One of the best things (marketing-wise) that has come out of the last two years is lawyers and accountants are producing more content. One of the worst things (marketing-wise) that has come out of the last two years is lawyers and accountants are producing more content! This means firms need to promote their advice and capability in new and more engaging ways. As motion graphics are one of the most potent ways to do this, we thought it would be useful to look at why, how and when lawyers and accountants should use motion graphics.
What are motion graphics?
Motion graphics (or explainer videos or animated infographics) are short, animated videos that designed to deliver the key messages around a topic in around a minute.
Study after study shows this type of video increases engagement, encourages contact and drives much more social and search traffic back to your website.
The reasons why so many viewers connect with video is simple. Video creates an emotional connection with the viewer far quicker than any other content platform because it’s so immediate, so simple and allows you to absorb the key pieces of information more quickly and more easily that wading through a traditional blog.
Of course, as many marketers will testify, simplicity is not always simple to achieve!
Making a good motion graphic is a process and we’d like to share that process (or, at least, our view of the right process) here to give lawyers and accountants a steer on how best to use motion graphics.
6 tips that’ll help lawyers and accountants make best use motion graphics
Over the last two years we have quickly had to learn how to help the lawyers and accountants we work with create motion graphics. Here are the top 6 tips we’ve learned during that time.
1. Appoint a project manager
Motion graphics will require a lot of concentration and close collaboration between a few different people – the fee earner making the point, the animator, the marketer doing the promotion and the partner signing off on the final version and the budget to name but four.
This means you need an organised and confident project manager to guide your idea from a word document to the finished video. This will probably be a member of your marketing team. However, if you don’t have the requisite skills in-house, we’d suggest you use an experienced external agency with a proven track record in producing motion graphics for lawyers and accountants.
2. Write a strong script
Good motion graphics must tell a compelling story. This starts with a strong script.
While your fee earners will be able to sketch out the point that’ll need to be made, use a wordsmith to turn that into a script that talks to your audience (i.e. the end user who is unlikely to be a qualified technician).
A professional copywriter will also understand the practicalities of a good video – tone, structure, pace and flow.
3. Proof it … then proof it again
While your language needs to be clear, jargon free and fairly informal, it does need to be correct. Use someone completely unattached to the project to proof your video for typos and possible improvements to the wording and call to action.
4. Great Design
Motion graphics are by definition a graphic medium. This means they must be visually appealing so don’t scrimp on design.
Great design not only creates a more eye-catching and engaging outcome, it also reinforces the quality of your brand. This will contribute directly to how seriously your audience takes your video and, by extension, how likely they’ll be to follow up and get in touch.
5. Seamless Animation
Motion graphics are by definition about motion and if that motion is all choppy and clunky, you won’t create the right impression. To avoid this, always use an experienced animator. Better still, use a designer with animation experience so your design and animation are totally entwined.
6. Know your audience
Motion graphics take time, effort and budget so you need to know how to reach the biggest possible audience. You will be hampered in this if your video is the wrong size, shape or length.
Before you start the production process, think about where you will be using your video and ensure your designers produce your video accordingly.
If you’d like to discuss motion graphics in more detail, please get in touch and we can find a convenient time to talk.