Decreasing Human Attention Span: How Animated Videos Help

Picture of Komal Chaturvedi
Komal Chaturvedi

Co-Founder & CEO, MotionGility

Human attention span

While watching videos, at around how many seconds do you usually drop off?

 

It could be anything between 5 to 20 seconds, but since we’re about to discuss short attention spans today, your answer matters a lot.

 

The internet is flooded with tons of content today and since each user has his own set of likes and dislikes, attracting users has become increasingly difficult for brands. 

 

Believe it or not, today’s social media users have lower patience levels and expect shorter yet crisp content for their entertainment.

 

In such demanding situations, animated videos can be of immense help allowing brands to educate, entertain, and engage their target audience all at once that too within 60 – 90 seconds. 

 

As per the latest statistics, the current human attention span stands at just 8.25 seconds which apparently, is even lower than a goldfish’s attention span. 

 

Now, this is great food for thought as it speaks about how brands of today have an effective opportunity in terms of grabbing users’ attention even within 10 seconds!

 

Let’s understand how animated videos play an important role in addressing the declining human attention span:

Role of Animated Videos in managing Shorter Attention Spans:

role of animated videos in managing shorter attention spans-01

Without a doubt, the alarming rate at which attention spans are decreasing has become a matter of concern for B2B, B2C, and even D2C marketers.

 

It’s no lie that the rise of digital media and the regular storm of information has made people adept at filtering out content irrelevant to them.

 

And this habit of users has posed a new challenge for brands in getting their message across.

 

But with animated videos, brands get an opportunity to quickly establish their authority within a few seconds with excellent brand storytelling and increase their chances of conversion.

 

As a B2B marketer, you know your target audience better than anyone else in the room.

 

Considering your audience likely possesses a limited attention span due to the barrage of information they receive daily, let’s understand more deeply how animated explainer videos come as a unique solution:

1) Animated videos are solidly engaging:

Firstly, these videos are highly engaging, meaning they can capture the attention of viewers with their excellent traits such as colorful visuals and creative animation.

 

If you compare them to static and boring text-based content, you would find that videos stand out to be more visually appealing, thus making them extremely easier to get attracted to.

 

As a result, once the viewers are made to stay for the first 10 seconds, they are 70% likely to finish watching the video completely.

 

Here, visual stimulation can help combat the challenge of low attention timelines and help in holding their attention for a longer duration.

2) Animated videos help simplify complex concepts:

In industries like SaaS, blockchain, fintech, etc., it becomes really difficult to communicate what your product is all about to the target audience especially when you have shorter time frames.

 

In such scenarios, videos can help convey product features, and benefits, and highlight core points in a clear and concise manner.

 

By leveraging the power of animation, the representation of abstract concepts in a visual setup becomes easy, making it digestible for the ultimate customers.

 

This allows them to easily digest your complex product, and comprehend the USP in a better way while also making it memorable.

3) Animated videos are highly entertaining:

animated videos are highly entertaining

As stated above, brand storytelling has helped brands establish an emotional connection with their target audience.

 

To build trust and credibility in their minds, it becomes essential to develop interpersonal relations with them.

 

Animation videos come with a compelling video script that includes a strong storyline which helps in building brand awareness and in leaving a lasting impression on the viewers.

 

Also, the use of humor can be well accommodated with such videos to engage and entertain the target audience effectively.

4) Animated videos are versatile in nature:

As a brand owner, you cannot simply ignore the fact that your end users aren’t going to stick to your content if it doesn’t entertain them.

 

This calls for repurposing your videos as per the guidelines and user behavior of different platforms.

 

Since these videos can be utilized across various marketing channels from social platforms to email marketing campaigns, their versatile nature can be capitalized in testing how many seconds how viewers stick to the video before scrolling past away.

 

The results thus derived would help brands find out the delivery of their core message on different platforms, thus helping them create more coherent videos to better defeat the tiny attention spans.

 

Now that you are thorough with the role animated videos can play in addressing decreasing attention spans, check out our best tips on creating similar videos:

How to make effective Animated Videos: 5 Best Tips

decreasing human attention span: how animated videos help

Pick any best-performing animated video and you will find a few common similarities in terms of simplicity, attractiveness, and conciseness.

 

Surely, creating videos can be a challenging task but when you follow a set-defined process used by animated explainer video production companies, you are likely to produce highly entertaining and engaging videos.

 

Here are some tips to keep in mind when creating animated videos:

 

Keep it Simple: Animated videos should be simple and easy-flowing. Try focusing on communicating the key message and staying away from involving any complex elements that may turn off your target audience.

 

Use Humor: Humor is a mighty tool for engaging viewers. Using humor in the form of storytelling in your videos may help you in encouraging your viewers to engage with your videos.

 

Focus on Storytelling: Develop a compelling narrative around your key message and direct your efforts in your animated explainer video’s script toward establishing an emotional relationship with your viewers.

 

Use High-Quality Animation: The quality of animation is critical as it ensures that the animation is of high quality and reflects your brand’s style and tone.

 

Keep it Short: Animated videos should be short and to the point. Keep the video under 2 minutes to ensure that viewers don’t lose interest.

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Conclusion:

Animation-based videos can be an excellent choice to counter shorter attention spans and get attract your audience.

 

Keeping in mind the above benefits and the tips for creating such videos, we’re sure you will be able to produce a high-performing video to attain your branding and marketing goals.

 

However, if you want us to do that for you, our expert team of visualizers, illustrators, and animators can help you out in creating an excellent and appealing animated explainer video.

 

Get in touch with our expert today and let’s get rolling.

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