Our Animation Business Doubled To $1M/Year [Update]
This is a follow up story for Explainer Videoly Pte. Ltd.. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published almost 3 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hello! I'm Alex from Kasra Design©, part of Explainer Videoly Pte. Ltd. We specialize in crafting custom explainer videos for a diverse clientele, including multinational corporations, educational institutions, and nonprofits.
Our work has allowed us to collaborate with renowned companies such as Shell, Visa, Petronas, IATA, PepsiCo, Prudential, Pfizer, Charles River, Commonwealth Bank, and PetroChina alongside partnerships with various governments worldwide.
As we've grown, so has our footprint. We now operate out of two offices in Singapore and Malaysia. Our journey started from working on small-scale projects to now having regular Fortune 500 clients, with annual revenue surpassing the $1 million mark.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?
Since we last caught up, there's been some exciting growth on our end – we've seen a 20% uptick in inquiries, and our team has grown a bit to keep pace with everything. It's been quite the journey, especially with the continued interest in 3D explainer videos, echoing the trend we noticed last year.
On the back end, we've fine-tuned our approach to how we connect with people online. We realized we were drawing in a lot of visitors who weren't exactly looking for what we offer. So, we dug deeper into the SEO data.
To be specific, we had a few articles published about Sound Effects. These were ranked on the first page of Google for keywords such as “Top sound effects,” “Download Sound Effects,” and so on. This resulted in a peculiar reaction from the Google algorithm, leading it to think we were a sound design company or had something to do with the sound effects business.
Hence, it degraded our status as a video production company, which we are, to a sound company authoritative source. That was hurting our website's ranking for the very services that we offer, such as explainer video production or animation production in general.
To solve the problem, we were advised to create articles about sound effects with a focus on the video production aspect of it throughout the article. Then, we redirected our old article about sound effects to the new article. It took around 2-3 months for Google to correct itself, and all of our relevant keywords immediately improved, while we lost the traffic for sound effects.
While we're seeing fewer visitors, the ones who do find us are exactly who we've been hoping to reach, leading to more inquiries and really, just better conversations all around.
We received around 700 inquiries via our website and email in the past 12 months and landed around 100 projects (of various scales) in total. To give you an idea about the pricing, each project usually costs from $8,000 to $50,000 depending on style, complexity, and duration.
This past year has also been rewarding in terms of recognition as well. We were awarded Best Video at the Lion International Film Festival in Italy and Best Short Video at the Sundarban International Film Festival.
Don't overlook the importance of continuous learning; stay updated on industry trends and business strategies to keep your business agile and forward-thinking.
What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?
We've been navigating through the challenges brought on by inflation, which has touched both the cost of living for our team across Malaysia and Singapore and various production overheads. Everything from equipment to software has seen a price jump.
To keep pace and ensure we can continually support our team with fair salaries, we've had to adjust our pricing just a bit. It was a tough decision, but maintaining our quality standards has always been a top priority for us.
So we informed our returning clients about the slight price increase due to inflation and operational costs.
Fortunately, the response from our clients to the changes we've made has been genuinely heartwarming. They've shown us great support and understanding, appreciating our focus on keeping the quality high instead of cutting costs. It's been reassuring to see that our commitment to quality is something our clients value just as much as we do.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
Diving into the SEO world has been quite the learning curve for me personally. It's shown me that when it comes to boosting our online visibility, the best approach comes from within our team.
This insight springs from my experiences with three different SEO teams over the last couple of years. I found that their biggest hurdle often lies in balancing too many clients at once, which unfortunately can lead to a service that doesn't quite hit the mark for everyone.
So, we're taking a new direction. We're currently on the hunt for an SEO specialist to join our team full-time. By having someone dedicated to our SEO in-house, we can ensure that our content and strategies are crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail that only we can provide.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
We're setting our sights on an exciting expansion – we're gearing up to open a new office in Australia, complementing our existing locations in Singapore and Malaysia.
This move is inspired by the strong preference among Australians to partner with local businesses, and we're eager to be closer to this vibrant community, ready to forge new connections and explore fresh opportunities.
What’s the best thing you read in the last year?
In the past year, I've had the pleasure of diving into two remarkable reads that have truly broadened my horizons. First on the list was "The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization" by Jessie Stricchiola & Eric Enge, a deep dive into the intricate world of SEO that has been nothing short of enlightening.
Following closely was "The Copy Book: How Some of the Best Advertising Writers in The World Write Their Advertising," which offered fascinating insights into the minds of the world's leading advertising writers.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
For new entrepreneurs aiming for growth, consider these actionable steps: First, deeply understand your target market through research, identifying their needs, and how your product or service meets those needs.
Secondly, build a solid online presence through a well-designed website and active social media profiles, as these are crucial for engaging with your audience and expanding your reach.
Lastly, don't overlook the importance of continuous learning; stay updated on industry trends and business strategies to keep your business agile and forward-thinking.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
We're excited to announce that we're expanding our team in both Malaysia and Singapore. We're in search of talented 3D animators and copywriters who are eager to bring their creativity and expertise to our projects.
Whether you're passionate about bringing stories to life through animation or crafting compelling copy that resonates with audiences, we would love to hear from you.
Where can we go to learn more?
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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