Countless studies show that visuals are essential to the way we consume, process and retain information. It’s true that a picture says a thousand words. Consider that the average human attention span has shrunk to a mere eight seconds, and that a person’s first impression forms within just 50 milliseconds. That’s not enough time to read a full sentence – let alone a whitepaper.
In the always on, tech-obsessed world in which we live, brands are evolving their content strategies to more effectively connect with audiences through high-impact visual storytelling. This year, we can expect brands to embrace the following four trends to help boost brand awareness and message association, while driving deeper engagement.
Powerful Photography
The days of stock, one-size-fits-all photography are over. Powerful visuals evoke deeper emotions and result in stronger brand engagement. Eye-tracking studies underscore the importance of compelling imagery: When images are relevant, internet readers spend more time looking at photos than they do reading text. In 2019, focus on creating connections through carefully curated photography that conveys authenticity, emotion, cultural relevance and humanity over technology.
Impactful Infographics
Infographics have had the largest increase in usage among B2B marketers in the last four years – now at 65%. It’s not hard to see why: Infographics are informative, quick to digest and highly shareable. In fact, content that includes visuals such as infographics generates 94% more views than exclusively text-based content. But to stand out in such a saturated market, brands must invest the time and resources to create truly memorable infographics and other visual content.
Vital Videos
By 2021, video will comprise 82% of all internet traffic. In today’s ADD, on-demand world, brands are increasingly storytelling through videos that are creative, compelling and – above all – concise. Live video streaming is also gaining traction across industries. Today, one out of every five Facebook videos is live. As consumers continue to flock to ephemeral channels like Snapchat, Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories, disappearing videos will also become a storytelling must-have.
Increased Interactivity
In addition to embracing video, brands will increasingly look for ways to incorporate animation and interactivity to help audiences further engage with their content – think interactive eBooks, cinemagraphs, GIFs, memes and more. And according to a recent survey, 81% of respondents expect brands to focus on creating more collaborative and social experiences by utilizing augmented reality (AR) this year.
Interested in learning more? Check out our infographic below, or let’s talk to discuss how visual storytelling can help you capture hearts, minds and results this year.
