Are Animated Videos the Perfect Mouthpiece for Start-ups? Animated videos are also ideal for start-ups as they are affordable to produce

Start-ups face numerous problems often stemming from resource constraints. While creating compelling products or market relevant services is important, it is imperative that start-ups don't forget about their end customers; especially since they have to bear the burden of proving themselves in the marketplace. Focusing on customers usually involves customer acquisition and building and strengthening existing customer relationships. However, the digital economy has created an information overload, making brand building and customer reaching activities increasingly difficult, even for start-ups with substantial resources. Another factor that drains the potential of start-ups, an aspect which is often overlooked, is human resources.

Vicious Cycle of Hiring and Re-hiring

Stories about founders multi-tasking, including taking care of customer related functions, are not new. This invariably casts a shadow upon the relationship that needs to be built with a customer and can have an adverse impact on a start-up's future, not only when it comes to the quality of their offering but also the reputation it creates in the marketplace. The solution is to hire people to take care of such activities. However, the outcomes are not always desirable. Apart from the costs involved which a start-up cannot necessarily afford, the entire process of hiring, orientation, and training can be quite time-consuming. The bigger problem, however, lies in the inherent inefficiency that is born out of inconsistent service delivery and high employee attrition rates. Start-ups often fall into a painful cycle of re-hiring, burdening their scant resources even further and potentially sounding the death knell before even getting a chance to take off.

Why Animated Videos

This is where animated videos come into play. Animated videos are efficient and effective tools that can be used to automate repetitive tasks. People are unpredictable and can get tired. Animated videos, on the other hand, provide the same information accurately every single time. They can be used successfully for disseminating standard information whether it involves making a sales pitch, demonstrating a product, answering the most frequent queries or even for internal purposes. For instance, when an organization makes a new hire, animated videos can be used to effectively to orient the new employee and to provide the requisite training without taxing other employees.

What Makes them a Desired Proposition

Animated videos are also ideal for start-ups as they are affordable to produce. Increasing internet speeds, lower data costs and the significant proliferation of smartphones have also made videos easily shareable. Most importantly, they can save businesses a lot of time by delivering the correct message consistently anywhere and anytime. Start-ups or any business for that matter, require customer service teams from time to time to handle unique queries. In such situations, animated videos can reduce the burden on teams by taking care of mundane information that needs to be communicated to customers. This not only improves the efficiency of teams but also makes the entire experience more pleasant for customers.

A Few Scenarios

Let's look at a few common scenarios most start-ups are likely to experience at some point in time. A B2B salesperson goes to make a presentation to a potential client. The salesperson is made to wait and then asked to come back the next day. The executive does so but perhaps misses out on narrating a few points and requires a follow-up call. Why should emerging businesses go through all this when an animated video can easily provide all relevant information in a visually engaging manner at a time that the customer would like to view it? An animated video ensures that the delivery is precise, information is accurate and the salesperson is available to answer any further questions before closing the deal. Let's consider another case. A firm launches a new mobile app with complicated features that would require a demonstration or orientation for existing/new customers. Rather than being inundated with calls about the same issue, an animated video can be used by marketers to explain the app in a fun and entertaining way. This reduces the need to assign multiple employees to handle information requests and allows for a smaller team to take care of critical customer queries.

In short, animated videos allow for standard message delivery and basic automation without complex or expensive AI. They can be used by start-ups to provide information in a simple and attractive yet cost-effective manner, ensuring a consistent level of quality and accuracy that may not necessarily be communicated by a workforce