret as to why.

Horizontal or Vertical Orientation

As a film student alumni, instinctually I am keen to say that horizontal video is the way to go if you are trying to put a professional foot forward. Until the evolution of Snapchat or IGTV, all consumable media-- whether it be YouTube, TV, or movies-- was found exclusively in a horizontal format. With the surge of Snapchat and IGTV however, other platforms are rising to the occasion, and vertical video is becoming increasingly more accepted.

Choosing which orientation is right for you depends on which platforms you plan on distributing your creations, but it’s also important to consider your branding. Companies with a more casual online image are more suitable for the inclusion of vertical video than those with a more classic, polished presence. Even if you have a more classic brand, sometimes it is worth testing a new style or strategy to see if it yields better results.

Long or Short Duration

As much as we hear about users' ever-declining attention spans, studies show that users are actually looking for short, consumable video content AND longer video content to digest. What is more important to consider, is what length users are looking for on each platform. There are expectations set on certain platforms, such as 1 minute videos on Instagram, and longer videos on IGTV. There are a wide span of varying lengths on platforms like YouTube-- but different genres tend to be different lengths. People are more willing to sit and watch a Ted Talk for 25 minutes than that they are for a 25 minute "quick tip" video or anything like that.

Animated or Live Action

Depending on your industry, plan of distribution, your budget or in-house talent, you may be decide that you would prefer to stick to animated graphics than a true live action video. There isn't really a right or wrong choice here; it's a matter of preference, and they aren't mutually exclusive. If you tend to have live action videos such as interviews or commercials, you can still integrate some motion into your normally static graphics. Having an animated graphic is likely to outperform a static one. 

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No matter whether your video is horizontal, vertical, long, short, live action or animated, it's important to take the time to consider the various elements that represent your brand on screen. As with any other content, your brand should be consistent in every detail and every frame. Taking the time to research what that means from a visual stand point is critical, and a similar process to the original branding process. Your customers or clients should always be able to watch your content and clearly identify your brand. If you keep all this in mind, video and motion media may just turn out to be one of your most successful forms of content marketing yet! Set your marketing in motion.