In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses are constantly striving to capture the attention of their target audience through ever more complex forms of content, refined lead management, and comprehensive analytics. And it seems like every time, it’s getting harder and harder. With a vast majority of content available online, one must really go the extra mile to beat the competition.
But what can really make a piece of content captivating, informative, and engaging while providing the same vast lead-tracking opportunities?
Visual storytelling.
Visual storytelling is a powerful marketing method that captures readers’ attention by using different types of graphics within the story. As a result, the story creates a deep emotional connection, which often provokes readers to take action. This is the exact moment when the magic of the lead generation process takes its journey.
What Is Visual Storytelling?
One might think that visual storytelling is the result of very contemporary marketing strategies, earning its fame in the realm of Instagram. On the contrary, the earliest known record of storytelling using graphics dates back 44,000 years. It’s an age-old practice used in cave painting by our ancestors to transmit the story to the following generations. Since writing was not invented yet, visual storytelling seemed to be the most accurate way to structure and translate human thoughts on the material or a surface with the intention of preserving it for a certain period of time.
With a complex system of sound characters gradually starting to substitute visuals, it would only be logical that visual storytelling as an art would vanish by now. What we see in reality is that in 2020, more than 46% of marketers said they used 91-100% of visual content. In 2021, the number of responders using the same amount of visuals has risen to 51.4%.
Source: Venngage
What does it say to us? Considering the fact that humanity has long ago mastered such an accomplished, precise, and deeply versatile manner of self-expression as writing, we still love visual storytelling.
Visual storytelling is the art of using images, photography, video, illustration, and other visual media to create a compelling narrative. Skillfully blended with the text, it can provide an experience that the reader cannot achieve from the text itself.
How Can Visual Storytelling Improve Your Lead Generation
Captures Attention
In a current world flooded with information, standing out is a constant challenge that can help you succeed, keep you just afloat, or drown you. According to the study, visual content on social media generates 120-180% more engagement than text-only posts.
Visual storytelling, especially when it explores trends in animation, grabs the viewer’s attention immediately, making it a powerful tool in digital marketing. Whether it’s an eye-catching image, an engaging video, or a compelling infographic, visuals are more likely to stop users from scrolling and encourage them to explore your content further. You can also use text to video AI can transform your written content into captivating videos, significantly increasing the likelihood of catching and holding the viewer’s attention.
Builds Connection
Visual storytelling has the unique ability to evoke emotions and establish a connection with the audience. So, once you have seen that video of a noiseless, cutting-edge intelligent robot vacuum cleaner that mops your apartment in a matter of one button press, you can not unsee it anymore. The idea of purchasing it haunts you, and you cannot understand how you lived without it by now.
When it comes to making a purchase, video content is becoming more and more crucial to customers. In fact, Google claims more than 55% of consumers watch online videos about the products when they are actually in the store. And we all know how persuasive some of those videos can be.
Enhances Memorability
Visuals are more memorable than plain text. It is not what we think; it is what our brain dictates to us. Three days after hearing or reading a piece of information, the human being is only capable of recalling about 10% of it. With an image, the number increases by 65%. If you want to convert leads better, you need to make your brand and the message stick together in the memory of potential leads.
Builds Trust
Anyone can relate that before becoming a customer, one needs to trust businesses. Trust is a cornerstone of lead generation in every industry. Using visual storytelling, the business can demonstrate its principles, values, and sincerity. Potential customers tend to trust more a business and think about becoming leads when they feel like they know the brand personally.
Encourages Social Media Sharing
By sharing visuals on social media in the form of a video, you get higher chances of having that content shared and reshared, generating more leads and increasing the loyalty of existing customers. About 92% of mobile video users share videos with others, utilizing this great opportunity to attract more leads and strengthen brand image by doing very little.
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Top 5 Strategies for Visual Storytelling in Lead Generation
Tell Customer Success Stories
Successful stories of the customers that have purchased from you bring more customers. According to the Content Preferences Survey Report by Demand Gen, 68% of buyers prefer content that showcases real customer success stories.
Salesforce is a great example of this strategy. It often shares customer success stories with accompanying videos and visuals, highlighting how its solutions have helped businesses succeed. The only downside of this practice might be for young businesses that have not yet developed enough lead-generation processes and built enough customer relations.
Use Visual Social Media Platforms
Leverage visual-centric social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok to convey your brand’s story and attract leads. National Geographic’s Instagram account is known for sharing stunning photos from all over the globe, drawing in large audiences. Instagram’s one billion monthly active users is enough audience to start your lead generation.
Source: Instagram
Be Consistent
Maintain a consistent visual style and tone across all your visual content to build brand recognition and trust. According to research, consistency increases revenue by 23% on average. Think about such classic brands like Coca-Cola. Its signature red color and iconic logo across various marketing materials and across many generations have always stayed the same.
