How To Use Animation for Social Media
Ever felt like social media has been too busy and overwhelming lately?
That’s because it is. There are an estimated 5.66 billion social media users now, compared to just 3.80 billion users in 2020. Which also means there is an even larger amount of posts made daily: photos, announcements, ads, tweets, quotes, etc.
The result? Our Feeds are packed with endless posts. Scrolling just makes one feel like everything is blurring together. You just mindlessly scroll and scroll without paying attention or retaining any information that you see.
This is called scroll fatigue. When our brains are presented with numerous or similar-looking things, we tend to tune them out and lose focus. So a brand’s social media content, no matter how great it may be, can get skimmed or skipped entirely by users who are experiencing this burnout.
This is where animation can make a difference. Whether it’s a GIF, motion graphics, or animated Reels, these dynamic movements can grab attention and break the monotony on your customers’ Feeds.
In this guide, we’ll break down what animation in social media really is, why it works so well, and how businesses can use it to engage their customers. We’ll also give some tips on how you can utilize our animation maker and logo maker tool to create them, so make sure you read on!
What Is Animation?
Animation is a technique where you display a series of photographs, illustrations, models, or even puppets very quickly to simulate a sense of movement.
This happens because our eyes can only retain an image for approximately 1/10 of a second. When multiple images appear in fast succession, the brain blends them together and gives the illusion that something is “moving”.
Animation has been around for decades. Back then, animation was created by hand-drawing each frame. An example of these is movies like The Lion King or Aladdin.
Now there are animation makers or software to speed up the process and to make them even more intricate and fancy. These are your CGIs, 3D animations, or even animated logos. Stil, l the core concept remains the same: that movement will come from arranging or manipulating a series of still visuals.
What Is the Difference Between Animation and Video?
They are both moving, so it’s the same, right? Nope.
They are created differently:
- Video records real-life action using a camera.
- Animation is built from a series of frames or images, which will then be animated using specialized softwares.
This difference matters a lot, especially in social media.
Videos require getting actors or models to do the “motion” for you. So, if you want to show someone running in your content, you need to record footage of them running.
This also means considering a studio or location to shoot from, determining the necessary lights, equipment, and outfits, among other things. You are also limited to what is physically possible for people to do.
Animation gives brands more creative freedom. You can do impossible things, speed up processes that would have taken ages in real time, or visualize abstract ideas.
Want to show someone using their ice magic to open a locked treasure? Want to show a barren field turning into a field of flowers? Have someone run so fast they were able to circle the Earth in seconds? You can do these easily with animation.
What Are the Common Types of Animation for Social Media?
Animation for social media can come in many different forms. They can be memes in GIF form, simple animated effects at the end of a clip, or fully animated videos.
Let’s take a look at the common types that brands use:
GIF
GIFs are short animated loops that are typically autoplayed on your Feeds.
You’ll often see them used for:
- Grabbing attention
- Showcasing your brand’s personality
- Reactions
- Adding humor via memes
- Evoking emotions
Because GIFs are lightweight and easy to create, they’re great for making a post feel more alive without requiring much effort from the marketer.
The looping nature of GIFs also makes them more hypnotic to users. You see, our brains are primed to expect what’s going to happen next. But since GIFs loop, our attention is held captive waiting for it to “end” (even though it won’t!).
Motion graphics
Motion graphics are those that move graphic design elements such as text, icons, shapes, photos, or logos along with sounds and motion.
These are different from fully animated videos. Here, the things that are animated are the graphic design elements. They are also usually added on top of real-life footage (but not always). So you’ll usually see a lot of text-heavy or icon-heavy motion graphics.
Unlike full animations, which are more storytelling-based, motion graphics don’t really have a narrative, plot, or story. They are typically used to add energy and life to your content, or to help visualize data or information.
Animated videos
Animated videos are narrative-based. They focus on telling the story of a character. They aim for a narrative immersion, have a deeper plot compared to motion graphics, use storytelling techniques, and usually involve a fair amount of world-building. They are great for brand storytelling.
Animated videos can be 2D, 3D, or any other format. So long as they have a narrative or plot, it falls in this category.
Whiteboard animations
Whiteboard videos are a subset of animation videos.
You’ll see a whiteboard and someone drawing on it to tell the story. It’s particularly popular for:
- Educational content
- Explaining complex topics
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Presenting data or statistics
- Highlight your product’s features
This is because the simpler graphics, along with the narration, helps make topics more straightforward and easy to understand. Think of your college lectures. It’s easier to follow along if your professor is drawing an example while teaching, right?
Stop motion animations
Stop motion is a type of animation that involves photographing objects sequentially frame by frame, and stitching them together to create the illusion of movement.
These are great for creating more creative, unique, and stylized content. You can also go for more artistic items, such as clay, paper cutouts, or puppets, as your objects. These will give off a more playful and quirky vibe.
Interactive animations
Interactive animations are those that respond to the user’s actions. For example, a text that sparkles when a user hovers over it, or a button that changes color when clicked. This makes it more interactive and engaging, instead of an animation just passively playing in the background.
