With the rise of TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram, visual marketing has become essential today. Gone are the days when audiences had to go through a 2000+ word blog on “how to prepare noodles at home.” They can now easily watch 40-second videos showing the entire process in a more information-rich and engaging way. All because of what? Visual marketing.
Visual marketing is all about using attractive, appealing graphics, images, and videos to communicate messages and market services and products. Given the current penetration of social media and content into our daily lives, visual marketing is now more popular than ever. It presents an incredible opportunity for brands and businesses to reach out to their consumers and make the most of their sales.
However, to achieve maximum results, you need to know your options and which will best fit your needs. To that end, we’ve created the ultimate visual marketing guide containing all the best practices that will provide worthy results today and in 2023. Let’s dive in.
Focus on creating an exclusive brand identity
First and foremost, you must clarify your brand’s visual identity and what it will entail. A visual identity is “the visual part” of branding that organizations construct to convey specific thoughts and experiences associated with the brand. The brand’s colors, fonts, and logo may be examples of this.
But more than just a collection of parts, your visual identity should reflect your company’s character and principles. You can change how consumers perceive your brand and products by customizing your content with intriguing royalty-free photos, themes, fonts, texts, CTAs, and colors. Once you are done building an identity, make sure every other visual content adheres to it.
Tell the perfect story
According to statistics, people remember 20% of the information they read and 650% of the information they see. That said, consumers’ desire to read one-dimensional written reports has diminished over time. Instead, they have evolved into backers of visual media.
Instead of describing the goods in phrases, visual content marketing tells the tale. Given that graphics elicit stronger emotions and greater engagement, they can have a powerful impact on consumers when used in conjunction with the proper brand or campaign narrative. The origins of a product, its practical application, how it evokes feelings, and how people may more readily relate are all explained through stories or a visual journey. So, incorporate these elements when creating your brand’s story.
Participate in visual communities
Since different market segments typically have distinct preferences, making images specifically for those communities would be advantageous. Increased brand loyalty would result from a stronger community. As an illustration, consider how some of the most popular fashion trends currently have other brands’ names and trademarks being marketed as the newest thing. Imagine having a style and logo so appealing that people want to wear them to represent you. Given how difficult it is to produce anything remarkable, this type of marketing may be highly stressful. But if your brand can pull this off, it will be able to reach a wider audience of buyers.
Use UGC marketing
The most critical component of any visual content marketing plan is user-generated content. The ideal method to incorporate a visual marketing plan into your brand promotion strategy is through UGC marketing.
User-generated content, or UGC, is also earned media and comprises social media posts, photographs, discussions, and testimonials. These are ones that users have purposefully constructed. They are the most reliable type of brand marketing since these visually appealing, engaging, and pertinent pieces take your brand promotion to a new level.
Create GIFs from your content
GIFs have the added advantage of being shared across numerous platforms. GIFs immediately catch attention because they play automatically in your stream. You can quickly produce GIFs by using programs like Jing and Recordit. On Tumblr, more than 23 million GIFs are posted daily, and more than 22 million GIFs are sent over Facebook Messenger. Millions of GIF attachments occur each month on Slack. GIFs with text can be used to make them pop out, and bright visual design can make them even better. Branded GIFs can help increase traffic and interaction.
Post memes
Believe it or not, making memes is part of visual marketing. Memes are a terrific method to inject humor into the perception of your brand. They are an excellent choice for creating visual content when you don’t have much ready because they are quick and straightforward. But most crucially, memes are simple to distribute. Additionally, social media users adore sharing entertaining content with their friends and family.
There are two ways to post memes. Use one of the many internet meme makers to make your own, or post one that already exists and fits your brand’s social identity. Trying to sell your brand constantly can come out as excessive and slick. Instead, offer material that you think is funny or relates to some of the issues your company is confronting.
Use a live feed to attract viewers
The engagement generated by live feeds and live videos has considerably increased. In the US, 42% of people have streamed live footage. The option to go live is available on several sites, including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Periscope. The “genuine” aspect of live videos and broadcasts is the main factor contributing to their growing popularity. The real-time nature of a live video makes everything on it more relatable. Going live and creating a live video are both relatively simple tasks. You don’t require a complex setup.
Brands can use live streams even though they usually resonate more often with user-generated content. A live feed is a fantastic visual introduction for a single user acting as a brand. Additionally, you may speak with your viewers and receive immediate feedback. You can include the following in your live feed:
- Secretive operations taking place within your business or organization
- Live interviews with professionals in the field; current debates in your neighborhood
- Real-world examples and client feedback that highlight the brand value
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, visual content is perceived to be highly influential when convincing customers to make a purchase. That said, leveraging the above-mentioned visual marketing strategies for 2023 will serve your brand and business well in driving traffic, improving sales and engagement, and gathering leads. The trick is to be creative with your visuals, plan, and review your content regularly to stand out from the competition.