Effective communication in a glance – the power of visuals in messaging
Written by Ryan Robinson | 17th April 2024
There’s nothing worse than relying on chunky text to communicate your marketing messages.
Not only is it tough to fully summarize your solution’s benefits …
But it’s also boring to read.
As the adage says, “A picture speaks a thousand words.”
That’s why marketers support their brand messages with visuals. In fact, half of all marketers say that at least 50% of their content contains visual aids.
This is because visual content is highly effective at driving sales.
Take video marketing, for example …
Organizations are often faced with large volumes of complex content from multiple sources, channels, and formats. This can be overwhelming for employees, customers, or stakeholders, who may struggle to filter, prioritize, and digest the relevant information.
87% of marketers say video has increased sales, while 89% of buyers say videos have convinced them to buy a product.
With such promising effectiveness, it’s no wonder 96% of marketers see visuals as very important to their content strategies.
Let’s take a closer look at how visuals help you connect with customers to drive sales and increase brand awareness.
1. Visual content builds brand trust
Visual elements are potent social proof.
They subtly affirm your brand’s credibility and reliability — and help you build trust with your audience.
Brand-created videos help boost consumer trust.
To leverage visuals to build trust, nearly half of all marketers create testimonial videos to highlight real positive experiences.
Here are a few visual content strategies you can use to bolster social proof:
- User-generated content “before-and-after” visuals to demonstrate product effectiveness
- Screenshots of positive brand mentions from social media platforms
- Screenshots of satisfied customer reviews and feedback
- Certification banners to underline accredited recognition
- Award logos to showcase industry esteem
2. Visuals guide customers to act
Customers want to know how to respond to your call-to-action.
Visual content allows you to “show” rather than “tell” them.
Users are far more likely to engage if they understand what they’re meant to do.
Both the clarity and immediacy of visual guides significantly reduce complexity. In other words, your brand becomes far more accessible.
Let’s imagine you’re opening a bank account. It’s much easier to onboard from a series of visuals or videos than to read a guide packed with wordy instructions.
Recognizing the cluttered digital space, we shifted our focus towards creating visuals that didn’t just showcase our products but spoke directly to the hearts of pet owners.
Through a tapestry of carefully curated images and videos, we began to weave stories that resonated deeply, bridging the gap between mere interest and genuine engagement.
This subtle shift towards visual empathy not only elevated our brand’s presence but also cultivated a community of loyal customers drawn in by the authenticity of our narrative.
The impact was clear: a surge in engagement and a brand image that stood out in a sea of sameness, proving that sometimes, the most compelling stories are told without words.”
3. Visual clarity reduces confusion
As visual creatures, buyers grasp key messages better when presented in a visual format.
This is because visual communications explain complex ideas quicker and easier than written content.
This accessible content helps broader audiences tap into your products and services.
For example, imagine a DIY furniture brand whose customers struggle to follow text-based assembly instructions.
Without visual cues, customers break the furniture when trying to put it together. This results in high returns.
The brand creates an animated explainer video with simpleshow to demonstrate product assembly to solve this.
The furniture company adds instructional text and phrasing and waits as the AI videomaker generates an explainer video.
Not only do simpleshow videos help the company reduce returns, but they also give the brand more ways to connect to broader audiences. From demos and tutorials to personalized shopping guides, video crystallizes the brand’s value proposition.
4. Visual content shows your solutions in action
Brands appeal to new customers by fixing their problems.
But it’s not just about saying you can solve pain points. You have to show them how you solve them, and good visualization matters.
For example, buyers like to watch videos demonstrating how a brand’s solution will improve their lives or businesses.
Visual content shows customers how to get from point A (their problem) to point B (getting their needs met) with your offer/solution
And guess what?
It works.
Explainer videos are an excellent way to help your customers better understand your products and services. Up the ante and utilize user-generated content by creating branded hashtags for new product launches.
Highlight real customers opening their purchases in unboxing videos and collect video reviews and testimonials as social proof.
To make this more interactive and accessible, incorporating QR codes into your marketing materials can provide an interactive way for customers to engage with your brand. They also make leaving reviews simple and convenient.
5. Visual elements drive emotional connection
Visuals grab attention and “stop the scroll.”
When images and videos connect with your emotions, they become memorable.
These kinds of visuals tell stories and bring out emotions that words alone may not.
To drive more sales through your pipeline, you need to make your target buyers feel something.
But you don’t want them to feel any emotion.
You need to align the emotion you’d like to evoke with your call to action.
For instance, if you want a customer to feel relieved after using your day cream, you need to demonstrate how your product will bring them the relief they’re looking for.
For example, a beauty company might show a “before” picture of a face with acne.
Alongside, there’s an “after” picture of the same face looking smoother and younger after using its cream. The CTA reads, “get smoother and younger-looking skin with our one-of-a-kind day cream.”
This targets the desire to look and feel good. To satiate that desire and find relief, people buy the cream.
As a recent report explains it …
“Highly skilled creative agencies are those that have mastered the art of eliciting the target emotion whilst integrating the rational reasons-to-believe into a single communication.”
Wrap-up
Visual content doesn’t just make your message clearer …
It also encourages sales by engaging and persuading potential buyers.
Remember, buyers are driven by emotion.
That’s why it’s vital to share visuals that:
- Demonstrate how your product or service solves problems
- Target customer emotions
- Satisfy emotional drivers
Want to create impactful visual content that helps explain your message and connect with customers?
Want to create impactful visual content that helps explain your message and connect with customers?
Here’s to your success!
Author's bio
Ryan Robinson. I’m a blogger, podcaster and (recovering) side project addict that teaches 500,000 monthly readers how to start a blog and grow a profitable side business at ryrob.com.
