Creating a solid visual brand helps tie together all of your visual content across all marketing channels. Using imagery to draw in viewers is an incredibly effective way for brands to get noticed, and it’s a skill that should be practiced for best results. You’ll find that following a particular visual style, maintaining consistency, and creating specific content for particular marketing platforms are just a few ways that your visual marketing goals can be met.
1. Tailor content on your social platforms.
If you use various social media platforms, it’s important to tailor the visual content to the audience that would be viewing on that particular platform. This means that you should stop using the same visual and message across all platforms! Consider the audiences for websites like Tumblr, Twitter, or YouTube and what would be a more engaging message for them. Keep in mind that while making small changes to your social messages can be helpful for multiple platforms, it’s important that the overall message remains the same.
2. Use consistent visual formatting.
Across these platforms, it’s important to keep the visuals consistent. It goes hand-in-hand with branding, you want there to be a cohesive design or visual style so that it’s recognizable. Your first instinct may be to stick with a similar color scheme, but there are plenty of ways to be consistent visually without limiting yourself to a particular color palette.
Illustrations that demonstrate a particular drawing style, web pages that follow a similar grid layout, or even using unique fonts are a few other ways that you can be visually consistent. The key to this is to keep the same style format so that it becomes more recognizable. Your visual style is what sets you apart, so stray away from changing things up too often. Once you’ve found your right style, it’s important not to make too many noticeable changes. Visual consistency is something that all brands should practice for better recognition by consumers.
3. Be detail-oriented.
Branching off of the last point, it’s important to pay attention to any small details that can make or break your visual consistency. This can be something as small as a font or font size change, or a layout with imagery where the kerning is a little off. They may seem small, but progressive, even minuscule, changes over time can throw of the consistency of your marketing visuals. Sometimes, it’s best to keep a side-by-side grid of all of your marketing visuals to make sure that they fit well with one another. Having a branding guide or a brand checklist can be helpful to ensure each new piece created remains consistent.
4. Use your logo.
Try to incorporate the company logo into your visual content, and be consistent about it, but remember not to let it overpower your message. For example, keep it in a noticeable location near the bottom of an image, or set the stage for brand recognition by placing it at the beginning of a web page or infographic. This is important for generating brand awareness and recognition. The more your logo is included in your visual content, the more readers will be able to associate your brand with the message.
If you’re producing visual content, keep in mind what it can do to help with branding; consider your consistency, your platforms and be sure to tie in the company logo. However small, these changes can help create a more well put-together brand and make it more recognizable to consumers. Set yourself apart and help build a brand with these visual marketing tips!
