Powerful Imagery - Stop Overcomplicating It
Many of you have heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” While seen as very cliché, people have indeed been moved by powerful imagery since the beginning of time. As technology has progressed, we’ve experienced imagery in different ways, but its ability to leave a lasting impact has remained. I recently took a trip out to the west coast and had the opportunity to journey up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. Never had I before experienced such mesmerizing scenery and am certain those vivid memories will stay with me for a long time.
The same lasting impact can be applied to business. Imagery can be a powerful strategic tool if used properly. Just think of the world’s most famous brands such as Nike, Apple, McDonald’s and many others. All of which possess one major advantage; they have a universally recognized brand that consumers immediately identify with. While you may not operate a global competitor, the same principles that these companies use can be applied to yours. Let’s simplify the process by introducing 3 tips to keep in mind.
Walk a Mile in their Shoes
The first step when strategically developing your brand is to think about your primary target market and put yourself in their frame of mind. You need to understand their interests, how they spend their time, their primary motivational drivers and many other facets. For example, take a shoe company that specializes in providing stylish, active footwear for adventurers. When designing their brand, they would need to identify their primary target market by asking the questions previously mentioned. Most likely they would come to the conclusion that their primary target market are young adults who enjoy spending their free time in the great outdoors, are environmentally conscious and choose their footwear based on how closely the brand identifies with these factors.
Now you may be thinking, “what does this have to do with imagery?” Outlining your target market actually plays a key role in positioning your brand as you now can align your strategy to feature imagery that has a better chance of a striking a chord with your target audience.
Strike a Connection
The next step is to ensure that you strike a connection with your audience by choosing the right platforms to showcase your imagery on. Remember that having the most remarkable imagery and branding in the world means nothing if it is not getting sent across the right platforms so that it reaches the right audience.
Whether it’s featuring imagery on strategically placed billboards in high traffic areas, adding posts to your social media feeds that attracts attention and warrants interaction, or featuring an eye-catching ad on a platform that you know your target audience frequents (a magazine, community event, etc.). The most critical objective is to establish the connection between your brand and what you provide. Once this connection is established it creates a snowball effect and becomes easier to grow your reach.
Be Consistent
Once you’ve established a connection with your audience, it’s important to maintain consistency. This is where a lot of companies fade in that they have a great period of success and then, unspeakably, just ride the wave when you should be working to push your momentum to greater heights. This means you need to keep delivering quality imagery and content to your target audience to further broaden your reach.
Whether you’re an up and coming company looking to carve out a piece of the market or just looking to deliver a niche service, the power of a distinguishable brand and captivating imagery simply cannot be overstated. Just remember to not overcomplicate the formula and keep it simple. If you’re confused about your brand then don’t expect your customers to understand you either! Follow these 3 easy steps to build your brand’s foundation and you’ll be sure to see results! Have questions? We're here to help!