Every marketing professional is well aware of the benefits of animated explainer videos. They can increase conversion rates and sales dramatically. But, they are not free. How much should you spend on your animation and how will you ensure the best possible results? Should you hire an explainer video agency or try to do it yourself and save money? Here are 3 options that can adapt to your marketing budget.
DIY animation
There are many cloud-based DIY animation services that allow free or low-cost animation. These are generally the cheapest options on the table.
For a small monthly fee, you get access to their cloud-based animation platform (like Powtoons or Vyond). Find the characters, backgrounds, texts, and templates you like within a library of limited, predesigned animations or upload your own. Choose your background and start animating!
Sounds simple right?
If you want a basic animation for presentations, for example, this could be the right option for you. However, you will have to write your own script, create your own storyboard, learn to use the basic animation tools the platform provides, record your own voiceover, select music & sound effects. This means you will end up investing a lot of time to meet your own quality standards.
Be ready to invest at least $50 and 8 -24 hours of work per minute of animation (depending on how fast you learn new skills). Of those $50, at least $25 should be invested in a high-quality voiceover and 25$ for the Vyond or Powtoons license.
Keep in mind: the quality of the end result will depend on your disposition to ensure each element of the video is high-quality, i.e. at least make sure the voiceover is well recorded, if not your video will look and sound really cheap.
If you are creating a video for your business, to sell your products or services, you probably want to portray the best image to your potential clients. So… be honest: do you think you can create a high-quality animation by yourself? If not, consider option B and C.
Hiring a freelancer
Maybe you are willing to ask for help to get better results. But your budget is still pretty tight. Hiring a freelancer is a good option. But how would you pick the right collaborators? Your video is going to need a script, storyboard, illustration, animation, musicalization, sound effects, and voiceover. Each stage requires special skills and each freelance artist you hire will have their own fees and processes. How will you pick the right budget and team for your project?
You should focus on your strengths and let other people focus on what you don’t feel comfortable with. You might be a great scriptwriter, but not so great with voiceovers and musicalization, for example. So search for a professional voiceover artist on a freelancer platform and hire them to record your script. Then select an illustrator that can create unique characters for you. And so on.
Choosing to collaborate with a freelancer can help you save time and get better results. If you choose wisely, the investment will pay off quickly. Beware though, it can be tricky to align freelancers with your project’s timeline. How will you avoid headaches and ensure optimal results when your creative team is dispersed around the world: the animators are in India, the voiceover artist is in London, the musicalization will be completed in Argentina? Plus, any minor change in any stage of the animation process can delay the video and harm the final result. Not so good.
Hiring an explainer video agency
2D animation studios are on the rise. They have popped up all over the world due to the demand for high-quality animated explainer videos for business, educational or personal projects. That means there are many options available and a wide range of prices and perks to choose from.
How to choose the right agency for you? Make a list of the features you want your video to have and start asking for quotes online. If you choose to hire an explainer video agency instead of working with a team of freelancers or trying to do it yourself, the benefits will be obvious: quality results, fast-delivery.
Sure, you will invest less time and get better results, but will your budget be enough? How expensive will it be? Do you have 5000$ to spend on an original animation?
If you are looking for the best quality-cost ratio, consider hiring an explainer video agency outside the US. You can outsource your explainer video project to an animation company in Spain or Latinamerica, like Arigato Studio. Why? You get all the benefits of working with an animation studio (bilingual project management, in-house professional team, quality guarantees) at a fraction of the cost you would normally pay if you chose an explainer video agency based in USA like Epipheo or Video Explainers
Choosing quality and saving money at the same time? Sounds good!
Learn more about Arigato Studio
If you would like to learn more about us, send us a message. We would be happy to discuss your animation project and help you get the best results within your budget.