A Picture for the People: Why Visual Marketing is Important and Why You Have to Choose your Visuals Carefully

Do you ever think about what makes your favorite website so memorable? Is it the logo? Or the layout of the page? Or maybe it’s the photos they use? What if it’s all of that, and some more? Good visuals are what make a page stick out in a sea of information, and it’s good visuals that’ll keep the people coming back to your page. But what is it about visuals that makes them so appealing?

We are visual beings

People talked way before they read, and they observed for even longer. In his book, The Power of Visual Storytelling, Chad O’Connor says that the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. And you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s worth even more in the information era, where we consume an endless stream of information in all shapes and sizes. Who has the time, and the energy, to read everything they see on the internet? A picture, a look, will make you different, and unique, it’ll create an identity for your brand. But you have to keep in mind one essential fact:

The visuals have to be relevant

In their visual content marketing studies, Anorak discovered that content that features relevant images gets 94% more views than content without any relevant visuals. Relevant visual imagery also helps people retain the information; in fact, people retain 55% more of the information presented to them if it’s paired with relevant imagery. Pictures are here to present your brand quickly and concisely, to give your potential customers all they need to know at a glance. However, there’s more to visuals than just standing out — they’ll also help you both expand and solidify your brand. But how?

Visuals create a vibe

With the rise of visual-focused social networks and news sites, one of the key factors that make these pages stand out is, well, the visuals they use. These visuals alone can attract a customer base, depending on the aesthetics used for your content. However, if these clients are satisfied with the product, they will start to associate the visuals with a positive experience, and will only be drawn more to them. Visual stimuli create emotional responses and enhance existing ones. The relationship between good content and good visuals is mutually beneficial.

Visuals can be shared

The rise of visual-focused networks also brought about the means to share visual content. Visual content is about 40 times more likely to be shared on social media. And that’s not just in the sharing — Facebook posts with images will get 2. 3 times more engagement than posts without. The more people see these visuals, the more people will share, the more they share, the more you’re noticed. An easily recognizable visual identity will then make your content more shared, more recognized, and more memorable.

Don’t forget: your brand has a story, and visual storytelling won’t tell your clients your story; it will let your clients find the story out for themselves. But what kinds of visual content is there? We can separate these into four big groups: images, infographics, gifs and videos.

Images

First and foremost, we have images. Pictures might be a little basic, but they’re the key to easily shareable information. You can post images on any website, make them in any shape and size and fit them into whatever mold you need. Images are around since the analog days, they’re familiar and recognizable — from poster to page element. They’re also the most widespread: they’re not as busy as the infographics are, nor are they as „casual“ and „informal“as gifs. Whatever you’re making, getting some images is a good start.

Infographics

Infographics are a great way to elaborate on your product in a fun and informative way. They have a distinctly formal, yet entertaining nature, especially when paired with a pleasant design. They’re also endorsed by people outside of the base clientele: 65% of marketing executives say that visual assets, including these infographics, are core to how a brand story is communicated. Infographics are a great way to attract not only potential customers but also investors, as they give key information without appearing too corporate.

GIFs

While some might consider them a bit too casual, GIFs are a great way to relate to some younger audiences and ground your business, making it more human, especially on social media. If you want your brand to be more relatable and light-hearted. But be careful, trends change — what might have been cool yesterday will be embarrassing tomorrow.

Videos

Finally, the cream of the crop — videos are one of the most surefire ways to garner attention, especially if paired with the right, relevant visuals and accompanying sounds. Sure, they might take a bit more time and effort, but the effort is always worth it — commercials have been around for a long time, with good reason!

Keeping all of this in mind, you will be able to create a distinct and concise identity that attracts attention while retaining the spirit of your brand. Just keep in mind — if you don’t like the way you present your content, why would other people?