Create Interactive Infographics
Infographics that enable users to investigate data by clicking, navigating, or interacting with the graphic can convert users at a rate of 70%. The New York Times designed an interactive infographic, “How the Virus Got Out,” that depicts the worldwide spread of COVID-19.
Source: The New York Times
Use Visual Landing Pages
Create visually attractive landing pages with compelling images and clear CTAs to capture more leads. Offer lead magnets like quizzes, eBooks, guides, and templates. Canva’s landing pages feature visually captivating design templates and offer lead magnets like design guides and resources.
Source: Canva
5 Best Examples of Visual Storytelling Enhancing Lead Generation
Spending tons of time on the Internet (to be exact, more than six hours), can you recall how many times you were driven to the website’s Instagram page, blog post, or other pieces of information because of its attractive appeal?
Let’s explore some real examples from the Internet and discuss how they can enhance your lead generation process.
Airbnb’s Experiences
Airbnb does not offer a place to stay anymore; it offers an experience to taste. Whether diving into ancient history in Rome, exploring off-the-beaten paths with a local photographer in Tokyo, or learning how to make traditional paella from scratch in Valencia, Airbnb Experiences provides guests with unique experiences they will never forget.
Source: Airbnb
The high-quality photos, videos, and descriptions have the ability to transmit the local atmosphere. Using captivating visuals and compelling narratives, Airbnb makes the readers want to hop on the next flight and let the journey of their lives begin. Reserving guided tours, local classes, and different activities are available upon clicking to learn more about an experience. From there, the reader is guided to create an account or log in on the website. This process not only generates leads but encourages them to consider booking an experience, effectively converting them into customers.
2. TED Talks
Regardless of the topics you are interested in or the industry you work or study in, you will most likely find something interesting in the TED Talks for yourself. It offers engaging presentations on a wide range of topics, using visuals, images, and slides to complement the speakers’ narratives.
TED encourages viewers to explore more content on the hot topic, subscribe to newsletters, and engage in discussions. By offering insightful talks with compelling visuals, TED attracts an audience interested in intellectual and personal development, which can lead to lead generation.
3. Patagonia’s Activism Initiatives
An outdoor clothing brand, Patagonia, uses visual storytelling to highlight its environmental initiatives and the strong message they bring along. Through visual storytelling, Patagonia not only builds trust and loyalty among its audience but also educates them about contemporary global issues and ways to diminish them.
This connection with the reader, built on a mutual outlook, leads to higher customer retention, referrals, and repeat business, indirectly contributing to lead generation.
Source: Patagonia
4. Wait But Why Blog
Started as a small online blog, Wait But Why has soon turned into a well-known website that uses a humorous approach to cover scientific, philosophical, and psychological topics. It explores complex issues using easy-to-understand concepts, making it accessible to wide audiences.
What exactly can make a complicated issue easier to understand? Visuals! In one of the blogs, Tim Urban has even tried to map out the history of time. He started with the graphic of the life of a typical 30-year-old American and finished with the Big Bang and the formation of the Milky Way. It can make one look at things from quite a different perspective, seeing your whole life as a small dot on the map of the world.
Source: Wait But Why
5. Apple’s Products Launch Events
Needless to say, Apple has always been a master of creating immense excitement and anticipation among technology enthusiasts. Its product launch events are more than just a venue for announcing new products – they’re an opportunity to engage the public with live streams and powerful, high-quality visual storytelling.
Apple shows how its latest products can become an integral part of everyday life, from creating memories with friends and family to letting users stay connected with loved ones. These stories revolve around the user experience, creating an emotional connection that helps generate leads. And if there is a company that knows how to attract and generate leads, converting them into loyal customers gradually year by year, Apple is that company. As of 2023, there are over 1.46 billion iPhone users globally, and the number is expected to reach 1.56 billion by the end of the year.
Source: Demand Sage
Elevating Lead Generation Through Visual Storytelling
Visual storytelling possesses immense potential to enhance lead-generation processes for businesses across various industries. It can subtly capture online users’ attention, guiding them to your website. Later, as they explore your website’s offerings, they may transform into valuable customers.
The challenge of every business is to keep that user interested and engaged by providing appealing content. It is where the dynamic duo of captivating visuals and informative content comes into play.
This fusion possesses the extraordinary ability to establish a profound emotional bond with your audience. It nurtures trust and fosters unwavering loyalty among your followers. It also serves as an educational tool, educating them about your products.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge that visual storytelling transcends beyond a mere image paired with a caption. It’s a whole story that needs to be told in such a way as if the consumers were living it themselves. The objective is to evoke inspiration and motivation while also fostering a sense of connection and understanding regarding their interests and values.
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