Too many choices…

This is true for many things these days, Netflix, the Cheesecake Factory menu, and all the different marketing assets out there, begging for you to invest in them.

There are endless options that probably feel impossible to navigate.

But, if you’re subscribed to this newsletter, I’m assuming two things are true:

1. You know the power video holds to build trust and gain attention.

2. You wish you were clearer on how to leverage that power.

So today, we’re zooming in on a facet of video that trips up a lot of founders or marketers, usually of startups…

Animated Videos vs. Live Action Videos

We’re gonna break this down into 2 simple categories so I don’t waste any of your time today.

Visualization and human connection.

Visualization

Overview

This covers the simplest utility that video offers, visualizing things instead of explaining them on paper. The difference here comes down to the nature of your product or service, and the important aspects of it that need to be translated to customers or investors

Live Action

From the standpoint of visualizing the thing you do best, live action video is unparalleled if that thing primarily runs on human interaction, or customers need to picture themselves taking part in it. Also, it can often position your company with a higher status or perceived image by simply showing off your team hard at work or the smile on your customers faces when they do business with you, something that animated videos don’t accomplish.

Animated

Animated videos have the unique ability to visualize things that can’t be shown in real life or physical form. It can break down vastly complex ideas in a way that a child could understand. It’s incredibly effective for highly detailed, conceptual discussions about new and innovative products or services.

Human Connection

Overview

This is the aspect of video that connects with people on a deeper level than just relaying information. It’s the elements that build trust, familiarity, and deep resonance between you and the viewer.

Live Action

Live action video excels in this area for a number of reasons, the simplest being the face-to-face connection with the actual people behind the company. Seeing the people doing the work and hearing about the love and intention that goes into that work creates a bond between them and any likeminded audience members. The better you execute this, the more that audience will feel like they know you. The same applies to video that focuses on the customers or clients that you’ve helped, sharing their experience in a way that others can relate to.

Animated

Animated videos can still tell a strong story about the people behind a company or the people who were positively impacted by that company, but it doesn’t quite stack up against live action video for this specific application. Those elements are still amazing to include in any animated video, but it can be much more difficult to make them stick the way that a live action video does. Though it’s important to note, a tech startup may not need the same level of human connection in it’s branding that a healthcare startup would, it all depends on what kind of trust you need to build, purely data-driven, or on a more personal level.

The Conclusion?

Animated videos excel at making people understand.

Live action videos excel at making people feel.

Your audience understanding the details, and feeling the personal touch behind your work, are both vital to any successful video strategy.

So, consider using these two types of video content for different applications in your marketing, or even combining them, depending on the goal of the video.

Hopefully you gained some insight from this, feel free to reply to this email to let me know any thoughts or questions you might have.

I also go into this topic in a bit more detail in my new youtube video, you can find it on our channel linked below.

And of course, click here if you’d like to book a free 15 minute strategy call if you could use some guidance on where to start with your content strategy, thank you!

-James