Visual storytelling: what it is and why important

In most marketing campaigns, companies decide to share stories rather than hard facts and statistics. There are several ways to tell stories-through blogs, podcasts, speeches, and videos-depending on your content marketing goals. One of these is the visual storytelling. 

This form of communication, which is enormously used by modern companies, consists of the ability to elicit emotion and action from visual content. It doesn't matter if it is a graphic, an infographic, photographs or a video: a powerful visual narrative can inspire people, open possibilities and persuade consumers to take action right then and there. 

But visual communication is not just about aesthetics: it is about building narrative experiences than with the public. Businesses can therefore leverage it to humanize their brands and create empathy, thereby generating deeper connections with customers. As brand specialists, we at Red Apple think. To visual storytelling as one of the most valuable and effective weapons for increasing brand awareness And give value to the image of our clients.

Visual Storytelling: the art of telling authentic emotions

Every communication expert knows that the visual storytelling is more than just using images and video-it is a powerful method of communicating ideas and emotions through visual storytelling. The key is to tell stories using elements that attract attention and stimulate understanding. You can think of this approach as a perfect combination of art and communication where every image, every video clip, and every graphic contributes to building a coherent and engaging narrative.

To realize a communication strategy That it is really effective, in fact, companies must be able to stand out not only with original content, but also with innovative ways of presentation. Elements such as colors, compositions, symbols, and visual dynamics allow you to convey concepts in an immediate, direct, and above all, original way about who you are and what your company has to offer.

Communication is rooted within us

As we have just seen, visual storytelling is about developing the storytelling which, thanks to the support of visual elements, it succeeds in generating empathy and involvement in the audience. For a company, this means trying to achieve a specific, measurable, and concrete goal: it can be used to facilitate the execution of a call-to-action, to guide the user through the buying process, or to elicit emotion and stimulate engagement with a topic, product, or brand.

Indeed, the value of images in marketing, as well as in journalism and education, has been demonstrated by numerous studies. One of them, led by M.I.T.., found that humans can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds, eight times faster than previously thought. This suggests that a part of the brain continues to process the image even when it is no longer visible. Other studies have shown that we can remember and recognize more than 2,000 images with 90% accuracy even over several days.

Visual media thus have a natural influence on us and our choices and modern companies know this well. Consumers are intimately carried by the messages conveyed in these ways, provided, however, that they abide by some basic rules without which the meaning of communication would be lost. This is precisely what we do in Red Apple as communication experts and brand specialists: we leverage existing paradigms, best technologies, and visual media to create a narrative that provides value to our clients' brand and identity.

Hierarchy, design and entertainment: the essentials of visual storytelling

In order to build an effective visual storytelling strategy that can convey the right emotions to the audience, it is therefore necessary to rely on some elements that must be well structured with each other.

First of all, even in communication, clarity of message is key: all elements of graphics or videos, must tell your vision, ideals and purpose. Secondarily the design, which includes elements such as color choice and placement of elements on the page, should not distract from the story but be used as a tool to help viewers better understand what they are looking at.

The design, whatever type of media is used, must therefore adhere to a strict visual hierarchy that helps determine which elements are most important. In a graph, for example, it may be the largest portion of text, while in an image it will be the most prominent person or object. 

Since storytelling plays a lot on emotions, one aspect to focus on concerns the sensations you want to elicit in the customer: does the story have an inspirational, informative or emotional purpose? In fact, the user must not only immediately grasp the message and images, but also feel part of your context and vision: when a piece of content is recognizable it fosters identification and a sense of belonging, essential elements to make your storytelling strategy effective and also improve the perception of your brand.

What to expect from visual storytelling integrated into a strategy in content marketing

Having come to this point, we have realized how visual storytelling is a powerful tool that can enrich the content marketing strategy of any brand or company transforming content into exciting and incisive experiences. Integrating effective visual elements into your marketing campaign allows you to capture your audience's attention and communicate complex messages in a simple, recognizable and emotional way. This is provided that there has been a deep study of the brand and the target audience: in fact, the choice of format must be consistent with the habits of one's customers and audience, just as the content must be designed according to the needs of consumers.

In addition, a well-structured visual storytelling strategy helps to pique the customer's interest early in the buying journey by stimulating curiosity and creating an immediate connection: through images, infographics and video, top-of-funnel content can be made more attractive, increasing dwell time on the site and encouraging interaction. Also regarding the early stages of improving the brand awareness, the ease of sharing on the social media is able to expand the reach and virality of content, and in this way improve engagement.

Finally, communicating through with visual storytelling Makes the message more dynamic, direct and immediate, turning even long and informative content into more accessible and readable materials. This not only improves the audience's enjoyment of the information, but also reduces cognitive fatigue by incentivizing them to continue reading and explore the topic further.

Do you wish to grow your business and make it memorable and engaging for your audience? With a well-structured and thought-out visual storytelling strategy, it is possible. Rely on the professionals at Red Apple International For your communication! Make an appointment with us, and together we can find the right narrative that truly represents your identity, brand and vision.