The world is getting more and more visual, and your ability to attract – and hold – the attention of potential customers really can make or break you.
Every interaction you have online sends a message about your business. The visuals that you use – whether it’s the look of your website or the photos you post on social media – tell your audience about your business, and communicate messages about your brand, your services and your offer.
So it’s very important that you have content that presents your business in the best possible way.
If you’re in the travel industry, then stunning visual content is a must.
There are many different types of visual content that you can use. In the previous article, I shared some visual content ideas that will help you stand out online and make an amazing impression.
This time I want to focus on one of my favourites – illustrations.
Illustrations can work amazingly for any travel business. They can offer contemporary, stylish appeal and help you to make the right impression online. Here are just a few of the reasons why you should be using illustrations in content marketing.
Reasons to use Illustrations:
It’s Something Different
We all love to see beautiful photography. But the platforms are becoming oversaturated with photos, so we just scroll through them, without paying much attention. Even worse people are reusing the same stock images over and over again.
Users spend an average of 53 minutes on Instagram every day. By spending that much time at the platform, they have become so used to seeing hundreds of photos, and they digest them almost instantly, making unconscious decisions about what they like and don’t like. So to catch their attention and make them remember you, you have to offer up something different.
It doesn’t have to be something completely new, but content that stands out enough to grab their attention. This is one area where illustrations work beautifully.
There are few better ways to attract attention on social media than using attractive illustrations. All social media is increasingly visual, and nice illustrations can really break up the photo content, and get more eyes looking at your content.
Reasons to use Illustrations:
It Can Fit Your Brand Perfectly
When it comes to style, illustrations are incredibly flexible.
They can be perfectly tailored to be completely aligned with your brand and business, far more easily than something like photography can.
With the help of a good illustrator, you can bring any concept to life in the style that brings your brand identity to life.
Illustrations are unique by design. They are entirely hand-drawn by the artist, and as such, there can never be two identical illustrations.
When it comes to creating the illustrations, your imagination is the only limit. This makes illustration ideal for showing off your brand’s personality, and for showcasing your brand’s creativity.
Reasons to use Illustrations:
Visual Storytelling
Far from just looking good, however, illustrations are unbeatable for telling stories – which is the core of all good marketing.
Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool. If you are doing it right, it enables you to build a strong relationship with your customers. It is also an effective learning tool and a way to engage with your audience on a deeper level.
Visual storytelling is not about having a big library of creative visual content. It is about giving a meaning to your brand and business through those assets.
You are letting your audience to see your business in a completely different, more meaningful perspective.
Using visual storytelling, your first task is to grab your audience’s attention. Then, turn that initial interest into a long-term engagement. You want to keep your audience eager to hear your stories until the end.
Illustrations are perfect for telling stories. They can instantly communicate ideas, emotions and complicated topics quickly.
That’s why so many long news stories and editorial pieces are broken up with illustrations, which perfectly accompany and enhance the story that the text is telling.
Even if you have access to an expansive image library, there will always be some complex, abstract concepts and ideas that are difficult or awkward to explain using imagery.
So instead of trying to find or shoehorn in a photo that fits to some extent, or is cliche, illustrations can be used to perfectly express your story and message, before the audience even starts reading the text.
Reasons to use Illustrations:
Long-Term and Versatile Assets
Illustrations are incredibly popular at the moment, and they are a major design trend. Illustration is not a trend that is going to disappear, however. They are getting more and more popular because the world of marketing is getting more and more visual.
Illustrated content is also incredibly flexible and you will be creating assets that you can reuse and repurpose.
They can be repurposed and used in different brand touchpoints and marketing channels. You can use them on social media, on your website and in email marketing.
Illustrations can also be turned into animations, explainer videos and adverts.
That’s why illustrations are worth the investment, as you can adapt them to your needs and use them in many ways.
The best part about illustrations is that there are no limits – if you can imagine it, you can draw it.
Reasons to use Illustrations:
Affordable Alternative to Photography & Videography
High-quality, professional photography and videography comes with a hefty high price. It’s easy to understand why as well – the equipment photographers need to produce the top notch photos is expensive, and it’s immediately obvious to all whether a photo is high quality or not.
Photo shootings and post-production can be a very time-consuming, complex process, especially if you need to organise a bigger team.
On top of that, it’s also important to know that behind every good photographer is not only a talent, but also knowledge, a lot of hours of learning, practicing, mastering the skills and techniques needed to take that perfect photograph.
But, even if professional photography is a little bit out of your budget, you still shouldn’t compromise on the quality of your visuals.
Illustrations can be a perfect, affordable alternative.
Taking into account all the reasons from above, the fact that they can be more affordable than photography is just the cherry on top.
Related Articles:
Introduction to Visual Marketing for Travel Businesses
Visual Content Ideas that will help you Stand Out online
Have a question about Illustration and Visual Marketing?
We’d love to hear from you! Whether you want to learn more about Visual Marketing or pick our brains on that topic, we are here for you. Contact us anytime or, even better, schedule a free 1-hour consultation call and let’s take your content, and your brand, to the next level!
Lastly, we’d love to know what do you think about illustrations? Have you ever considered using them in your content marketing? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay safe and stay healthy,
Until next time,
