Video Marketing
13
min read
Animated video marketing is one of the most underused but high-impact tools in 2025. This guide shows you how to use animation to boost clarity, engagement, and conversions—plus how to choose the right style, production method, and tools for your goals. If you want standout videos without the agency price tag, this is where to start.
In 2025, video has become the language of modern marketing. It’s how brands explain, persuade, and stay remembered. And yet, most teams still overlook one of its most powerful formats: video animation production.
Only 24% of marketers focus on animated video — a format uniquely suited for explaining complex ideas, grabbing attention, and creating memorable brand experiences. That gap presents a rare opportunity for teams willing to think visually.
Animation helps you explain faster, connect deeper, and stay memorable. It works across industries and channels, especially at the top and middle of the funnel — where attention is hard to earn and even harder to keep. TodayMade offers a smarter alternative — helping brands create animated videos with agency-level quality, minus the usual cost or delay.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s start with why animation performs better than most marketers expect.
When done right, animation does more than just look good. It’s engineered for attention, clarity, and persuasion. That’s exactly what marketers need at the top and middle of the funnel.
Let’s break down why marketing video animation outperforms static content and even live‑action in key marketing moments.
In the endless scroll of social feeds and landing pages, movement is one of the few things that can still pause a thumb. Motion triggers what psychologists call a pre‑attentive response — our brains are wired to notice things that move before we even decide to.
That’s what makes an animated promotional video production so powerful at the top of the funnel. It’s visual, dynamic, and optimized for catching eyes quickly, especially when 78% of consumers say they prefer video to text when learning about a product (Wyzowl, 2025).
Take Madrinas Coffee’s 2D animated commercial by Studio Pigeon. In just 30 seconds, it captures attention with fluid character animation, vibrant brand colors, and a tone that feels fresh and fun. There’s no hard sell, just a clear vibe. That’s what works.
Attention is a currency. Animation earns it early.
Whether you're selling software, pitching a new process, or introducing a category‑defining product, clarity is key. Animation lets you visualize abstract concepts that live action can’t touch.
You can show how a data layer works. How molecules behave. How invisible problems unfold, and how your solution fixes them.
Research confirms what marketers already know: animated web video production outperform talking heads when it comes to explaining complex or unfamiliar topics.
Animation doesn’t just hold attention — it helps people remember what they saw.
When viewers watch a video, they retain 95% of the message on average, compared to just 10% when reading text. And that retention translates into performance. Landing pages with an explainer video convert up to 86% better than those without (Yans Media).
So yes, a well-crafted video and animation production doesn’t just make your brand more memorable. It drives action.
Animation helps brands show up with a recognizable voice — not just through words, but through color, movement, and tone. These visual cues, like strong logos or motion systems, reinforce brand identity — much like the graphic design examples that elevate perception at every touchpoint.
It also builds trust. 91% of consumers say video quality affects how they perceive a brand (Wyzowl, 2025), and animation often delivers polish and consistency that text or static design can’t match.
One standout example: Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Factory”. This 2006 animated ad invites viewers into a magical world inside a vending machine, turning a simple product moment into a joyful brand story. No dialogue. Just pure emotion, movement, and Coca-Cola’s unmistakable tone.
That’s the power of animation: it builds memory and trust without saying a word.
Animation used to be a big‑budget affair. Today, it’s one of the most affordable ways to create high‑performing video content.
It doesn’t require sets, crews, or cameras — just a good storyboard, a sense of timing, and an understanding of how illustrations cost compared to live action production. Modern software and AI platforms make it easy for teams to build high‑quality animations in-house — a strong tactic in any budget-friendly content marketing strategy. Many brands now use hybrid setups: script and direction in‑house, animation outsourced, or vice versa. That balance keeps budgets flexible without sacrificing quality.
Most importantly, animation gives you creative freedom. You’re not limited by physics, locations, or actors. You can visualize a microscopic process, compress time, or design a fictional universe — all without leaving your desk.
Animation earns its place in the marketing mix by grabbing attention, explaining clearly, and building trust. But to make it truly work, the style has to match the message.
Next, let’s look at how to choose the right animation style for your goal.
Different messages call for different visual languages. The right video animation production style doesn’t just make your content visually appealing. It shapes how your audience understands and responds to your message.
Let’s match common marketing goals to animation styles that work best.
A few tips when choosing a style:
Once you've chosen the right style for your message, it’s time to bring your idea to life. Here’s how to turn a concept into a finished animated video without getting overwhelmed.
If you’re ready to turn an idea into motion, here’s a practical walkthrough of the process — with just the tools that matter. You don’t need a full studio to get started. Just follow the key stages and choose the right level of complexity for your budget and skillset.
Every video starts with intent. Are you driving awareness? Explaining a product? Converting leads? The answer shapes your tone, pacing, and animation style.
Keep it short and structured. Around 150 words per minute of video is a good benchmark. Open with a hook, keep your message clear, and end with a call to action — the same principles used in writing a great blog.
Tip: Write it like you're talking to one person.
