Visual marketing is a recent term that emerged because of the increasing use of visual content for marketing. Visuals make marketing content more engaging and get better results than plain old boring text.
Visual marketing, therefore, is the practice of using visuals in marketing communications to drive higher audience engagement. And, given that new and innovative types of visual content are being used every year, it is important to keep track of the latest visual marketing trends.
In this post, you will find out eight of the most important visual marketing trends for 2021 and how you can leverage these for your business.
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1. Videos
Videos will continue to dominate as the most preferred type of content. Brands are extensively using videos for visual marketing and utilizing it in numerous ways.
From product tutorials to unboxings, videos can really bring your products to life. Not just that, videos are even good at explaining things or informing your audience about a topic.
Some popular types of videos that you should experiment with include detailed product reviews, tutorials, unboxings, informative videos, etc.
2. Stories or Ephemeral Content
One of the most popular visual marketing trends for 2021 will be the rising popularity of ephemeral content. Ephemeral content is the type of content that disappears after a short while and that is probably what makes it so engaging.
Ephemeral content, like social media Stories, is extremely short and engaging. And, the fact that it disappears after some time, creates a sense of urgency for people to watch it immediately.
So, if you are not yet leveraging ephemeral content for visual marketing, it’s time that you should start doing so.
Social media stories, for example,are extremely effective in promoting your other content or events. These can also be used to showcase your products, announce a product launch, share behind-the-scenes footage, and post regular event updates.
So, create good content and share it in your social media Stories to get more views and engage your audience.
3. AR and VR
More and more brands will incorporate Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) features into their marketing in 2021. These technologies are extremely effective at bringing visuals to life and making things interactive.
Furniture brand IKEA, for example, uses AR technology to allow their customers to view products in real-time, in their own homes and offices. This makes their online shopping experience more real and engaging than it would have been simply looking at still product pictures.
Image via IKEA
4. 360-Degree Visuals
Another visual marketing trend that will grow stronger in 2021 is the use of 360-degree visuals instead of still images. Visual marketing is all about making your products look attractive enough for consumers to buy and showing a product’s 360-degree view aids that.
Many online retailers have started adding such product visuals on their ecommerce sites to show prospective customers exactly what the product looks like. This, again, is a trend that aims to provide a better shopping experience to consumers.
5. Sketches and Illustrations
The use of sketches and illustrations for marketing is a visual marketing trend prevalent mostly on social media. Many brands are now using these kinds of graphics for their marketing content to make it stand out from other social media content.
The beauty of using sketches or illustrations is that it looks more authentic than any other kind of visual content. Moreover, it can provide more information than a picture, but still look better aesthetically.
Dropbox, for example, often uses sketches and illustrations on their social media and website. Here’s an example of one such post about remote working and how Dropbox makes it possible.
Image via Instagram
6. GIFs and Animations
GIFs have been quite popular on social media for a while now and this trend will continue to grow stronger in 2021. GIFs add a sort of fun and engaging characteristic to any visual and makes your content stand out.
Similarly, animations also add a fun twist to any content and make it more engaging. Marketers realize this and are using such content to engage and entertain their audiences.
Check out this example of an Instagram post by Starbucks, where using a little animation brings the picture to life.
Image via Instagram
Want to know the best part?
There is no limit to what you can do with GIFs and animations. It is not limited to any particular type of content or industry and can be used by anyone.
So, experiment with these for your social media content and see what works best for your audience. And, there are so many design tools, both free and paid, that you can use to create such great visual content.
7. Live Streaming
Live videos have become quite popular in recent years and this trend will grow further in 2021. More brands and marketers will leverage live videos to connect directly with their audiences.
The best part of using live videos is that you can connect with your audience in real-time. You can also allow them to ask questions and answer their questions live. No form of content, visual or otherwise, gives this kind of opportunity to help brands connect with consumers.
Another way in which you can use live videos is to host an interview or conversational session with an industry expert or an influencer. This will not only help you attract more viewers but also provide your followers with a chance to talk to their favorite influencers.
8. Infographics
Businesses and marketers have long realized the power of infographics and actively use them for engaging and informing their audiences. Given that infographics are one of the most important forms of visual content, it deserved a mention on this list.
You can use infographics to convey a lot of information in a visual and engaging way. In fact, a lot of your textual content can easily be converted into infographics and used for marketing purposes.
There are many free templates for infographics available online that you can use as a starting point. Once you gain some experience, you can even start creating them on your own.
Conclusion
These are some of the most important visual marketing trends for 2021 that you should definitely experiment with. Try them out for your marketing strategy for 2021 and see higher engagement rates and better performance from your campaigns.
Ready to start leveraging these visual marketing trends?
Get started right now. All the best!
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