If you are an author or publisher, animation might not be something that is top of your list when considering how to market your books. Maybe you consider animation to be too time-consuming to commission, an extra complexity or an unnecessary expense.
In the noisy world of social media it’s increasingly important to sing out with a distinctive voice. Whenever you occupy the same space as others looking to get attention, it goes without saying that you need to draw eyes onto your content before you are swiped off the screen in a matter of seconds.
The vast majority of bookish content is static photography, often with the book cover centre stage. This makes complete sense of course, the cover will become the recognisable and reinforceable image that links with the book itself. So if you can use your cover but add movement into it, you draw attention towards your content as well as stand out among the surrounding static content. If you can do that in a way that appeals to your readership; dramatic animation for thrillers, or beautifully lyrical animation for historical fiction for example, then you have their attention.
But it shouldn’t be seen as an either/or decision when it comes to using static or animated content. As marketeers know, marketing is about the campaign. One ad on its own just isn’t as effective, particularly for lesser known authors. So animation also makes perfect sense as part of a series; an initial social media post that is static followed up by the reveal of the animated version (an animated version can also have static frames taken from it as stills to use throughout your campaign as well of course).
A social media book trailer we created for Anna Nicholas’ ‘Devil’s Horn’
Animation that is designed with your particular audience in mind can have a real qualifying effect on your standing as an author/publisher with that audience. A beautiful animation says a lot about the mind of the person that commissioned it. The confidence in your brand and the consideration you give to the way you present yourself can convey unspoken volumes. It expresses who you are as a person and the amount of care and consideration that you put into all of your books.
As a publisher, commissioning an animation can also make your author very happy! Many of the publishers we work with are very mindful of how an animated trailer reflects well on the importance they place on their authors.
