Graphic design is an essential element of any digital marketing activity, it can be the difference between someone taking notice of you or simply passing by, and this in turn can be the make or break when it comes to making sales and generating leads. It’s not all just making posters and pretty logos (although, an impactful logo is super important, but we’ll come to that soon!). Graphic design is at the forefront of your brand, and we all know how important first impressions can be.
Below we highlight 5 reasons why good graphic design is essential when it comes to your digital marketing strategy:
1. Creates Recall
Your brand identity is what makes people remember you. Humans are visual creatures, and when we see something we like, we remember it. Design speaks better than words and captures people’s attention, so it’s important to get it right.
A great example of brand recall is Apple, their logo is recognisable globally and everyone instantly associates it with their products and their brand. You want your customers to see your branding and know it’s you.
2. Increases Professionalism
When you put time and effort into your brand identity, it reflects the credibility of your business. People are more likely to take you seriously and trust you when you look good. It’s easy for anyone to use a bit of WordArt but the problem is, it means nothing. When the font, the colours and the imagery all work together, a message is delivered to the consumer and a rapport is built, and this is before they’ve even found out anything else about you! It’s nice to know when a business is built with care and good graphic design is the perfect way to show this to your audience.
3. Easily Digestible
Research at 3M Corporation concluded that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Speak to a member of Gen Z and you’ll hear ‘tl;dr’ (too long, didn’t read) when presented with too much to read. In the age of social media and instant gratification, you really can’t afford to lose your audience’s attention. Graphic design condenses information into easily digestible chunks. For example, an infographic is far easier to take in than 4 paragraphs of imageless text, don’t you agree?
Another benefit of taking information and presenting it in a visual format is that these can become valuable assets when running digital marketing campaigns. This can include generating brand awareness when the images are shared across social media or as a way of building valuable links to your website as part of your SEO strategy.
(source: https://oit.williams.edu/files/2010/02/using-images-effectively.pdf)
4. Evokes Feelings
Graphic design is not only making things nice to look at, but there is also a great deal of psychology behind it. The purpose of graphic design is to communicate, but that doesn’t just have to be a message, it can also be a feeling. Take colour, for example, the colours you use shouldn’t just be based on what you like, but also what they represent.
Red is bold and attention grabbing, but it’s also a symbol of danger and warning. Green on the other hand is softer and inviting, representing health or optimism. This thinking doesn’t only apply to colours either, every aspect of your brand should reflect how you want your audience to feel. It is important to consider this when creating a brand identity to encourage the actions you’re after.
5. Boosts Revenue
The main reason why anyone should consider graphic design in their digital marketing strategy is to increase traffic and therefore, revenue. Without customers, you won’t be making money. The purpose of graphic design is to grab your audience’s attention, evoke a feeling and encourage them to take action.
It’s important to make yourself unique and stand out from your competitors, and having a well-designed brand identity is the best way to do this. Even if you have the best service or product in the world, people will pass you by or not take you seriously if your branding isn’t on point!
We hope this helps to explain the importance of good graphic design as part of your digital marketing strategy. As a full-service digital marketing agency, we have an in-house design team who are here to help you with all things design! Get in touch at hello@capsulemarketing.co.uk to discuss your branding and digital marketing needs today.
