Animated Video

How to Create Video Infographics

CopyPress

March 16, 2018 (Updated: March 26, 2020)

In this article… 

• How to Create Video Infographics
• Outsource Video Infographics
• Publish and Share Your Video Infographic

When you want to design and execute the most successful content marketing strategy, adding video to the mix is a must. Video content gives you a dynamic, engaging platform to tell your brand’s story, grow a loyal audience, and drive conversions. Since video-related traffic will make up 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic by 2021, the sooner you master video, the better chance you’ll have of attracting your fair share of those views.

While shooting quick videos and sharing live video content on social media are both relatively straightforward, you’ll need a separate set of tools and resources to create data-driven video content. Learn how to create video infographics and how this type of content can help you achieve your content marketing goals.

How to Create Video Infographics

1. Know Your Purpose and Your Audience

Video infographics can be fun to develop and share, and video can drive better results than written content can. However, you can’t use video infographics effectively without having a clear understanding of your goals and your target audience.

The first step in learning how to create video infographics is to reflect on who you want to watch your video infographic. Whether you reach out to the audience that your brand typically appeals to or you want to connect with a different segment, think through the demographics, interests, and style of your target audience.

Next, consider your primary reason for creating a video infographic. Whether you want to improve brand awareness, establish authority in your industry, drive website traffic, or generate qualified leads, your marketing goals will affect how you develop the video and shape the story. Your objectives will also impact the video’s call to action (CTA) and the way you encourage your audience to connect with your brand.

2. Write an Outline and Collect Data

Once you’ve decided on the basics, it’s time to start searching for a story. While you could tell a story about a virtually endless list of topics, it’s always in your best interest to create video infographics that are relevant to your brand and that will resonate with your audience. Consider creating content around a major change within your company, an important event in the near future, key industry trends, or other topics that will appeal to your audience.

After deciding on a topic and creating a rough outline of what you want to cover, plan plenty of time for research. All infographics rely on data-driven stories, and video infographics are no different. If you’re planning to share a brand-focused story, you might do interviews, conduct surveys, or complete a case study in-house. If you’re planning to tell an industry-specific story, you might do market research, conduct focus groups, or reference studies to get pertinent data.

If you don’t have the time or resources to perform original research, consider sourcing data from public datasets instead. The United States government provides a wide array of datasets on climate, health, science, energy, and many more topics via Data.gov. Google Public Data Explorer offers easy access to data from global organizations such as the World Economic Forum, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and many more. Amazon Web Services offers high-level datasets on machine learning, geospatial research, environmental science, and more.

3. Develop a Narrative and Create a Storyboard

Image via Flickr by eelke dekker

After collecting and analyzing data, you’re bound to have a better idea of the story you want to tell. Work your data into the outline you created and start to develop a script for your video. Even if you aren’t planning to include spoken components or voiceovers in the video infographic, the script should include the main points of the story and clarify the narrative arc.

Since images are such important components of any video, you’ll want to create a storyboard, too. Taking this step enables you to visualize how images and graphics will flow together over the course of the video infographic. A storyboard can also help you spot missing images or identify a need for more visual content to keep the narrative moving along.

4. Use a DIY Video Infographic Creation Tool

After creating a storyboard and writing a script, you’ll be ready to start making your video infographic. Consider your design skill level, budget, and style to decide on one of the most popular DIY video infographic tools.

Adobe After Effects

For years, Adobe After Effects has been the gold standard for video creation, and it’s still a popular platform for creating video infographics. To use this program effectively, you’ll need to create graphics, still images, charts, and maps separately, preferably in Adobe programs like Photoshop or Illustrator, and then import them into After Effects. There, you can add animation effects and dynamic components to bring your video infographic to life. You can also add narration and music to complete the piece.

Adobe Spark

If you’re looking for a professional tool without the relatively high learning curve of Adobe After Effects, try Adobe Spark. While After Effects might require days of training and testing, Spark Video enables you to complete a video within a few minutes. With Spark Video, you can add still photos, premade video clips, icons, and charts to create an engaging video infographic. This platform pulls all of your individual components together in a sleek package, and it even offers a selection of professional soundtracks.

Animaker

Video infographics can have many different looks, and Animaker specializes in helping you create animated versions. With this user-friendly program, you can use premade templates, characters, icons, and graphics to tell your story through engaging animations. To showcase your data, you can also use Animaker’s extensive library of maps, charts, and graphs, which number in the thousands. Simply design each scene according to your script, stitch them together with transitions, change the timing, and add background music.

