There are all kinds of ways that you can put together a presentation for work, but obviously, you want to go about it in a way that gets your point across and is interesting to your audience. There is nothing worse than finding yourself mid-way through a presentation, only to look up and find people are completely uninterested and not paying attention. This is why using multi-media is such a popular option. It can help make even a dull topic more interesting, it can help you engage with your audience, and can really drive home points in a clear manner.

creating whiteboard animation tips guides

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One such multi-media method of putting together a presentation is creating a whiteboard animation. When done correctly, this will draw the audience in and have them hanging on your every word. So before you go ahead and put together your whiteboard animation, here are the top eight tips that will help ensure that it hits all the high notes with your audience and is wildly successful.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

First things first, even if you’ve never put together a whiteboard animation, it’s important to remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be difficult. There is no need to avoid it simply because you think it would be confusing or hard to put together. And after doing a few, there’s a good chance you’ll be feeling like an expert yourself.

Understand Its Purpose

It’s also very important you understand what a whiteboard animation is so that you can determine how to use it properly for your messaging. Basically, it is a specific style of video that has narration in it. The idea is that it walks your audience through an entire story – presentation – using drawings that appear to be hand done on a white background. This stark white background helps the animation to have even more impact.

Some of these videos will actually show the artist drawing the content, whereas others will just show the animation, and maybe just the illustrator’s hand.

Identify Your Audience

In order to write a script and put together an animation that connects with your audience, you need to be clear on who your audience is. What will be the main point that you want to hammer home with them? What is it that you want them to do about your message, after the fact? All of this needs careful consideration.

Make Use of Whiteboard Animation Software

People often assume that in order to do a whiteboard animation you’re going to have to sit there and do your own drawing. While you can certainly approach it in this manner if you like, there is whiteboard animation software that can make things a whole lot easier and faster.Now obviously there are a few limitations when using software, but at the same time, if you’re a beginner you’re probably not even going to miss the things it doesn’t allow you to do.

Consider Outsourcing to a Professional

Another tip that can make all the difference in the world is really about knowing your own limitations. There is nothing wrong with admitting to yourself that a whiteboard animation is just outside your area of expertise and level of comfort. If that’s the case, then outsourcing to a professional makes complete sense, and can help guarantee you get the results you’re after. Companies such as Spiel Creative can offer all kinds of solutions, which you can find out more by clicking here.

Make Use of Animated Characters

When you are trying to figure out the best way to go about telling your story and getting your message out there, it’s usually a good idea to create animated characters. Characters can act as that staple in the story that holds everything together and helps to get the message across. As well, it gives the audience something to identify with. It gives the video a much-needed personal touch.

Make Sure the Story is Clear

You also need to make sure that your story is clear and free of confusion. Keeping things simple as far as the messaging goes is usually your best plan of action. Of course, you can add things like humour and anecdotes to capture the audience, but again, you need to keep things clear, concise, and to the point. You don’t want to end up losing your audience halfway through the animation.

With that in mind, you may find it helpful to show the presentation to a few co-workers before the client/audience, just to be sure it’s hitting the right notes.

Spend Time on the Title

The title of your whiteboard animation is also something that deserves thought and consideration. It’s basically like the title of a book or news story – if it doesn’t capture your audience right away then you’ve got a steep uphill climb.Sometimes it can be helpful to write the title last, after you have put together the script and then the animation.Keep in mind that it needs to capture the essence of the presentation and connect with the audience all at the same time.

A Successful and Engaging Whiteboard Animation

A whiteboard animation is meant to be engaging and connect with your audience in an entertaining and informative way. Of course, in order to be successful in these goals, careful thought and planning are in order on your end.