Storytelling Through Visuals

Visual communication is the ultimate universal language. The company that can tell a great story through visual means gains a massive advantage over the competition.

Visual storytelling can be told through many different types of media: photography, illustration, or video – which can itself be enhanced with graphics, music, voiceover or other audio. You can also use presentations, memes, GIFs, or even comics – basically any visual medium can be a vehicle for storytelling.

By following the principle of ‘show, don’t tell’, this method of communication can make a genuine emotional connection with audiences and lead to greater engagement, traffic, and sales.

People instantly recognize good storytelling, especially in visual form. That’s why visual storytelling should be an integral part of your brand’s strategy and identity.

With that in mind, here are some great ways to tell stories through visuals:

1. Tell stories with data

Infographics are a fantastic way to organize information visually as they make text easier to digest. People simply respond better to visual information than they do to plain text, which is why infographics tend to get shared a lot on social media.

2. Provide a glimpse into your inner culture

An effective way to connect with your audience is to post images that give them a peek into the inner culture and values of your organization.

Giving your customers some insight into how your organization operates and who you are as people will cultivate trust and give them a reason to chose you over competitors that don’t share this information.

So, post images of happy employees. Share company achievements. And, showcase your company’s eco-friendliness, charity work, or any other socially responsible actions that your customers might appreciate.

3. Create engaging characters

Mascots can work wonders on social media. They give a face and a personality to your brand. And, customers relate better to faces than they do to logos.

If your target audience includes children, having a mascot is pretty much mandatory.

Mascots can be used in many different styles of content. Polygang is a great example of this. Their mascot shares a wide range of content to communicate with the brand’s audience:

4. Use audience-generated content

Let your audience tell your brand’s story by encouraging them to submit content. Using fan-submitted images tells the story of how your brand has impacted their lives. It’s also a great way to show your appreciation of – and commitment to – your customers.

Your customers will be happy to see your brand reciprocating their input, which will get them talking. And, good old-fashioned word-of-mouth promotion will always resonate extremely well with people.

5. Leverage the power of videos

Brands need to earn their audience’s attention, and that’s not easy given the insane amount of competition.

Video is arguably the most powerful of all the storytelling vehicles. On social media, people share videos more than any other type of content. If you’re looking for attention, a great video is the best way to get it.

With the right stories, videos can inspire, motivate, and excite. There’s simply no better way to directly show your audience how they can benefit from your products or services.

Seeing is believing

Using visual storytelling can add a powerful new dimension to your marketing. However, it is essential to have a strategy in place and to put in the time and effort needed to get the job done properly.

To be effective, your content needs to be high-quality and original – cheesy stock photos won’t work. Capturing your brand’s essence is equally important: Customers should be able to quickly tell what you’re all about.

If you can create well-organized and easy-to-understand content that is visually appealing and captures your brand’s essence, you will be able to connect more deeply with your audience. And, in the digital age, nothing drives engagement more than genuine connection.