- Attention Seeker
- Posts
- Visual Storytelling
Visual Storytelling
Explore how to enhance your storytelling with compelling visuals, from custom photography to interactive graphics, to make your message unforgettable
Keren Speck
September 17, 2024
What's in store for this edition:
Telling a story through various visual cues
Visual Storytelling
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is probably one of the biggest understatements of all time. Our brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. As highly visual creatures, seeing something with our own eyes helps convey complex messages quickly and leads to better recall, learning, and understanding.
Where do you start if you want to incorporate more visuals in your stories?
Let’s discuss types of visuals:
Lose that boring stock photography which tends to feel overused. Smartphones have amazing camera capabilities, or invest in high-quality camera equipment for your photos. Try capturing your own images and take online course to improve your skills. If photography isn’t your strength, hire professionals for images requiring quality production value.
Create an infographic, which simplifies data presentation. Include them in the media pitches you send out. They could end up on air, putting your story in front of a huge TV audience.
Vary your video content. Experiment with live streaming, podcast recording clips, behind-the-scene footage, video of you or your business in action, and use audiences submissions. By capturing the human element, your story will stir up more emotions. Stay up-to-date on each platform's trends to optimize your video strategy.
Memes capture emotions and promote relatability. Use of appropriate humor is always an attention grabber.
Cartoons are a visually unique way to take abstract and complex subjects and frame the big picture so you can see how it comes together.
Charts and graphs clearly display stats and results. Enhance them through interactivity and appealing designs.
Images can tell visual stories. If you're a graphic artist, I'm envious of your skills! Fortunately, many helpful tools exist for non-artists, like myself, including AI generation.
Crafting a Visual Story:
These frameworks merely scratch the surface of visual storytelling techniques.
Hero’s Journey: Through video and photos, show the athlete/business owner/mom overcoming personal or professional struggles to succeed.
Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of saying that a product is eco-friendly, demonstrate its use in a natural setting.
Three-Act Structure: Act 1) introduce a problem. Act 2) show the brand solving it. Act 3) provide a clear, emotional resolution.
Consider image-heavy social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok in your communications strategy and craft thoughtfully designed visuals to attract audiences and leave memorable impressions.
Since our marvelous brains catalog memories in story format, incorporating visual storytelling into communication messages is essential.
Be consistent for greatest impact.
Transform regular content into lovely and visually pleasing messages that get attention and are hard to forget.
I can’t wait to see what you do!
“Visual storytelling of one kind or another has been around since cavemen were drawing on the walls.”
Do this now: Ask yourself:
What type of visuals would my audience like to see?
What would they not like to see?
Is there music, imagery, colors, graphics, symbols or other visual that would resonate well?
How can I align our visuals with our brand’s message?
Next episode: Getting attention through using a variety of media.
Term to Learn
Storytelling the art of sharing stories. An essential way to communicate a brand’s values, influence preconceived ideas, and motivate to action. Storytelling is different than sharing information, it gives an emotional experience, which in turn makes stories memorable.
FAQ
Q: Does visual storytelling mean it’s silent?
A: Not at all! While it can be silent (think images, infographics, cartoons) it can also include audio, especially when you have video. Be it the voice of the narrator, music, or other audio experience, sometimes the strongest impact is when you combine visual storytelling with a voiced message.
Get PR techniques from recent news.
Newsworthy
A sprinkle of lead mixed in with your cinnamon
A 2024 report found 12 brands of cinnamon and spice powders had lead contamination.
What if your company was on the avoid list, yet your company testing is in compliance with all federal and international law?
Essential strategy:
Be transparent.
Issue a public statement addressing the allegations.Get Expert Validation.
Have a 3rd party expert, laboratory or other regulatory authorities test your product, or support the credibility of your in-house testing.Engage with Media.
Emphasize your commitment to product safety and compliance.Monitor Social Media.
Share factual information and correct misinformation.
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Be transparent and quick in addressing these issues. All companies should have a PR crisis plan ready to implement when the need arises.
Learn from others.
100% Cool : 0% Cringe
🐠 The Lucky Iron Fish - Add iron to your diet with this cooking tool.
Product reviews, are a great way to get publicity for your product.
This company is a great example of doing just that. They are featured in lots of publications. It didn’t happen by accident. They have their story, marketing and PR all working together!
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: If you have a product you want reviewed consider the following: Many products are seasonally based (I’m looking at you pumpkin spice) so make sure your product is in the hands of journalist or publication well before the season so the reviews will be timely. Pitch 3 months ahead of time, with samples sent out 2 months and follow-ups 1-2 months before.
Useful PR Resources.
🧰 TOOLKIT
How Does Disney Do That?: How Disney Makes Us Feel and Why It Matters
A new book by James Warda, and featuring Theron Skees is all about the “Why and how does Disney make such an emotional, life-changing connections with us?”
Why not learn from the master storytellers at Disney.
“It doesn’t happen accidentally; there is purpose behind all of it. And it always starts with the story and its narrative…As humans, one of the core ways we communicate is through story. And with stories come feelings.”
Leaders, professionals, teams, and others from all fields, profit and nonprofits alike… I hope they read this book and say, “Wow, how can we make our customers and clients love our organization enough to write a similar book about us?”
Attention Seeker of the Week
Sofia
Sofia , 5 year old Terrier-mix, loves wine corks. She will stare you down and bark until you give her that cork from the bottle you just opened. Spoiled attention seeker indeed!
Thanks to our amazing reader, Kattya M. from Santa Barbara, for sharing with everyone this weeks fur baby. We’d love to feature your attention seeker… just send us their picture along with name, sex, breed, age and what they do for attention.
So I guess this week we added iron and took out the cinnamon. 😋
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
🕶️
Reply