Conclusion

There’s no doubt that this is an exciting time for brands and consumers alike. We’re doing business in an era when disruption is celebrated and consumers are savvier than ever before. Phrases like “innovate or die” have become the norm, pushing marketers to work smarter and inviting them to break through the clutter to tell their brand story.

The proliferation of social media platforms, with sizeable followings to match, has resulted in an increased focus on maximizing the potential of these communities. Successful marketers have realized that these sites have become increasingly visual—and not just by choice. Changing consumer behavior, as well as demand to see and share visuals and rich media, is driving both consumption and engagement.

Visit any social media platform on a given day and you’ll find a never-ending stream of visual content. In the age of “infobesity” and increasing digital noise, visual storytelling has emerged as a strategy for not only standing out, but also for nurturing and growing vibrant and engaged communities. The ability to craft visuals that inspire emotion and action is helping companies to be noticed and is amplifying their stories through those communities. Consumers don’t necessarily go to social media sites to hear from companies, but a compelling visual can pull them into an intriguing story or provide a valuable lesson, resulting in increased brand awareness, loyalty, a desired action, or even sales.

To master visual storytelling, you need a powerful toolkit at your disposal. With this book, we wanted to share strategy, resources, and other tools to set you up for success in not only building a case for a powerful content strategy, but also in crafting your company’s visual story. It’s our hope that this book will also serve as a creative catalyst, inspiring you to test and innovate different approaches to visual storytelling.

Although it’s hard to say what’s next when it comes to the social and digital revolution, there is one thing we can all agree on. Visuals and rich media will continue to play an important role in the way we create, consume, and distribute information. Understanding how consumers prefer to receive information and how those preferences evolve over time is key to sustainable marketing and business success.

Change is no longer an if in the digital and social media world, it’s a when. Ensuring that you are ready to react to change will guarantee that your visual story doesn’t just have a beginning, middle, and end, but that it also has a series of plot twists that will inspire your customers and keep them coming back for more.

Are you ready to start telling your visual story?