The modern marketplace is busy. Super-duper busy. Knowing how to get your stuff out there is half the battle, which is why we rely on all the new handy gizmos.
You can sort out your priorities on an Instagram scheduling tool or enter things into calendars to keep up.
But what about the visual side of things? Sight is the most prominent of our senses, so it makes sense to have visually appealing marketing angles. Better imagery nearly always equates to better sales.
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Knowing Your Target Audience
Rule one of the seller’s handbook is having a good answer to the question, “who am I selling to?” It’s something that should be instantly obvious to you, as well as to all those on your team. This answer should inform everything you do.
Some items will sell to pretty much everybody, but the sales will not be uniform even in these cases. For example, everyone likes chocolate. Yet, women purchase by far the most of all chocolate sold globally. It’s not even close.
Aligning your images to reach out specifically to your target demographic is crucial. Know your buyer well enough to know the kinds of imagery that will be effective. Age groups differ, men and women differ, and there are also cultural elements at play.
Make Images Relatable
It’s vital to let your images be relatable in three different senses. Firstly, ensure that your graphics appeal to your customer. Secondly, present imagery that relates to your customer’s life and experiences.
That second bit is crucial since it moves beyond merely catching the attention. It deepens a connection and creates a link. Having done this, you move to the third form of relatability: make sure your images relate well to what you’re selling.
Let Your Images Pop!
In attempting to break out from the crowd, it doesn’t hurt to go for sensation now and then. Highly contrasting colors, occasional shock tactics, and other similar approaches can get you some temporary notoriety.
What you make of the sudden interest is up to you. Certainly, making a habit of going over the top quite often backfires, but a splash here and there is normally a good option.
Pattern Interrupting Tactics
We’ve known for some time that people will tend to skim along the surface of any information. Our ability to sort things into general patterns allows us to manage huge amounts of data in our daily lives.
In visual marketing terms, you want to interrupt that pattern-filing system. You want to present your images as a mental anomaly that can’t be tidied away so easily. If you can arrive at imagery that does this, you’re onto a winner.
The basic idea is to present your visuals in a way that gets more than a passing glance. You’re after the lingering eye. All it takes is that little pause, and then the other parts of your marketing can land on fertile ground.
It’s About Emotion
When folks buy functionally, there will be a set pattern to this behavior, as noted above. The thing which has the power to break through the functionality pattern is emotion. Appealing to your target audience’s emotional responses will always work well.
This doesn’t mean your approach should be to disturb or frighten anyone. In fact, that’s very likely to fail. Appealing to the emotional side of things is much more about creating connections to people’s lives.
Again, this is not about bludgeoning folks. Subtler is better when it comes to this. You’re trying to nurture a three-way link between your customer, your product, and the broader context of the market in which you’re operating.
Last Word
Marketing is an exciting challenge. There’s always more to know, so getting bored just isn’t an option here. When it comas to your choice of imagery, it can totally make or break your entire endeavor.
There are so many things that intersect in the marketing world. Aspects of economics, psychology, utility, lifestyle and many more are all present. What’s more, you have to know your way around these if you’re going to be successful.
Having a great team helps. In terms of your visual side, making sure you have the right photographers and designers can lift you to new heights!