How visual story-telling marketing works?

We are now living in a world where information is overloaded with words and figures which may result in the lack of active attention leads users to unconsciously ignore content which require longer time and attention to analysis it  (Lambie & Hair, 2012) . However, several statistics shows that online content with visuals grab more attention and engagement from users.  Moreover, science also revealed that nearly half of human brain is involve in visual processing, interpreting visuals in less than 1/10th of a second (Pettersson, 1989). Additionally, when users navigate mounting distractions, the average human attention is less than 9 seconds. Besides that, our brain process information more deeply when we receive it in a form of stories because storytelling is a fundamental of human brain functioning (Parkinson, 2010). Therefore, visual storytelling is getting vital in digital marketing today.

Visual storytelling includes the use of graphics, images, charts, and videos to engage with a target market and deliver a brand’s message in an effort to drive emotions and encourage a certain action (Alton, 2016). A compelling and captivating visual content is able to evoke emotions which results in deeper engagement with users and drives potential consumers to purchase for a product or service. Thus, visual storytelling has attracted many brands to employ it in content marketing in order to increase website traffic, customer engagement and even sales (Lasquite, 2015). Furthermore, visual storytelling also helps businesses to connect, inspire, and engage the brand with their consumers better and faster than a simple text (Gregorio, 2015).  There are 4 key principles that make a powerful visual:

  1. Authenticity: Authentic visual marketing draws emotions and passions from the users, they are then turned into advocates of the idea the brand is attempting to tell.
  2. Achetype: Archetype visual storytelling technique are used by brands to create engaging content through learning about archetypal stories that form our values and culture.
  3. Sensory currency: Sensory stimulation is one of the element which enable a brand to connect with their targeted consumers.
  4. Relevancy: Incorporating cultural relevancy in visual storytelling makes for a good and powerful campaign as it creates a deeper emotional connection.
Source: (Gregorio, 2015)
 There is an infographic providing some tips about how can visual storytelling help market a business by employing the four principle above. Here is another reading for mastering visual storytelling strategy. However, companies should also pay more attention on the content of visual marketing because only valuable content that will get audiences to interact with the companies in social media communities (Evans, 2010). This article discussed about how the big brands’ (including Starbucks, Nike etc. ) visual content work well, which might be helpful for visual marketing content inspiration.
References:

Alton, L., 2016. Visual Storytelling, Digital Marketing, and 2016 Trends. [Online] Available at: http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/visual-storytelling-digital-marketing-2016-trends/ [Accessed 18 March 2016].

Evans, L. L., 2010. Social Media Marketing. 1st ed. Indiana: Que Publishing.

Gregorio, J., 2015. The Power of Visual Storytelling in Content Marketing. [Online] Available at: http://cjgdigitalmarketing.com/the-power-of-visual-storytelling-in-content-marketing-infographic/ [Accessed 18 March 2016].

Lambie, A. M. B.-. & Hair, N., 2012. Advertising Vesus Invertising The Influence of Social Media B2C Efforts on Consumer Attitudes and Brand Relationships. In: Online Consumer Behavior. East Sussex: Routledge, pp. 209-236.

Lasquite, M., 2015. How to Use Visual Storytelling in Your Digital Marketing Campaigns. [Online] Available at: http://blog.visme.co/visual-storytelling-digital-marketing/ [Accessed 18 March 2016].

Parkinson, R., 2010. Storytelling and Imagination: Beyond Basic Literacy. 1st ed. London: Routledge.

Pettersson, R., 1989. Visuals for Information: Research and Practice. 1st ed. New Jersey: Educational Technology.

 

 

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