Christmas is the time when consumers spend the most, so it makes sense to get your brand’s name out there to beat the competition. In fact, when it comes to any holiday, whether Halloween, Easter, or Mother’s Day, brand competition is fierce.
Because of this, every brand out there is trying to make itself known. The result is that customers and users are constantly bombarded with new campaigns, and so experience email overload, mobile device fog, social media fatigue.
This means it could be time to consider a new approach when it comes to telling the world what you have to offer.
For something a little more fun and creative, consider investing in video marketing to stand out from the crowd. Animated explainer videos are not only eye-catching, but are a great way of getting information across without feeling like your message is too forced.
Animated marketing videos also allow you to engage with your target audience and drive sales because of this. All you need is a little imagination!
If you’re wondering where to begin, here are seven timeless ideas to get you started on your holiday video content.
1. Make The Most of Social Media
Millions of people use social media every day, which makes it the perfect platform to get your message across.
When we watch television ads, we are essentially watching promotional videos about products, aware businesses are trying to sell us something. The key to making a modern video on social media is to not overtly sell to customers. Instead, you want to entertain, inform, and innovate so you can engage your audience.
This is the perfect opportunity to think outside the box and use your unique selling points to make a fun promotional video. Then think about how you can link this to the holidays.
Maybe you could spend a day with your call center staff and ask them to talk about their favorite Christmas memory, all whilst dressed as elves. Or if, for example, you sell artisanal bath products, you could make an animation discussing facts about the festive ingredients you use.
Remember to include upbeat music and bright colors to catch people’s attention on social media.
2. Say Thank You
The end of the year is the perfect opportunity to say thank you to your customers. Why not make an animated marketing video that appreciates people, rather than pushes sales on them?
There’s no bad time to show people a little bit of love and let them know you’re grateful to have them on your side. Yet at Christmas, spirits are usually a little higher and love is all around. Okay, that is very cheesy. But use that cheese and give a big old cheddar-y thank you to people.
Even if you have been working remotely, there are ways to gather your team together to say thank you.
You can even collect statistics from the year and use that in the thank you video. For example, you could say: “This year, 300,000 people read our blogs. 2,000 people invested in our latest IVRs technology. And 75% of our users gave us 5-star reviews. So, to all our users, we say a massive THANK YOU!!”
Doing this is also a good way to plant seeds in people’s minds regarding the products you sell.
After you have made the online video, share it on your socials or send it to the customers on your email list. Don’t forget to make sure the online video is accessible on mobile devices, too!
3. Make A Video Card
Everybody loves receiving a card. Why not modernize this tradition and turn it into video content? You could make this as simple or elaborate as you want. As long as you are wishing your customers the best, the video content world is your oyster.
Keep in mind a video card is an opportunity to be happy and fun, so it’s okay to stick on a Santa hat and dance around with a stick of brussels sprouts singing Jingle Bells (if that’s what you want). Just don’t spend twenty minutes talking about product lifecycle management software or annual finance.
Making a card is an excellent way to get the team involved and show a bit of personality. It might also be what is needed to make your business stick in the customer’s head and drive sales. Remember though, that the point of a video card is to send positive vibes and give thanks to your customers. Just like you would if you were sending a card to family or friends.
Source: Youtube/ Red Spot Interactive Company Holiday Video
Of course, if you don’t have the means to shoot your own live-action video from scratch, you can always get started with a customizable holiday video template. You may be wondering, “how much does it cost to make a animated marketing video?” The truth is, with the right tools, not that much. This free template is available to Vyond customers, and is another good example of businesses spreading holiday cheer (without the cost of producing a video yourself). You can find others like it in Vyond’s Video Template Library.
4. Remember The Good Times
One of the best things about the holidays is taking a trip down memory lane. Do you remember sneaking into your sibling’s room at 4 AM, convinced you had just seen a reindeer? Or how about that time your best friend dressed up as a spider on Halloween but only had three arms? Once you get talking, you will soon realize there’s a lot to talk about.
Capture that nostalgia on video and make it into a fun short film to share with your customers.
It doesn’t matter how big your business is, with the right subject, you can still make an engaging promotional video. Again, this is a chance to think outside the box and show you are human. You could ask people’s favorite thing about the season. Or about a family tradition. There will be a guaranteed funny story and you may be surprised how much people have in common.
This is also an excellent chance to celebrate team diversity and explore the differences in the company that make the team great.
Talking about nostalgia on-camera bridges the gap between customer and company. It’s an excellent way of bringing people together and showing how similar we all are. This is also an opportunity for customers to comment on their favorite things too, which starts a dialogue and creates engagement with your company.
5. Create An Explainer Video
There is so much to do over Christmas that sometimes, no matter how exciting the season can be, it’s hectic too. That makes now a good time for you to sweep in and make an animated explainer video or “how-to” video, to save people hassle where possible.
And this type of short film isn’t just for the crafty companies out there. It doesn’t matter if you deal with contact center workforce optimization or make hand-made chocolates. With a bit of imagination, there is a how-to vid out there for everyone.
It could be that you make a “How to get the best discounts during Black Friday” video. Or “How to make five-minute chocolate truffles”. As long as it’s something that will benefit your customer, it will get engagement.
You could even make a point that these are secrets you wouldn’t normally give away, but as it’s occasion X, you want to give your customers a little treat. You want to save them time and money so they can enjoy the season.
It’s basically about being there for your customers so they will be there for you too.
6. Make It Fun
When it comes to the holidays, people don’t want to be reminded of work or stress. They want to take it easy and have fun. The holidays are also a time of excitement and atmosphere. That’s what makes them so great. So make a video that reflects that.
This could mean creating a video where everyone dresses up and the background is decorated. It could mean making a fun animation or adding relevant graphics. Remember, making a video like this isn’t the same as making a TED talk about customer service technology. It’s an opportunity to let your hair down and be silly.
Sure, you might work overly hard 11.5 months of the year, but for two weeks, you are chilled out and fun. And a real person. Leave the automation workflow video for January and put your all into it then. But for now, go on… put on those weird elf shoes and sing along to Mariah Carey as loud as you can. Then film it and send it to your customers.
7. Set Up The Shot
Use that imagination and think like a real film-maker to make an authentic holiday video. If it’s Halloween, you could rent a smoke machine and dim the lights. Whilst if it is for Christmas, use greens and reds where you can and make more of a ‘warm’ atmosphere. It never hurts to throw in some fake snow too.
Use those project management skills to organize and think in-depth as to what will make your video pop with authenticity. Don’t forget to add in props and some post-production graphics too.
It’s these added extras that make your video stand out and show that you care about making your customers smile.
Source: Youtube/ Christmas Video 2017 | eDreams ODIGEO
Making an animated marketing video is meant to be exciting, so make sure that is reflected in the film and your customers will get that fun vibe too. This way, it won’t matter if your audience has had a good or bad year. They are guaranteed to smile and feel a little bit more connected to your brand.
Video messages are an engaging and modern way to capture the true spirit of your company. What are you waiting for? Let’s get out there and spread some video cheer!
Make Animated Marketing Videos for Your Business
Vyond’s animated video software makes it easy to professional-grade holiday videos without the expense of live-action video. Your subscription to Vyond includes templates and prebuilt scenes for speedy video making, including fun and festive holiday-themed videos like this animated explainer video of Noche Buena:
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About the Author
John Allen, Director, Global SEO at RingCentral, a global UCaaS and VoIP conferencing phone software provider. He has over 14 years of experience and an extensive background in building and optimizing digital marketing programs. He has written for websites such as Vyond, Nextdoor and UserTesting.
