The Big Brand Theory: The Power Of Visual Content

We’ve all heard the well-known phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. Though commonly mistaken as a Chinese proverb, it ironically comes from advertising copy. The expression “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” appears in a 1911 newspaper article quoting newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane discussing journalism and publicity. 

In Jack Trout’s In Search Of The Obvious, an excellent marketing read, he talks about how pictures are important and can make an idea more memorable. The reality is between 65-85% of people describe themselves as visual learners, and brands and accounts with good images get 94% more views than those without. 

What better medium than photography, graphic design, and other forms of visual content to deliver your brand’s message? There are various reasons why visual content is beneficial for your brand. Here are our top 4 reasons why investing in it is worth it.

Visual content…

1. is intuitively understandable. We are impressionable and crave images, we want quick information and we want a lot of it. Luckily for us, our human brain is quick to process visuals. Our brains are designed to perceive the world visually, and we crave constant visual input. With visual content, information can be processed faster (we are able to process images in 13 milliseconds!) way faster than any text we read.

2. evokes emotions. Visual storytelling can quickly and easily convey the emotion that you want your audience to feel when surrounded by your brand. Emotions can trigger a purchase, follow, or subscribe decision. Visuals that are easy to understand evoke emotions and stay in our brains. 

3. translates into every type of content/media. People don’t just want to look at visuals, they want to share them with their friends, across platforms, and then they want to see more of it. Well-done visual content can be used in different forms and platforms. The way visual content is created, composed, or shot, matters. Think of all the viral and memorable content that requires specific angles, design, and direction. Current platform algorithms (and users) prefer video content, but moving pictures are effective when carefully curated. 

4. establishes brand credibility. Visual content is your brand’s first impression to people. Ideally, every brand wants to stand out and be memorable. If clients associate you with color palettes or even photography styles, it’s an accomplishment. Investing and taking notice of your visual identity proves you care about the little details and are mindful of what you’re releasing and sharing from your brand to your audience. 

Visual content is essentially your visual voice, helping brands build a strong identity, show their personality, and tell their story and mission. It elevates storytelling and humanizes brands, allowing potential customers to see the face behind the business. 

So we’re left with the knowledge that visual content is a must. Great visuals can enhance and dramatize. You can bend the picture to add narrative, even create a myth. But the core message is that visual storytelling is worth it, and the power of visual content works.