Visual Storytelling is a Big Factor in Marketing Success

Ever wonder why your text-driven marketing campaigns don’t always hit the mark with your target audiences? Research has found that 65% of the general population are visual learners, meaning they need to see information to retain it. So, if visuals are not a key component in your marketing, chances are you’re not making as powerful an impact as you could be.

Increasingly, visual data and storytelling are among the most important tools in a CMO’s toolbox. When used effectively, visual storytelling can capture and hold an audience's attention, create an emotional connection, and convey complex information in a compelling and easily understandable way. Visual storytelling can take place in a single piece of content—such as a motion graphic, video, infographic, or social media post—or it can be achieved over the course of several connected and complementary pieces of content.

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Ideally a successful marketing campaign would mix a variety of formats and channels based on your audiences’ preferences. Even a short text or a key word within an image can convey meaning rapidly. And then there’s the impact of video. Not surprisingly, 86% of businesses already use video as a marketing tool, and 92% of marketers have made it an important part of their marketing strategy. One look at TikTok or YouTube (and their massive audience) and it’s easy to see why this holds so much weight.

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I’ve discussed the power of visual images previously and how they can help build brands and transcend geographies in the process. Strong visuals can help connect with an audience faster, and with more emotion, than words alone.

Storytelling remains at the heart of good communication. In fact, human beings have evolved to remember stories more effectively than any other content structure. As you’re finalizing your plans for the rest of 2023, keep these key visual storytelling benefits in mind:

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• Captures Attention: In today's digital age, people are bombarded with information constantly. Visual storytelling can help capture attention and stand out from the crowd, making it more likely that people will engage with your message. According to the Visual Teaching Alliance, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text.

• Creates Emotional Connection: American author Allen Klein said, “Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.” Visuals can evoke emotions and create a deeper connection with the audience. When people feel emotionally connected to a story, they are more likely to remember it and act. CMOs can encourage their marketing teams to develop campaigns and brand messaging to help evoke a deeper emotional connection with their audience.

• Makes Complex Information Understandable: Visuals can simplify complex information and make it easier for people to understand. Infographics, for example, can help break down complex data and statistics into easily digestible visual representations. This can help CMOs quickly identify trends and patterns in data, which can inform decision-making and benefit the marketing team tremendously.?By visualizing information and communicating within a visual format we turn data into a landscape that leadership can explore with their eyes.?

• Improved Communication: Visual data can improve communication between teams. CMOs can use visual data to communicate marketing metrics and performance to other departments, such as sales or finance. I’ve had my marketing teams develop visual reporting to help showcase what success looks like within their respective departments (e.g., PR, social media, etc). This helps showcase data within a new high level executive format and saves leadership teams from reading yet another long report.

• Increases Engagement: Visuals are more engaging than text alone. Visuals add a component to communication that written and verbal methods do not: speed. People are more likely to engage with and share content that includes visuals, which can help your brand increase your reach and impact of your brand messaging.

• Makes Messages More Memorable: Visual storytelling can help make your message more memorable. Studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information that is presented in a visual format than information presented in text alone. CMOs can take advantage visual data to create more impactful presentations to internal and external stakeholders and generate reports and presentations to leave a long-lasting impression.

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In today’s digital age, visual storytelling cannot be overlooked as a key element of the marketing mix. By making the most of visual data you can further understand AND communicate marketing metrics, create more engaging content and tell a better story with your brand’s data. By leveraging these benefits, you help give yourself an edge over the competition.