Visuals are to your marketing plan what denim overalls were to the 90s—super significant!
And in the dynamic world of the internet where chunks of text are just too much to take in, visuals often come to the rescue. They can help you build upon other elements of your marketing strategy and make an impact with the right audience.
Today, we’ll look at how you can create a visual marketing strategy that connects with your audience.
What is a visual marketing strategy?
A visual marketing strategy is a comprehensive and effective plan that incorporates images, videos, and other multimedia to influence your consumers.
The idea of a visual marketing strategy is to create an impactful, memorable impression that helps you stand out from your competitors. The impact of visuals has always been powerful, but with attention spans at an all-time low—8.25 seconds, a strong visual strategy game is crucial to your marketing success.
How to create a visual marketing strategy
Follow these simple steps to create a gripping visual marketing strategy that wows your audience:
Establish your visual identity
To create a truly strong digital presence, you must focus your efforts on aligning your campaigns with your brand’s identity.
This means you need to create content that is in line with your logo, shape (visual cues in your brand that distinguish you from others with similar branding), color, typography, and imagery. Any incongruence will drive potential customers away due to poor brand recognition.
A way to remain consistent with this is to share your brand kit with designers and marketers when creating visual content. As you progress and begin creating at scale, develop workflows that streamline your entire process.
Match the tone
While it’s easy to get swayed and follow every passing trend, you probably are better off steering clear of anything that doesn’t go with the tone of your content. The media you choose should ideally elevate your value proposition across platforms.
Create for your audience
A sure-fire way to succeed with your visual strategy is to use imagery that is created for your audience.
Writing a blog? Design an informative infographic that sums up the essence of the topic. Working on a landing page? Strategically place images and videos that aid in the increase of conversions. Of course, these need to be consistent with your brand design.
Regardless of the platform, you’re creating for, remember to create an unparalleled experience for your audience.
Utilize user-generated content
Also known as UGC marketing, this part of your strategy can help you share visual content from your audience in the form of social media posts, web content, testimonials, and more. It lends an authentic voice to your brand while also acting as social proof for potential customers.
Analyse competitors
When you want to know which direction to take your strategy, one of the best things you can do is look at your competitors.
By performing a SWOT analysis on other companies, you can get an idea of what elements work and what opportunities might be available. Additionally, identifying areas where your competitors are lacking gives you the opportunity to capitalise on those weaknesses.
Consider customer journey
Since your audience makes up the heart of your marketing efforts, it is critical to understand their journey with your brand. Here is how you can achieve this:
- Create a buyer persona
- Understand their preferences and purchasing habits
- Determine where they lie in your marketing funnel
- Formulate an authentic narrative that forges an emotional connection with them
- Strategically place visuals across your website and social media handles that increase the likelihood of a conversion
When your visuals are well-placed and carefully curated, you not only come across as an authoritative figure in your niche but you also guide your customers and visitors in their journey in making a purchase.
Top examples of well-executed visual marketing strategy
1. Starbucks
Their summer campaign not only captured the right vibe but they did so with high-quality, aesthetically pleasing images.
Source: Starbucks
2. Nike
Known to always bring their ace game with striking visuals from influencers and athlete partners, Nike also uses top-notch user-generated content as social proof.
Source: Nike
3. The Spruce
Their marketing strategy across platforms relies on sharing an eclectic mix of Pinterest-worthy interior inspiration for their audience.
Source: TheSpruceOfficial
5 Tips for an impactful visual marketing strategy
Here are some actionable tips to help you get started:
- Make sure your visuals are compelling
- Try the latest trends for greater visibility
- Use a call-to-action
- Add your watermark
- Optimise for the platform and mobile
Ace your visual marketing strategy
Look at brands that dominate social media and you’ll see they have something in common—they understand visuals are much more powerful than text. And with the rise of social media, it’s easy to see how imagery has revolutionised the way people share, engage and learn from one another.
Whether you’re looking to grow your brand’s presence, increase engagement or pull in more online sales, visual marketing is your golden ticket.
About the author
Sanketee Kher (MA, I/O Psychology) is a freelance content writer.
She specializes in writing for B2B SaaS and eCommerce companies looking to incorporate personality into their brands. She’s also written for leading job boards in India and the U.S.
When she isn’t crafting content for her clients, you can find her indulging in other creative pursuits. You can connect with Sanketee on LinkedIn.
