WHITEBOARD ANIMATIONS: Plan Your Way to Success

by Karin Rex, COTP

Do you have a story to tell? A lesson to teach? A product to market? In the battle for online engagement, video is KING. By 2019, 80% of ALL web traffic will be video. 64% of customers say they are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video. 59% of decision makers would rather watch a video than read a blog or article.** On top of that – whiteboard animations are FUN and easy to create with VideoScribe!

 

For maximum engagement, PLAN your whiteboard animation videos! (Prepare, Layout, Adorn, Nuance)

 

 

Prepare

 

• What is your ONE GOAL for the video?
• What is the maximum LENGTH of the video?
• Who is your AUDIENCE?
• What is the WIIFM for your audience? (Answers the question “what’s in it for me?”)

 

Layout

 

• Create a storyboard that includes descriptions of onscreen elements, onscreen text, and any voiceover scripting. (This will act as a roadmap for your video.)
• Envision a visual HOOK or THEME for your video. (If you are teaching “The Flower Theory of Persuasion,” you might include images of flowers, for example.)
• Come up with a CALL TO ACTION for your video. What do you want your audience to DO after they watch your video?

 

Adorn (AKA the “fun part”)

 

• Let your imagination run wild! Explore the image bank by searching sideways. (Don’t just search for flowers, for example, also search for garden, seed, sunshine, dirt, shovel, etc.)
• Remember that you can IMPORT graphics into most whiteboard animation programs.
• Do not draw every element. Spice up your video by using the FADE and MOVE IN animations judiciously as well.
• Add voiceover or music – or both!

 

Nuance (AKA the “other fun part”)

 

• Preview your video.
• Modify the animation timings.
• Repeat until perfect! (This can take hours sometimes!)
• Publish & upload.

 

That’s all it takes to PLAN your whiteboard animation video.

 

Want to take VideoScribe out for a ride? Sign up for our new 3-hour quick start class on VideoScribe. Invest just 3 hours and you will come away with the ability to fully create entertaining and engaging whiteboard animations. CLASS IS TOMORROW but there is still time to sign up! (Note: A free trial to VideoScribe is required to actively participate in this course. The free trial lasts for 7 days, so please time your free subscription to coincide with this class.)

 

**Statistics are from Hubspot.

 

 

***

Geeky Girl Karin Rex is an online learning pioneer and whiteboard animation evangelist. Since 1989, Karin has owned Geeky Girl, LLC, a boutique learning organization, where she devotes her time to writing, course development (instructor led and eLearning), and teaching.

 

Karin has authored several technology books, including: Office 2010 Demystified (McGraw-Hill) and hundreds of user guides, reference manuals, and tutorials. She’s also developed an extensive number of learning programs for a wide variety of global clients.

 

Karin is a Certified Online Training Professional (COTP), certified synchronous facilitator, designer, and producer, with a master’s degree in professional writing. Additionally, Karin teaches undergraduate writing courses for Penn State University and is the Instructional Design Lead for InSync Training.