No need to over-design. Sketch out your scenes to show what happens visually and when. Tools like Canva, Procreate, or even a Google Slides storyboard template work well here.
Pick what fits your skills and budget:
Don’t skip the audio. A clear voiceover and music track make a huge difference in how professional your video feels.
Use basic tools like Descript or DaVinci Resolve to fine-tune pacing, add captions, or make quick cuts. AI tools like OpusClip and Runway can automate editing and generate short, shareable clips from longer videos.
Watch your video as a viewer would. Check for clarity, timing, and audio quality. Add subtitles for accessibility, and make sure the CTA is easy to follow.
Then publish, track performance and iterate. Once you’ve mapped out your script and visuals, the next step is deciding who will bring it to life — you, a freelancer, or a full-service studio? Let’s break down the best production paths for different budgets and goals.
Once you’ve got your script and concept, the next big decision is: who’s going to make your video? Here are three common paths — and how to know which one fits your goals, timeline, and budget.
If you just need a quick explainer or social video and don’t mind templates, DIY platforms like Canva, Vyond, or Animaker can get you moving fast. You don’t need design experience — just a few clicks and you’ve got motion.
It’s a great way to test ideas. But expect lower visual quality and limited customization. And yes, you’ll need to carve out your own time to make it happen.
This is the sweet spot for many startups and SMBs. You handle the strategy, script, or voiceover, and outsource the animation to a freelance motion designer or small studio.
You keep creative control without getting buried in the details. Plus, tools like Figma, Procreate, and Descript make collaboration easier than ever.
This is the most flexible path — and often where the best value lives.
If you’re launching a product, running a major campaign, or need a cinematic brand story, working with a full-service studio is the way to go. Agencies handle everything — concept, script, design, animation, audio, and testing.
It’s premium work, but it comes with premium pricing. The upside? Top-tier creative, hands-off production, and strategic guidance.
Subscription-based design agencies like TodayMade can also give you ongoing support at a flat monthly rate — great for teams that need consistent video output, not just a one-off project.
Still unsure which path makes sense for you? Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide:
Before you hire a graphic designer or animator, always check the reel, clarify the number of revision rounds, and make sure you own the final source files.
Creating a great animated video is only half the job. To know whether it’s truly effective, you need to measure how it performs — a mindset rooted in the principles of scientific advertising, where creative decisions are guided by measurable outcomes.
Video consistently proves to be one of the highest-performing content formats. According to Wyzowl’s 2025 report:
But to get those kinds of results, you need to track the right marketing KPIs based on where the video fits into your funnel.
Creating an animated video is only the first step; knowing whether it works is what turns creativity into strategy. Measuring performance helps you understand not only how people engage with your content but also how it contributes to your business goals.
Video consistently proves its impact. According to Wyzowl’s 2025 report:
These numbers show that well‑executed video content drives measurable business results. But success depends on what you measure and why you measure it.
Each stage of the customer journey tells a different part of the story. By matching metrics to funnel stages, you can see how your animated video attracts, engages, and converts viewers.
1. Top of funnel (TOFU): Building awareness
At this stage, your goal is to capture attention and spark curiosity. Focus on reach and engagement indicators — the same signals that define social media success — such as:
2. Middle of funnel (MOFU): Nurturing interest
Once viewers understand your brand, the goal shifts to maintaining attention and encouraging action. Metrics here reveal how well your message resonates:
3. Bottom of funnel (BOFU): Driving conversions
At the decision stage, performance is measured by how effectively your video turns engagement into revenue. Track:
Beyond funnel metrics, there are secondary indicators worth watching. Metrics like website dwell time, support ticket reduction, and social shares or comments help capture the broader influence of your video on brand perception and customer satisfaction.
To understand the financial impact, use a simple ROI formula:
ROI = (Revenue from video – Cost of production) / Cost of production
For instance, if you spent $3,000 on an animated explainer and it helped generate $12,000 in new revenue, your ROI would be 300%.
Improving video ROI often comes down to small, strategic adjustments — the same tweaks that can boost your marketing strategy across content types. You can:
Understanding the impact of your animation is essential, but it’s just the beginning. Once you know what works, you can refine, repeat, and scale. Whether you're testing a one-off explainer or building a long-term content strategy, the takeaway is simple: animation isn’t just effective — it’s repeatable, measurable, and built for modern marketing.
Now let’s wrap it all up.
Video is now a core part of how brands connect with their audiences — a natural evolution in the history of content marketing. And within that, animation stands out as one of the most versatile and impactful formats available. It brings clarity to complex ideas, boosts conversions, and creates a consistent brand experience across channels.
As production becomes more accessible and tools get smarter, animation is no longer reserved for big-budget campaigns. It’s an option for teams of all sizes, whether you’re launching a new product, educating users, or building a presence in a crowded market.
If you want motion design that drives results without the agency overhead, TodayMade can help. With flat monthly pricing, fast turnaround times, and a creative team that understands both storytelling and conversion, we’re built for brands that want to scale their design output without compromising on quality.
Let’s bring your product to life. Start with TodayMade.
