When video marketing startup Animoto first launched in 2007, it was mainly targeted to consumers who wanted to take personal photos and turn them into a slideshow. Businesses hadn’t yet seen the value of video content, and if they did, it was in the form of a short clip that lived on their “About Us” page or YouTube channel to boost SEO.
Today, a lot has changed. Video has taken over the web, and companies without this type of content are behind the curve.
“Marketers are realizing that in order stand out, video needs to be something they’re creating with a much higher frequency,” said Brad Jefferson, Animoto’s CEO and co-founder. “It’s the proven form of content that consumers want to engage with the most."
Since it was founded, the company has raised three rounds of funding: $600,000 in 2007, $4.4 million in 2009 and $25 million in 2011. In October 2016, the company launched its Marketing Video Builder for businesses that wanted to create high quality videos for their social media pages. The product has storyboard templates and a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) interface that gives marketers insight into what their video will look like every step of the way. They can shoot a video with assets they already have — even if it’s just their personal mobile device.
“In a lot of ways, this product feels like it was created in collaboration with the hundreds of thousands of businesses that have used Animoto since we launched 10 years ago,” said Jefferson. “We are uniquely equipped with all the necessary ingredients to usher in the new era of democratized video creation for today’s marketer thanks to the feedback our customers have provided.”
By working closely with marketers to develop their product, the company is confident the platform will meet companies’ needs for years to come, as the need for video continues to grow.
“I think the ability to create professional looking video will become a necessary core competency for all types of marketers, not only those focused on communicating with customers on social media,” he said. “Our goal is for marketers to feel equipped to create videos as easily as it is to write an email.”
Image via Shutterstock.
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