The Importance of Imagery in Marketing: Visuals Drive Engagement.

 When was the last time an advertisement caught your attention?

Today's marketing is now found in the online digital world more than ever before. With hundreds of thousands of companies, influencers, and services competing in the same area for consumer engagement, it can be incredibly difficult to get that engagement driven to your company/service. One of the best and simplest ways to do this is using good imagery. Not only can a nice, high-quality image make marketing material look more appealing, but a good image can significantly increase engagement, message retention, and even create emotional connections to targeted consumers. 

Research also consistently proves that visual content performs far better than text content on its own. Studies show that "posts with proper imagery can receive arouind 150% more engagement compared to posts without any visuals". Thus showing that people are drawn to images, making a proper and strong tool quickly capturing a consumer's attention as they scroll or pass by. 

Another reason good images can be so impactful is due to the way the human brain processes information. Visual information is processed more quickly than text. Thus, a good image can send a message to viewers quicker than any sentence could. "In fact, studies show that people even remember 65% of information for several more days when the information is included with an image in comparison to text alone." So not only does a good visual allow consumers to understand a marketing message faster, but it also allows them to potentially remember the message for longer. 

To provide an example of this concept, I will be using my own photography centered around automobiles. (view "Example 1" below) Cars tend to be a perfect example of marketing perception as well. A vehicle photographed in a dramatic light can be used to communicate luxury, performance, or even freedom. All without saying a single word. 

For example, a muscle car captured during a warm sunset can invoke feelings of excitement, joy, and even prestige. While that same car taken in a bright sunlight urban environment can emphasize feelings of practicality or daily efficiency. These small but impactful changes can guide consumers to feel a certain way when viewed. This emotion can either be a way to drag in consumers to learn more or to spread the feeling a company wishes to spread. 

Furthermore, studies show that original imagery performs better than stock photos and graphics. "Surveys show that custom graphics and original photography tend to be the most effective forms of visual imagery." So in this case, using original car photos taken myself rather than stock photos of the same cars can highlight the effectiveness of an original image. 

In conclusion, imagery is more than just a decorative piece to make your marketing look pretty, but it's an important component used in marketing strategy. So whether you're making social media adverts, a website banner, or product promos, the image you decide to use alongside your marketing material plays a crucial role in capturing consumer attention and communicating your brand identity. 

And of course, you can find more photos I've captured on my Instagram "@driftkidrax." 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I hope you've learned something new or at least leave feeling inspired. 

- Example 1: (1970 Dodge Challenger: Sunset vs  Noon)