Image by Emily Zheng
Animation is the espresso shot of B2B marketing: short, powerful, and guaranteed to wake people up. Done right, it can turn “just browsing” into “tell me more” in under a minute. Done wrong, it’s another skipped video in someone’s feed.
Want your animation to stop the scroll and help people remember your message? Here are our top five tips.
1. Know where it’ll live and why it’s there
Before you break out the storyboards, determine the goals for your animation and where it’s going to play.
- Solving a customer headache?
- Explaining a product feature?
- Pumping up the crowd before a keynote?
Your goals (such as awareness, education, and sales enablement) and locations (such as landing page, event screen, and social platforms) will decide everything from length to tone to design style. That epic two-minute deep dive video might work great on your website, but folks may not sit through it at a conference.
2. Get inside your audience’s heads
Who’s watching? What do they need from you? Are they…
- …a hands-on tech lead who wants the details?
- …an exec who only needs the “why it matters” in 30 seconds?
- …someone who has never heard of you before?
The more you know about where your audience is coming from, the easier it’ll be to maintain engagement by serving them exactly the right amount of detail (at the right length).
3. Match the design to the moment
Different animations work for different audiences. Think about:
- Where it’ll play: On a big screen at an event? On your LinkedIn? Embedded in a sales deck?
- What you’ve got: Are you starting with brand assets? Need custom illustrations? Going heavy on UI mockups or stock footage?
- How you’ll amp it up: Voiceover? Music? Sound effects? All of the above?
An event “sizzle” might need bold graphics, fast cuts, and exciting music. A product demo? Go for clean UI animation and a voiceover that explains without overwhelming.
4. Keep feedback flowing
Animations take shape one layer at a time. Routine feedback sessions keep the creative process aligned with your brand and objectives. Expect to review:
- Scripts and messaging
- Storyboards and style frames
- Animation previews with text, brand, and polish
Schedule regular check-ins and keep relevant people in the loop. Nothing kills momentum faster than a two-week wait for feedback.
5. Plan your timeframe…and add buffer
A high-quality animation doesn’t happen overnight. Depending on complexity, expect 6–10 weeks from kickoff to final delivery. Add more buffer if you need a complex UI, custom illustrations, or a few extra rounds of tweaks.
Plan ahead, especially if you’re targeting an event date or campaign launch, and give your team enough time to review without cutting corners.
Bring your story to life
The best marketing animations are clear, audience-focused, and designed with purpose, but they also have a spark that makes people want to watch. Nail our five tips and your animation will do more than look good—it’ll deliver results. Need some inspo? Check out our latest sizzle reel. Ready to make your story move? Let’s chat!