Even if you create loads of visual content, it can be a struggle to hold your audience'south attention -- peculiarly when you're trying to communicate complex, detailed, and abstract topics.

What's a marketer to exercise? 

One option that often gets overlooked is blithe images or videos. They're groovy because they can explain a point in a matter of seconds. They also grab attention and aid convert viewers into leads and buyers.

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An animated image, GIF, or video might sound hard to create, but in reality, you don't need to carve out a budget to add this type of visual content to your marketing strategy. Cheque out the post-obit tools that let you easily create cool animated images and video.

Blithe Flows

i. WhatFix

Toll: Free

If you're looking for a simple way to instruct someone on how to practise something online, the following tool is super handy.

This tool is actually the one that has inspired the whole article. WhatFix lets you create quick flows showing steps users should take. Yous can embed the widget on your web page or transport your users to the "live" version of the link that will play all the steps on your bodily web page.

You lot can play with the widget below or on the WhatFix website.

You'll need WhatFix'due south extension forFirefox or Google Chrome to build those widgets, but other than that, the procedure is so easy. Just click the links on your page and type in the instructions for each link. The extension will tape everything and immediately put together a widget for you.

It likewise creates YouTube videos on the fly, which is a great re-packaging selection. Here's an instance of what that can look like.

WhatFix offers its bones features for free: Y'all tin go alee and try creating those flows right now. It does have a business version that has an choice to create private flows, consign flows, and more than.

Animated GIF Makers

Blithe GIFs have remained a standard in bones online media over the years. Social media platforms like Tumblr thrive on them, and a single GIF reaching viral condition can accept a big impact on your social strategy and success. They are as well nifty for creating blithe instructions that will auto-play the steps on Twitter, Pinterest, and at present Facebook.

Here are my favorite GIF image generators:

2. GIFBrewery

Toll: $4.99 one time

Mac users can speedily convert sections of their videos into GIFs using GIFBrewery. You just purchase and download the app onto your Mac OSX, and apply it from your computer as ofttimes equally you'd like.

The steps are piece of cake to follow, and the interface rather intuitive. You tin can edit the GIFs with overlay text and images, apply image filters, and more than. It is a great tool for making preview animations for longer videos to post on Pinterest, your blog, Instagram, and across. It does cost $iv.99, but it is well worth the price if you are planning on regularly making GIF files.

three. Gyazo

Price: Free

While it is technically a screen-capture tool, you tin can capture and save GIFs and videos now using Gyazo. It is a free tool available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. All captures can be rapidly shared on multiple platforms, too.

This is a groovy, if somewhat casual, tool for anyone who takes screen captures and wants to show them off to others. With a bit of creativity, it could exist used in other business-related capacities, though information technology may not accept all the tools you are looking for.

Here's an example of a GIF made from HubSpot'south YouTube video on topic clusters:

Animated GIF made with Gyazo using HubSpot's YouTube video on topic clusters

four. Recordit

Price: Costless

Demand to brand a fast screencast, such every bit a uncomplicated demo? Recordit is specifically meant for quickie tutorials or examples, rather than those that require longer tape times.

You simply drag the space you lot desire to capture, hit record, and show viewers what they demand to see before stopping the recording. It breaks these down into moving slides and converts the file into a GIF rather than a video recording. If this sounds like something yous would like to integrate into an app, they now have an API, as well.

Hither's an example that really took me five seconds to create -- it's quite like shooting fish in a barrel to explicate your point:

Animated GIF created with Recordit showing how to sign up for a keyword report

5. GIFDeck

Toll: Gratis

Do you lot share educational content on SlideShare? (Hint: You should!) GIFDeck a swell way to turn your decks into GIFs. Hither's an example of one I created just recently:

Animated GIF created with GIFDeck showing a SlideShare on content marketing

6. Make a GIF

Price: Gratuitous

This is a more extensive GIF maker that allows you to choose from a couple of options to make your GIF. On Make a GIF, you tin can create from screenshots, YouTube videos, uploaded videos, or premade GIFs.

