The online world is increasingly visual, and content accompanied by visual assets may have as much as an 40%-80% higher chance of being read. With these staggering statistics, it’s more important than ever to have compelling branded visuals. Here, we’ve rounded up 3 of our best tips for branded visuals, along with a curated list of visual branding resources.
1. Know why you’re creating branded visuals
The goal of your visual brand isn’t just a nice looking website. In an increasingly crowded visual world, your visual brand connects you with your audience and creates a strong imprint in their memory. As online audiences increasingly skim content (remember, Generation Z’s attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish [link to education post]), stock content is the visual equivalent of meaningless chatter. A custom library of images, coupled with your unique branding (color, logo, etc.) puts you in front of your audience with a strong story.
Further Reading: Make Your Visual Content Stand Out With A Signature Brand Look via Content Marketing Institute
Quotable:
- “A brand is more than a logo or a specific font. It’s an expression of your customers’ experience.”
- “Over time, [your visual branding] begins to stand for something in the mind space of your current and prospective customers.”
Photo for Cook Children’s Home Health by Steel Shutter Photography
2. Have your own visual language
Ever seen the color blue and thought of Target? We didn’t think so. Creating a strong visual language means identifying what colors, fonts, logos, design style, and mood you’ll use to tell your brand’s story. When crafting visuals for marketing campaigns, social media, and other content, make sure you’re “speaking” your brand’s visual language. Consistency will win every time. Once your audience gets to know your visual language, they’ll seek it out and notice when you share new visuals in your language. Even better, you’ll be building strong associations that will have them remembering your brand in contexts beyond your own content.
Further Reading: Why All Your Visual Content Needs To Be Branded via Visage
Quotable:
- “The key to branding your content is creating and implementing a visual language, which clearly details elements such as colors, fonts, logo use, iconography and data visualization.”
Photo for Texas Wesleyan University by Steel Shutter Photography
3. Capture the right feeling
If you’re a marketer, you know that a good sales pitch speaks to what the customer wants to feel like above and beyond any product. Your visuals should do the same. Avoid flat, stock imagery that shows a scene without telling a compelling story. Instead, choose custom photography that evokes strong, resonating emotions. Good visual assets will move your audience before they ever read a word of your copy, creating an emotional investment in your brand. Steel Shutter can work with you to create a custom library of images that emotionally resonate with your target audience.
Further Reading: 5 Tips for Choosing Images That’ll Make Your Content Engagement Skyrocket via Contently
Quotable:
- “When it comes to choosing an image, your main focus should be on conveying the right feeling. A photo that screams ‘security’ or ‘trust’ or ‘confidence’ will be much more effective than an image that only makes a literal connection with the reader such as ‘money’ or ‘beautiful landscape.’”
Photo for Kincaid’s Hamburgers by Steel Shutter Photography
If you’ve been relying on stock, unbranded images for your digital marketing, contact Steel Shutter now. Jeremy will work with you to create a photoshoot that works with your visual language and connects with your audience. Whether you’re a marketing agency, small business, or corporation, Jeremy will use his experience to deliver the right visual library to engage your target customers.
More resources for creating branded visuals
A Complete Guide to Visual Content: The Science, Tools and Strategy of Creating Killer Images via Buffer
11 Tips for Visual Storytelling from the Pros via Libris