The Visual Revolution Of Modern Marketing

Visual Impact 

 A picture is worth a thousand pixels. I know we  used say a picture is worth a thousand words, but change is the only constant in our society. In order to capitalize in today's digital market  and social media it is imperative you use visually stimulating content to attract, inform, and retain. That is a very simplified description of the modern e-transaction. With all of the channels available to reach customers your content must establish an entry point to create a relationship with your targeted market.  It is a new game but the rules have not changed, they have evolved. I know we are all tired of hearing that word, but the reason we hear it so much is because it describes the process of  how design is developing gradually, especially from a simple to a more complex form. Now the last part may be a slight contradiction. The skeumorphism was Apple's way of announcing market dominance by using a design that reflected the real world counterparts. Microsoft and Google have both embraced a minimalist style, but Google flexed by releasing their Material Design.  Flat design is not a new concept, it is a new to digital concept. What started as a minimalist approach to improve the ability to create quality interfaces with less clutter allowing users to identify everything faster. Though as time passes, it is changing as gradients, colors, and designers continue to push the boundaries. Why? So they can create compelling visual designs. Stop making suggestions to them. What would you do if a designer flipping through your Quarterly advised moving the budget surplus from IT to Marketing. Most likely lose your mind. Imagine how they feel when you pick apart their work. Let people do their job so everyone is happy.  If you have not caught on to what I want you to understand. Put simply, everything changes, if you do not, you will be left behind. Visual Content is imperative to success until Sky Net rises and the war starts. Elon Musk may be on to something. Is it wise to build your predator? I digress.

Give Content A Boost 

90% of all information transmitted by the human is transmitted visually. If you are not communicating your message to your audience in a shorter time span, you are wasting money. Wasting money is never wise. Period. You will not retain or acquire the competitive advantage in your market, which should be your main goal. If you aren't sure what the competitive advantage is in your market, than visual impact is the least of your worries. 40% of people respond better to visual content. It has to be a key strategy from the outset when you sit down to create your marketing and social media strategy. Your content must communicate its message clearly and what better way than pictures. The rise of social media has had a large part in the explosion of visual content. A large part visual content has surged in popularity is simple the brain processes visual imagery 60,000 times faster than text. K.I.S.S. Same principle. 

Stand Out With Unique Visual Content

I know it is easy to Google the most popular visuals of the month, and you can create good content with this method. I always encourage companies to reach beyond good, go for great. You want your company to be responsible for starting the trend, and sometimes that means listening to the people you hired to do their job. You may have something you thought was neat, but your designer saw it long ago. It is time those of us planning the strategy and creating tactics let those people we hired to make sure they get done get the creative room to create content that will ensure the competitive advantage stays ours or those with will know you are coming for them. I'll leave you with a list to help you understand how to start creating visual content to raise your visibility.

• Original Visuals: Of course at times it makes sense to recycle, but if the designer is saying its time to switch to something original. Listen. That is what you hired them to do.
• Design: Very Simple. Let your designers do their job. Stop forcing templates down their throats to save money. If you let them create an original design they may attract new customers which will earn you more money. 
• Keep it Relevant: There is no faster way to lose credibility with everyone than using imagery that has nothing to do with your company or product. Using bait is how you become toxic on Social Media. That is a death sentence. Unless your company is Apple, Google, or Microsoft. I know you're not, because they would never make that mistake.

By L. Jonas Hughes IV

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please like and leave a comment. Be sure to share it on all of your social media. I appreciate you. Stay tuned for my next post. Trust me, it's going to be exciting. You learned something this time, right? It's like Old Jack Dalton always says, "When in doubt, Call Jonas" See you next time.