Whiteboard animated video is making a comeback! Like a monster from an old movie, this classic style is making a return in full force. Whiteboard animated video production fell out of favor there for a while, as marketers opted for flashier animation styles. Nonetheless, the whiteboard style is a timeless look and it is very popular with viewers. We experience higher engagement rates on Twitter and more views on Facebook from whiteboard vs other video styles. There’s something magnetic about it!
What is a Whiteboard Animated Video?
It’s a style where the images are drawn with a pen while the user watches. It can be created by filming someone who is drawing the images and then speeding this up in a stop-motion style. Alternatively, by using software where the pen and hand are added by the computer. Here’s an example below:
Why Whiteboard Video?
It’s very engaging! Whiteboard animation is really cool to watch. Ultimately, the pen keeps viewers mesmerized. There are also more practical advantages. Whiteboard animated video production tends to go smoothly and there are far fewer potential problems in production. A big reason for that is that the images aren’t animated, so your storyboard pretty much equals your final animation minus the hand doing the actual drawing. Another big advantage is that the cost can be lower than full animation.
Disadvantages
Some marketers view whiteboard as simplistic and old-fashioned. Though, that perception is changing again. Other styles of animation are more flexible for creating a video that’s truly tailored to your brand. With whiteboard video production, the images don’t move and the main movement is the hand drawing with the pen. With other styles of animation, you have the ability to create flowing animation that tells a story.
Let’s hear from a Marketer
This is Mariann. She’s a growth consultant and is one of our clients. By the way, if you think you may need a growth consultant you should check her out at www.mcdgrowth.com. She does a lot for her clients, and is a lot of fun to work with!
Mariann has made her share of whiteboard videos, so we asked her for her perspective. She had this to say: “Whiteboard videos are a great way to take a complex story and make it clear, simple, and understandable. And they are a very effective driver of web traffic and click-throughs too.”
Is Whiteboard Animated Video for you?
That totally depends on your outlook. If you want something unique, then it may be better to go for another style. But if you want something that really works and that people love to watch, then whiteboard is the option for you. The style also naturally lends itself to tutorials and educational content.
The Future of Whiteboard
Creating a drawing while the viewer watches… it’s a timeless idea. There are other variants like grey-boarding and using chalkboards. It would be so cool to see funky new ways of doing this. Yeah, good idea, we’ll do it sometime.
Talk to us about your whiteboard video project.
