Founder, Digital Day.
As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” In the modern world of marketing, this couldn’t be more true. With the rise of social media, businesses have had to adapt their marketing strategies to include more visual content. And it’s not just pictures that are important; videos have become one of the most effective ways to reach and engage customers. Over the years, as a digital marketer, I see a lot of businesses ignoring the importance of videos (or visuals in general) for their growth. The first thing that comes to mind when they approach me is their visual marketing and video traffic.
Cisco predicts that video traffic will grow fourfold from 2017 to 2022, and more than 82% of internet traffic will come from video traffic alone by the end of 2022. Similarly, according to a survey from Venngage, in 2021 more than 51% of marketers said they used visuals in 91%-100% of their content, and 36.4% within that segment used original infographics or illustrations.
The Power Of Visuals In Marketing
Visuals in marketing have increased significantly in recent years as technology has developed. This is because visuals are an essential part of branding and storytelling and can be used to significantly affect marketing campaigns.
Some marketers believe that visuals are more important than ever due to how people consume information. People are now more likely to remember information if it is presented visually rather than through text alone. In other words, incorporating visuals into marketing materials can be a powerful way to ensure your target audience remembers your message.
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When used correctly, visuals can help you tell a story and create an emotional connection with your audience—both of which are essential for successful brand marketing.
How To Use Images & Videos To Promote Your Brand
You know that promoting your brand is essential to bringing in new customers and keeping your existing ones. But it can be challenging to know where to start. Storytelling through visual marketing is a great way to capture attention and promote your brand. Telling your audience a story is one of the best ways to infuse your brand into more hearts.
Remember Coca-Cola’s holiday campaign in 2020, “Give Something Only You Can Give”? It’s a perfect example of brand storytelling through video content.
As a marketer, I find this holiday campaign to be effective for a few reasons. First, the video content is emotionally moving and touches on universal themes that resonate with viewers. Additionally, the campaign promotes a message of giving back and helping others, which is a powerful message that speaks to people’s hearts.
Images and videos are powerful tools that can help you tell your brand’s story and connect with your audience on an emotional level. When used correctly, they can effectively promote your brand and drive results.
Here are some simple tips our agency follows when using images and videos to promote our clients’ brands:
• Use high-quality visuals.
• Tell a story with your visuals.
• Be consistent with your visual branding.
• Use platforms like YouTube and Instagram to reach a wider audience.
• Utilize paid advertising opportunities on social media platforms.
• Leverage new features like Instagram Reels.
The Benefits Of Visual Marketing
Global brands are videos and visuals away from penetrative selling to social selling, and this has been a rising trend for the last couple of years. This is where brands can experience the sheer benefits of visual content.
As the world increasingly moves toward social media platforms, so does marketing. Traditional marketing methods are becoming less effective as consumers spend more time on the internet and social media. This is where visual marketing comes in.
Visual marketing can be used in various ways, such as through infographics, videos or images. And there are many benefits to using visual marketing, especially on social media. When done right, they can convey professionalism and expertise.
Visual Marketing In Action
There are tons of case studies from brands that show us the power of visual content in this era of omnichannel marketing.
For instance, one of our clients came to us for help with their marketing campaign. They were looking for ways to increase their social media engagement, and they wanted to ensure that our efforts reached their target audience.
We created a series of videos highlighting different aspects of the brand, including its core values and products. The videos were posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn—all platforms where we knew their target audience would be. We also created an animated explainer video that broke down what the company does in simple terms that anyone could understand.
We wanted these videos to be good enough to show off, so we used visuals like images and GIFs instead of text-only copy. We chose social media platforms where people tend to share visual content, so people would know about their work and feel compelled to share it.
The results? Our client’s social media feeds exploded with activity from new customers who had never heard about them before. It was amazing how many new people came through just by sharing these videos on social media.
Takeaway
So, why should you incorporate visuals into your marketing strategy? There are several reasons. First, visuals are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. Secondly, people are more likely to remember information if it is presented to them visually. Finally, incorporating visuals into your marketing strategy will make your brand more memorable and distinct from your competitors.
So, what are you waiting for?
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Author: Candice Georgiadis, Forbes Councils Member