Make Your Brand More Visual
Connect with your audience through visual storytelling
Humans are visually oriented creatures. Time and time again, data shows that people engage more powerfully with visual media than other forms. Take social media as just one example. Using video on social media generates an incredible 1,200 percent more shares than text and image content combined.[i] With those numbers, brands can’t miss the opportunity to engage in more visual storytelling. Here’s how to do it.
Empower your team on social
When looking to expand your visual storytelling, think outside the box. There is only so much you can put out on your corporate social media channels. That’s why you may want to consider asking your team to share your brand’s visual content on their personal channels.
You can take a variety of approaches. Some companies create an entire formalized employee social media program. Others simply notify the team whenever an important and visually dynamic post could benefit from some amplification.
If you feel strange about asking your employees to share your content – don’t. Many people enjoy sharing information about workplace wins, and many others desire to build their own industry thought leader credentials. Engaging with your team to share on social media can be mutually beneficial.
Consider new channels
For some time, the social media landscape has been changing. The big players in the space, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, have slowly been fading in influence and relevance, eclipsed by new kids on the block such as TikTok.
One of the benefits of this new breed of apps is that they make it easier than ever to engage in highly visual storytelling through built-in video production and editing tools. Their massive audiences (almost 45 percent of Americans have a TikTok, for example) also don’t hurt!
Find overlooked hosting opportunities
Once you have visually engaging brand content, share it far and wide. One obvious place is on your website. You don’t want to go overboard with this, of course. Too many videos and images can potentially compromise your website’s performance. Yet a few strategically embedded visual assets can create a more compelling experience for your visitors. Visuals are also a much more effective way to disseminate critical information about your brand. Studies show, for example, that viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10 percent when reading it in text.[ii]
Look for easy, low-cost solutions
Anytime you prepare a piece of content, ask yourself if you can make it more visual. Then, find the low-cost online tools you need to produce it. One of the best things about our digital economy is that it has never been easier for businesses to create high quality visuals.
From icon libraries to infographic makers to explainer videos, converting static text content into something more visual is a breeze. In doing so, your content will not only make a better first impression but also pay lasting dividends. Hosting visually-rich, educational and evergreen content on your website, for example, can work wonders for your long-term SEO and domain authority.
Get visual and reap rewards
In a cluttered market, the more visual a brand the better its prospects. Of course, like anything else, creating meaningful visuals requires some time and effort. But the rewards are worth it. By enlisting your team, utilizing low-cost digital tools and staying open to new platforms, you can position your brand to be more engaging and successful than ever before.
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[i] How To Increase Engagement Through Video Marketing (forbes.com)
[ii] Ibid
Tags: digital marketing, marketing strategy, social media