Visual Marketing: How Images Impact Consumers

Marketing is a multifaceted field. Sometimes we can get too caught up with the written side of marketing and forget about the impact images have. Now, I am not saying to disregard writing in marketing, however, you should use similar tactics and thought processes when creating your visuals. Below are three tips on visual marketing and how the images you use impact consumers.

Maintain Your Brand Image

How can my brand image influence my visual marketing strategies?

When creating your visual marketing strategy, you first need to consult your brand image. Any visuals you use need to align with your company’s brand. Otherwise, the images will be counterproductive to your goal. Inconsistency between your writing, advertising, marketing, and visuals will confuse customers and push them away. To avoid this, only use visuals that fit with your brand and content.

How, though, do you know what visuals will best fit with your brand image? When creating your brand, you should have descriptions of your mission, vision, and brand personality. Use those descriptors to decide what visual media will best represent those ideas. If you are putting visuals on your website, make sure they align with the content with which they are placed. The tone of the writing should be reflected in the mood of the visual. Check out Katharine Paljug’s article, “Picturing Success: 5 Things to Know About Visual Marketing,” at businessnewsdaily.com to learn more about visual marketing in relation to your brand.

Utilize All Types of Visual Media

What type of visual media will best suit my marketing strategy?

When thinking about visual marketing, images first come to mind. However, while images are important, they are not the only type of visual media. Visual media can be anything from images, videos, and animations to graphic design, GIFs, and graphs. The kinds of visual media you use will depend on your organization. You can use digital and printed visuals depending on the type of audience you want to reach. Are you targeting local publics? If you are, putting posters up in coffee shops or libraries and other public gathering places may be useful. Or, are you targeting a larger audience? If so, using visuals on your website and social media will be the best strategy.

Whether you are using digital, printed, or both types of visuals, you need to keep your brand image in mind. Some organizations will go as far as having specific colors and fonts they use for their sites and materials. When deciding which kinds of visuals to use, consider the audience you want to reach. If you are targeting a younger demographic, posting short video clips on TikTok or Instagram would be beneficial. Or, if you are targeting a niche public, see what visuals they consume most. Also, try including charts and graphs to best illustrate your content if your company works with a lot of data and research. Whatever images you use, make sure you are being diligent in researching your audience to make your visual marketing successful.

Design Creative Visuals

How can creative images boost my visual marketing?

Every organization uses visuals. How, then, will your company’s visuals stand out? Not everyone is an expert in graphic design or photography, which can make original images difficult to create. However, there are tools that beginner’s can utilize to boost your visual marketing.

Stock photos are popular and easy for companies to use. Be careful with using these images, however, as you could be using the exact same photos as someone else. This is where creating your own visuals is the best strategy to make sure your images are original to your brand. Now, I am not saying you can never use these kinds of photos. For small projects or content that is time sensitive, this kind of media works perfectly. Just try to avoid relying on them too much.

Creating your own graphics can appear intimidating. For some, Adobe’s Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator are their worst nightmare. If you can use these to design your own visuals, great! If you are struggling, that’s okay too! There are tutorials and classes you can take to boost your skills, or you can find an online design tool like Canva that is easier for beginning designers. Whatever you choose, make sure every design you create reflects your brand and company.

 Visual marketing is a key part of your overall marketing strategy. The visuals you create should complement your written content in order to best communicate with consumers. Want to learn more about visual marketing? RedMoxy is here to help! Contact us here to learn more.