Marketing is one of the primary strategies companies choose to find ways to set themselves apart from the competition, and the healthcare industry is no exception. As technology has evolved, so too has our ability to portray information in new and exciting ways. Animation is one such area where great innovation has allowed for uniqueness among brands to flourish.

While the animation is traditionally viewed as being used on television for commercials, the actual use can be for so much more. In fact, 73% of B2B marketers and 70% of B2C marketers currently use content marketing as part of their overall strategy, encompassing social media, websites, and other advertising platforms.

Learning what animated content is can help any healthcare brand create or bolster its content marketing strategy.

What is Animated Content?

In short, animated videos are videos that have been created with designs, drawings, or computer-generated effects and made to move in an appealing way. In some cases, they will use live-action components, but most animated videos are completely digital without real people involved.

The overall goal is to narrate an idea or message, and most animated videos have a script just like live-action videos. Overall, the main selling point for animated content is that it tends to be more attention-grabbing than a standard filmed live-action video, keeping the mood light while sending a message to a viewer.

Are Animated Videos Better than Live-Action Videos in Healthcare?

In the healthcare industry, one of the most effective content marketing strategies is to use both animated and live-action videos. The reasoning for using both is that healthcare is an industry that requires emotion to some degree. Healthcare commercials on television are an excellent chance for live-action as real actors can bring this emotional weight.

However, to portray information or to use it as a visual aid in advertisements on other platforms, animated videos are likely the best choice.

How Can Animated Videos Benefit a Healthcare Brand

It’s one thing to understand what animated videos are, but learning the benefits of animated videos in healthcare can help any organization integrate it into their marketing strategy:

1. Animated videos can be used to educate patients

When informing patients of medical conditions, medical operations, or really anything medical-related that may not be commonly known, animated videos can help. Whether explaining sensitive topics such as how cancer works or simply how surgery may help, an animated video can show the actual process on a molecular level, adding context to a verbal description.

2. New customers can see what your brand has to offer

If you are a healthcare brand that provides a service, using animated videos as opposed to living action can help you stand out by creating something visually different to attract attention. Additionally, animated content allows for overcoming the language barrier, by visually showing products and concepts.

3. Improved conversions and overall ROI

When attempting to get viewers to visit your healthcare site or business as opposed to others, standing out is the name of the game. Recent studies have shown that corporate animations can boost conversions by 80%, which can also result in ROI. Regardless of where you’re advertising a new product, service, or purpose, animated videos can capture attention that live-action videos don’t.

4. Training for new hires

Finally, one unique way animated videos can be of benefit to healthcare brands is with the training of new hires or even healthcare students. In fact, studies have found that the adoption of 3D animation as a teaching tool had higher significance in learning than standard 2D.

Three Considerations When Using Animation in Healthcare

Unlike other industries that use animated content in their marketing or brand strategy, healthcare is a little more complicated. There are three primary considerations to keep in mind when ordering animation work:

1. Legal approvals will be required: Healthcare is an extremely regulated space, which means legal reviews will be required to make sure that everything portrayed doesn’t violate any legal parameters.

2. The proper tone must be set: As mentioned, healthcare can be a complicated field where complex and sensitive matters are discussed. Due to this, it’s important to tell the animation team behind the content what the tone of the message should be.

3. Scientific accuracy is a must: Above all, while animated content is designed to be more light-hearted and easier to follow, it must follow the science. This means that providing animators with a script for content should also describe in-depth all necessary scientific components.

Benefits of Using Animated Videos

There are a few standout benefits of animated videos that may convince any healthcare organization to integrate them into their marketing strategy:

• Cheaper overall cost than using live-action actors
• Greater flexibility in terms of creativity and timeline scheduling
• Omits unnecessary verbiage and allows ideas to be communicated quickly
• Allows complex topics to be broken down on a visual level
• Easier to go back and edit the content later
• A larger audience can be reached by removing language barriers among other factors

Some organizations may see more benefit from using animated videos within their business than others. As a whole, however, integrating a different form of advertising in conjunction with your current content marketing strategy can help you stand out from the competition that is not doing the same. Take the time to think about how animated videos and general content can be worked into your television, social media, or other ad campaigns.

Set yourself apart from the competition

The healthcare industry is a space where sensitive and complex information needs to be discussed. Whether you are trying to drive interest in patients to partake in certain health-related activities or you are attempting to share complex news with a patient, animated videos can help get the point across. Don’t hesitate to reach out to an accredited animated designer to help you share information in a new way and to set your organization apart from the competition.