Every day we are bombarded by imagery that drives us to take action. Visuals influence our decisions. Sometimes we don’t even know what we are responding to, we just know that something is triggering a response.
Each person is now a marketer. We all have a suite of tools by which we pursue to visually influence others and captivate them. We showcase our products and services to engage an audience through our favourite platforms. We've discovered that the more dynamic and unique our look is, the more we stand out. While this is true personally, it is also true of the organizations that we represent.
Gone are the days of ignoring the need to market. Every industry is overwhelmed by competition for your audience’s attention. The line between industry and personal has been blurred and people need to see, feel and experience your brand in a personal way to influence their buying decisions.
Your brand is visual. You have a story to tell. If you don’t tell your story, others will. There has never been a need as there is today to tell your story in a powerfully visual manner. Everything that is created by your company needs to communicate your brand. Be consistent and recognizable.
Today’s consumers are motivated by emotion. There are so many visuals and opportunities coming at them each day, that they are looking to you to simplify their decision making by showing them your brand can help solve their problem.
They will go with the organization that shows them they will be the best choice. Shockingly, the first step in this decision making process is made in 4 – 6 seconds. They see your ad, they go to your site and if the answer is not right there, they will move on and click away. Once you have their attention, and they engage, then they will explore deeper. Make sure that you have deeper information available and the opportunity for them to talk to you.
In this ever changing media culture, you cannot control the viral behavior of marketing, but you can control your visuals. You can make yourself real to your audience. They can see that behind the brand, there are real people, who have personalities that they can connect with.
Today’s greatest method of consuming information has shifted to film. People process information by watching videos. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says that 90% of the social network’s content will be video-based by 2018. Video will account for 80% of all internet traffic by 2019, up from 64% in 2014, says technology giant Cisco.
Our days are filled with many things to do – if we do not plan to market, we won’t. Daily posting images and posting ads may seem trivial. However, in the larger picture, these regular methods of communicating your brand and message will make you known to your audience. It’s difficult to take a random approach.
A marketing plan requires a bigger picture plan with well-defined action steps. A well-documented, intentional plan that outlines who your target audience is, where they are at, and how often you plan post in each medium. It’s critical to track your efforts. Some campaigns may not work, so the sooner you modify and make adjustments, the more you will learn about reaching your network. Iconium specializes in creating plans for our clients.
Contact us for more information.
Written by Karen Schenk