Motion Without Mayhem: A Practical Guide to Using Animation for ROI
More Content Doesn't Always Create More Engagement
A few years ago, on a Zoom call, someone said, “Whenever someone shares their screen, that’s my cue to check my email.” And then a Powerpoint pops on!It was meant as a joke, but it stuck with me. Because it revealed something most businesses don’t want to admit: more content doesn’t equal more engagement.
In fact, the opposite is often true. Between endless social feeds, video calls, and content overload, your audience is already maxed out. So where does animation fit in? Used well, it can stop the scroll, clarify complex ideas, and elevate your brand. Used poorly, it becomes just more noise.
The real question isn’t “Should we use animation?", It's: "When does animation actually add value, and how do we use it without overwhelming our audience?" I like to think of the ideal ratio being 1:5.
Let me explain.
The 1:5 Rule for Using Animation Effectively
When suddenly in 2020, every meeting was a Zoom call, I decided to animate my logo for my Zoom background. It was about a 7-second animation. So it looped about eight times a minute. I was told it was rude and distracting. So I decided to put a 23-second pause after the animation so it would remain static after animating in. This meant it animated only about two times per minute. That was about a 1:5 ratio per minute, of animation, to static motion.
This same ratio could be applied to other places too.
Think about your social graphics... While it would be great to animate every single post, there’s a lot of cost and money that goes into that. But if one out of every 5-6 posts is animated, that still makes for a pretty engaging feed! That could even be per day or per week.
If you post daily, maybe your Monday post is animated, you hook the audience in, and the remaining posts of the week, through Friday or Saturday, are static.
How about your YouTube feed? Maybe you’re making one video a week or one a month, as “self-cast” videos where your CEO or COO explains something about the business, on camera. It’s great info but why not make an animated explainer video every five or six videos with a higher production value that really digs into a topic that’s a burning question your audience wants to know.
Choosing the Right Type of Animation for Your Goals
Now that you know the “when” to animate, the next question is how?
This isn’t always so easy. But there are many solutions coming out every week that make this easier. Start with this: not all animation needs to be high production to be effective. The goal is to match the level of motion to the business objective. If you’re trying to stop the scroll on social, lightweight motion—like subtle movement, animated text, or simple transitions—can go a long way.
Simple Ways to Start with Animation
The easiest place to start is Canva. This free app has many animation presets. And some bonus animated presets with a pro account. If your brand has never had any motion or animation before this is a good place to start, with animated arrows, circles, lines and even moving emojis. Or, you can also jump into more professional level animation through the software Cavalry. It was acquired by Canva in February and is a professional procedural animation tool (often seen as a competitor to After Effects) and requires a desktop environment to run its node-based, procedural workflow. But, most
Importantly, it’s FREE with a Canva account!
Why Motion Should Be Part of Your Brand Strategy
But as your brand matures, so should your motion. That’s where many businesses miss an opportunity. They treat animation as a one-off tactic instead of a system. A more strategic approach is to develop motion guidelines, similar to your visual brand guidelines. This means defining how your brand moves, not just how it looks.
For example:
How quickly do elements animate in?
Do transitions feel energetic or calm?
Is motion used to direct attention, tell a story, or simply decorate?
Where Animation Delivers the Highest ROI
These decisions create consistency, which builds recognition and trust over time. Without them, your motion can feel disjointed—even if each individual piece looks good. When it comes to higher-investment animation, focus on the areas that deliver the strongest ROI. For most businesses, that includes:
Explainer videos that clarify a complex product, service, or process
Sales or pitch videos that help convert prospects faster
Website hero sections where motion can immediately communicate value
Key social or campaign moments where you want to stand out
Think of these as your “anchor” pieces. These are worth investing in professionally, because they do more than look good—they carry strategic weight across your marketing and sales funnel.
Your quick-reference brand audit
There are also many AI tools that can generate motion graphics. Examples include HeyGen, OpusClip, Arbor, Higgsfield, Runway, Pika and many more coming out each day.
They can be incredibly useful for testing ideas, generating variations, or producing content quickly. But like any tool, they’re only as effective as the strategy behind them. The best place to start is look at Instagram feeds you like and see how they’re doing it.
Often, though, the best option is to hire an animator or motion graphics artist working with the best professional tools like Kate Mrozowski or Katya Khimenets.
At a minimum, just follow their social feeds and watch their videos to get high end, quality inspiration and insight!
Also: be aware that anything you create using AI tools can not be copyrighted and anyone can use it without any legal protection.
The Real Purpose of Animation
No matter what tool you use, start somewhere and add motion and movement to your brand.
It should help create engagement for your website and elevate your brand. The goal isn’t to animate for the sake of it. It’s to use motion as a strategic design choice - one that draws attention, reinforces your message, and elevates how your brand shows up.
When animation is done well, it doesn’t just capture attention—it holds it, guides it, and turns it into action.
That’s where the real return is. Because the brands that stand out aren’t the ones doing the most. They’re the ones doing it with intention and doing it with style.
Sherene Strausberg is the founder of 87th Street Creative, a women-led animation studio specializing in motion design, explainer videos, and visual storytelling. An Emmy-nominated animator and award-winning filmmaker, she helps businesses communicate complex ideas through engaging, strategic animation
