Animation is a competitive industry. Here’s how to decide on an animation studio niche that makes you stand out from the crowd…

What is a niche?

If you know the phrase ‘everyone’s good at something, but no-one’s good at everything’, you’ll understand the need for a niche. A niche is a specialised category your animation studio will market to. The animation industry is huge, and it’s impossible to start a studio that offers every kind of animation.

For an animation studio, a niche might look like any of the following:

Educational children’s content
2D animations for charities
Technical corporate explainer videos

1. Make sure you're up to size

According to YouTube’s guidelines, an ideal thumbnail should have a resolution of 1280 x 720 PPI, with a minimum width of 640 pixels, while remaining under 2MB for a successful upload. Save your thumbnail images in formats such as JPG, GIF, or PNG and try to use a 16:9 aspect ratio. Remember that thumbnails are viewed as a small image, so make the most of the space you have available and aim to make your thumbnail as high-definition as possible.

Why does my animation studio need a niche?

Without a business niche, marketing your animation studio will be nearly impossible. Having a niche makes you stand out from the crowd and attracts customer looking for a specific kind of animation. Studios who try to offer too much risk spreading themselves to thin and getting lost in the sea of animation services available. While it’s important to have a range, keeping your animation studio niche-focused ensures a stronger brand in the future.

1. What's your skillset?

checking your experience before starting a studio

The first question you should consider when finding a niche is where your skills lie as an animator. Is there an area of animation you have experience in?

Remember that your animation studio’s niche shouldn’t just be something you’re interested in currently. Your niche will direct your brand, so choose something that you can sustain five, ten, and fifteen years in the future.

If you feel as though you don't have a 'niche', it might be time to brush up on your skillset. Here are our top tips for gaining industry experience. [INSERT LINK]

2. Who's on your team?

If you’re starting your own animation studio, you should weigh up the skillset of your team as well as your own. Roles in a start-up studio tend to be fewer, with overlapping responsibilities. Everyone you employ should have the same clear understanding of your niche, and the relevant experience to pursue it. Knowing the experience of everyone your studio hires is invaluable when making sure you stay true to your brand. Connections you’ve met on projects are a good choice, as you’ll already have a feel for the kind of animation they produce.

Deciding your animation studio niche: Who's on your team?

3. What's your budget?

Deciding to pursue a niche with high production value may not be the best choice if you’re a small studio trying to stay on budget. Instead, work with what you’ve got. List the kind of work you expect to produce within your niche and calculate the average cost of a project. The great thing about marketing niches is that they’re completely flexible. If you can’t provide the stunning 3D character design you dreamed of, consider scaling down your niche.