While interactive animations are more typically used in websites and app UI, some social platforms also support them. You can see them in animated polls, clickable stickers, dynamic stories, and so on.
Benefits of Using Animation for Social Media Marketing
Animations aren’t just fun to look at. They also offer real benefits for social media marketing. Some of them are:
- It grabs attention – The human brain is naturally attuned to movement. When a user is mindlessly scrolling through their Feeds, even the most minimal animation can capture their attention better than any static image or text.
- It has higher retention and memorability – Humans remember more of what they see than what they read. Humans are also hardwired to love stories. Animation – which combines eye-catching visuals, colors, motions, sounds, and narratives – are inherently easier to remember for people more than any other medium.
- It makes concepts, data, and ideas digestible – Using animations to explain or simplify concepts makes them easier to understand compared to just showing text or numbers. It’s because they are easier to visualize. It can also help show people how something works step by step.
- It encourages sharing – Animated content often feels more entertaining and enjoyable, which makes people more inclined to share it. This is particularly useful for social media, which rewards brands that get more shares and engagement.
- It adapts to different goals and audiences – Animation’s greatest strength is its flexibility. You can make them as playful, creative, bold, educational, or minimal as you want. This means you can use them for various content such as explainer videos, product tutorials, carousel ads, community polls, and so on.
Best Practices on Using Animation for Social Media
Great animation marketing isn’t just about making them as flashy as you can. You need to have the right strategy and intention to make them effective.
Here are some of our tips to keep in mind:
- Keep it short and sweet – People’s attention spans are fleeting. Ideally your animation should last around 15 to 30 seconds maximum. Any longer than that and you’ll lose your audience’s attention. Focus on delivering one key message instead of trying to explain everything at once.
- Match the style to the platform – Each social media platform has a vibe that is popular to them. It’s best to match your animated content with what the platform likes and expects. For example, clean and simple whiteboard videos will work well with LinkedIn marketing, while dynamic motion graphics will work best for Facebook ads.
- Use animation strategically – Animation should support your message and not make it busier or more incoherent. Don’t add them just because you think it looks cool. Instead, use them to highlight key messages, guide the audience’s focus, support storytelling, or break up long blocks of static content.
- Think about accessibility – Always consider how and where your audience is seeing your animation marketing. Some people may watch without sound, so make sure to add captions or ensure that the content is understandable even without audio. Optimize it for mobile as well. Keep the motion smooth and readable, and always add warnings if the visuals may be too much for some people.
- Maintain your brand identity – While animation is your chance to be creative, don’t forget to incorporate your brand identity in your content. Try to include your color palette, typography, or overall styling. Make sure the animation’s story and message are also aligned with your brand values. You don’t want people watching your animation and being surprised that the content came from your brand.
Conclusion
This is an era of information overload, particularly for social media, where it gets more saturated day by day, and the competition for attention is getting fiercer than ever.
This is why animation is no longer just a “nice-to-have” but a powerful communication tool for social media. By introducing animation marketing into your content, you give your posts a better chance of standing out in crowded Feeds and breaking your audience’s scroll fatigue.
Luckily, getting great animation doesn’t mean laboring on After Effects or spending big bucks on an animator. Even small businesses can get in the game with animated templates here in BrandCrowd. Simply go to our animation maker tool, choose a design, then customize to fit your brand. No need to animate from scratch!
You can also access some of our other tools such as Instagram Reel maker, YouTube Shorts maker, and TikTok video maker to simplify your social media marketing.
Try it out today!
Read more about social media design:
- How To Use AI to Create Social Media Posts
- How To Use Social Media in Your Omnichannel Marketing Strategy
- Create Memorable Facebook Covers with BrandCrowd
FAQs About Animation for Social Media
What is animation for social media?
Animation for social media refers to using moving visuals such as GIFs, motion graphics, or animated videos to communicate messages on social platforms. Animation helps make content feel more engaging and noticeable compared to static images or texts.
What are the common types of animation for social media?
Common types include GIFs, motion graphics, and short animated videos like 2D or whiteboard explainers. Some brands also use stop-motion or 3D animation for a more creative look. Interactive animations, such as animated stickers or polls, are also used on platforms that support them.
Do animated marketing content work for all industries?
Yes. Animation can be adapted to feel playful, whimsical, professional, educational, or minimal, depending on the brand.
Is animation better than static content?
It depends on the situation. Animation is effective for capturing attention and engaging your audience. But depending on your message or content, a text or static image might work better. For instance, a serious announcement might be diluted when paired with animation.
Is animation expensive to create?
It doesn’t have to be. Many platforms like BrandCrowd now offer customizable templates that make animation marketing accessible to small businesses.
Faviola Publico is an SEO Content Writer specializing in branding and digital marketing strategies. Outside of work, she enjoys reading slice-of-life novels and watching any mystery thriller-themed series.
Original Artwork by Selwyn Legaspi