Biteable

Getting started with Biteable is easy, thanks to the numerous video infographic templates this platform offers. With Biteable, you can add a full range of graphic and icons to tell your story, along with custom text colors and fonts. You can also take advantage of the unique timeline tools to help viewers understand chronology or highlight research using the platform’s user-friendly graphs, maps, and other data visualization tools. Use Biteable’s how-to tools to add even more educational content to your video infographics.

Canva

While Canva doesn’t yet offer full video creation tools, this popular graphic design platform does have a basic animation tool. To take advantage of this option, simply use a Canva template to create a graphic using images and text. Then save the design as an animation and choose one of the half-dozen animation options to bring it to life. Most animation options last for just a second or two, but you can import them into another video infographic platform to get even more use out of them.

GoAnimate

To add some of the sleekest DIY animations you can imagine to your content, try GoAnimate. This user-friendly platform allows you to choose from over 10,000 components, including figures, industry icons, charts, graphs, and much more. Virtually every element is animated, so you can easily add movement and visual interest to your video infographic. Adding your own voice-overs and audio clips is also easy, and you can even set the animated characters to lip-sync along with your message.

GoAnimate makes branding a breeze, as you can create and save your company’s color palette. Once you’re satisfied with the final product, you can download the high-definition mp4 file to upload to your website or export it directly to your preferred social network.

Moovly

If Canva’s platform doesn’t add quite enough animation to your content, Moovly takes things to the next level. With this cloud-based platform, you can upload your own video clips, images, and audio content or choose from over a half million images, icons, photos, and sounds. Once you’ve created your video, you can tie everything together with added animation capabilities. Moovly allows publication to your website, YouTube, and other social media platforms, and you get a 30-day period to try the full service for free.

Promo

This video editing service from Slidely allows you to source premium premade footage and music to tell your data story. Browse the extensive library to find the right clips and audio accompaniment, then stitch them together to create a narrative. While some tools offer basic functionality free of charge, Promo charges a subscription fee. You can, however, download, publish, and retain your rights to the video after your subscription ends.

Renderforest

If you don’t have the resources to create your own original video or image content, Renderforest offers an easy solution. Start by selecting a video infographic template, and then browse the library to find video clips and animations that can tell your story. You’ll find dozens of options that specialize in the technology and marketing industries, making Renderforest a good option for video infographics about social media, email marketing, or web development. You can make the finished product your own by adding text, graphics, and background music.

Rocketium

When you’re looking for a fast, easy video platform that produces impressive results, Rocketium could be a smart solution. This platform claims to help users develop Buzzfeed-style videos in less than five minutes, thanks to a comprehensive suite of ready-to-use templates. Simply choose a template that works for your brand, add images and video, and work in text or captions to increase usability. Rocketium allows you to add background music or voiceovers, too. Rocketium offers intelligent resizing for sharing on various social platforms, making this service even more useful.

Typito

Considered the Canva of video creation, Typito specializes in drag-and-drop video production. You’ll start by uploading your own video clips and images, and then you’ll use premade templates to lay out each element. You can even upload animations produced in Canva. Add overlay titles and your choice of music to give the whole video a professional sheen.

Outsource Video Infographics

While DIY tools make it possible for anyone to make a video infographic, the process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Whether you’re stuck on the ideation step, the research part, or the creative component, outsourcing this aspect of content creation can ensure that you’re able to develop a high-quality video infographic on your desired timeline and according to your budget.

Hiring the experienced team at CopyPress to create video infographics is a smart way to outsource this piece of your content marketing strategy. When you work with CopyPress, not only will you get help with developing a unique idea that helps you connect with your target audience, but you’ll also have an experienced team working for you every step of the way. From research assistance to scriptwriting to video infographic production, the CopyPress team can handle every step, ultimately delivering a professional product that helps you achieve your marketing goals.

Publish and Share Your Video Infographic

No matter which tool or strategy you use to create your video infographic, you’ll want to share it widely once it’s published. Unlike simpler content types, which you might simply share with your social media followers or your email subscribers, a video infographic requires a comprehensive promotional strategy.

First, devise a series of blog posts that introduce the video, expand on the most compelling aspects, and help guide viewers toward your intended goal. Next, share both the video infographic and any related blog content on your social platforms and via your email list. To expand your reach, encourage your audience to share, especially on social media, where you can include a compelling call to action in the post copy.

Include influencers and important industry figures in your outreach efforts, too. Connect with influencers and site owners by email, encouraging them to view your video infographic and share it with their audiences. Consider pitching guest posts to high-traffic sites in your industry to create additional opportunities for video features and link building.

As you share your video infographic far and wide, track your links and monitor your results to make sure you’re achieving your goals. Since you probably won’t be able to stop after creating just one video infographic, you’ll want to repeat your successful promotional strategy or tweak it to improve results for future video infographic campaigns.

CopyPress

March 16, 2018 (Updated: March 26, 2020)