It is also a gratis prototype hosting site, so once the GIF has been made, you lot can link to it direct from the Make a GIF gallery. Accounts are complimentary, and if you change your mind most a GIF, you can hands request that it be deleted.

Here'south a GIF I animated from two split pictures of HubSpot'southward tagline during Pride Month:

Animated GIF created with Make a GIF showing HubSpot's Pride Month tagline

7. GIFYT

Price: Free

YouTube videos are a great source for screencasts. If your users create screencasts of how they utilise your product, plough those videos into animated GIFs to share with your community. That means original content for you and more exposure for your fans' videos.

You tin make GIFs from YouTube videos using GIFYT. But paste in the URL, select the fourth dimension period yous want captured, and convert it to a GIF.

It is very piece of cake to use, fast, and free. The just downside is that y'all take to exist conscientious yous don't select too long a prune duration. Keep it short and relevant for the all-time quality GIFs.

Hither's a GIF I created using an animated video from HubSpot'southward YouTube channel:

Animated GIF created with GIFYT showing HubSpot's logo animation

Video Blitheness Software

So there are times when you want to make a full-fledged animation -- audio, story, and all. Luckily, the tools at your disposal aren't all that complicated.

The following tools are quite like. I tried all of them and was satisfied. They are all easy to use, likewise -- you don't need whatsoever video editing experience to put together animated video instructions. Y'all practise need to invest some fourth dimension into a script and some visual elements to make these instructions highly-seasoned. The adept news? Y'all tin can then convert them into blithe GIFs using the tools higher up.

None of these tools are free, simply they all offer a free trial, so you tin play with them all and choose the one you lot adopt.

8. PowToon

Price: $59/month; $19/month for at least a year

PowToon video animation software

PowToon describes itself as an animated video and presentations creator that tin can be hands exported to YouTube. Just "selection a look you similar" from ane of 5 animation themes, and piece together the characters, objects, layouts, and backgrounds you need to tell your story.

9. VideoScribe

Toll: Costless to endeavor; $29.00/month; $16/calendar month if you pay annually; $665 if you pay in one case

VideoScribe video animation software

VideoScribe specializes in whiteboard videos, and it lets you create really dainty video animations. It's a downloadable piece of software that you tin can take offline if you pay for the PRO plan. It supports both Mac and PC, and also has mobile applications that I haven't yet tried (merely am definitely planning to).

10. Vyond

Price: $79/month or $599/year

Vyond video animation software Image via G2 Oversupply

Vyond, formerly GoAnimate, is a spider web application that can be used to create cartoon videos. It also has a collaboration feature, which comes in handy when you're trying to coordinate with a larger team.

11. Animaker

Toll: Complimentary with limited features or $12/month

Animaker video animation software

Animaker is a one-stop shop for 10 types of videos for every purpose and channel. From explainer videos to animated infographics, this tool breaks down the templates you'd demand based on the specific purpose of your video.

12. Moovly

Price: Free to try; $24.92/month

Moovly video animation software

Moovly is a "elevate, drop & animate" tool that allows you to create quick animated videos right in your cyberspace browser. Like many animation tools, this production drafts explainer videos, whiteboard-mode animations, advertisements, and more. Moovly also gives you lot more than than 750,000 free video clips to work from.

thirteen. Synfig

Price: Gratis

Synfig video animation software

Synfig is surprisingly detailed for being a completely free platform, but information technology'due south an easy downloadable tool that's compatible with any estimator. The product gives you lot a user-friendly menu of tools to edit your subjects' shape, colour, and movements one frame at a fourth dimension.

These are just a few tools I've used to create animated images and videos -- but there are enough of other options out there.

Desire to learn more nigh video editing? Cheque out nine of the Best Free Video Editing Software to Try.

Discover videos, templates, tips, and other resources dedicated to helping you  launch an effective video marketing strategy. 

Discover videos, templates, tips, and other resources dedicated to helping you  launch an effective video marketing strategy. 

Originally published Jun 19, 2018 11:22:00 PM, updated December 02 2021