Throughout the ages, storytelling is something that has remained the constant and most preferred medium of delivering ideas. Whether it is ancient folktales that are passed on from generation to generation, or modern-day popular novels or comics, the storytelling is a wonderful way of letting a large mass of people know your idea, understand that idea, and get influenced by it somehow.
Visual stories are told with pictures. They are a very efficient method of storytelling because human minds tend to remember pictures more than words. Thus, oftentimes we can recall the events shown in a film better than when we read in a book. This gives the upper hand to visual language over written language. You could use this to your advantage while selling any product or providing any service.
Take, for example, you repair cars. Now, the most common form of advertisement is posters and written signboards, both online and offline. The farthest you can do is creating an official website with blogs promoting your service. But that would require your target readers to take out the time to read about your company and why they should prefer you. On the other hand, if you use unlimited graphic designs to tell a visual story for the audience which would require only 1 to 2 minutes then that becomes more preferable.
What is being implied here is not that nobody reads nowadays or that no one cares about reading. It is not for that reason. The truth is, in the case of written language, the idea that you wish to share is confined to only those who speak or understand that particular language. But when you show something that has pictures or uses unlimited graphic design to tell something, the idea is broadcasted to a wider range of audiences. Those who do not understand English or any other popular language will also be able to understand your nature of service!
So how do you tell a visual story that transcends the barriers of language, and is also appealing at the same time? Here are some top tips on how to efficiently tell a visual story:
Try and tell a complete story
This is something very basic and you have to keep in mind. When you are using visual stories for promotional purposes you should keep in mind that you will have to finish the story. It needs to have a conclusion where your service or your product saves the day or becomes beneficial. In case you want to create a series, your promotion should adapt to the series as well, and each episode should have concrete content that defines your idea and promotes your service.
Moreover, you may choose from an illustration of still images like a comic or use animation tools to tell your story. In any case, use minimum words and more of action to show what you wish to convey. From this perspective, it is better to opt for animated stories as it captures movements better and the human mind can remember more of it.
Your story should have a start, a climax and an ending or denouncement to mark the conclusion.
While still images compilation are good as well, but the human mind is normally more attracted to moving bodies.
Build a relatable protagonist
This is something to keep the interest of your viewers glued to the screen. A protagonist is the main character of your story, and if this protagonist is someone too far removed from reality then your viewers will not be able to relate. Think about a popular comic, for example, Spider-man. The protagonist Peter Parker was someone quite relatable, with high school problems and being bullied. The supernatural elements were introduced upon a relatable character, which could have been any of us instead of him. This is what is appealing to the viewers- that the central hero could be one of them. Use this to your visual storytelling to hold your viewer’s attention. The fact that the problem that your service will solve could occur to any of your viewers is what you need to focus on.
The protagonist needs to be someone ordinary at first, just as someone like the audience themselves. One with actual problems. This person seeks out the services of your company to get success at a particular area. This is hugely promotional.
Understand the color combo!
Graphic design colors in your visual story play a huge role, whether you understand it or not. Colors can bring out emotions and so it is really important you know which graphic design colors should be applied where. For example, darker tones of blue and grey are mostly used to create suspense or something mysterious. On the other hand, warmer tones such as red, brown, or orange might show a jovial mood. Lighter shades such as pink or yellow might depict playfulness or a cheerful environment.
It is quite natural for you not to understand all the color codes or metaphorical use of graphic design colors and that is completely okay. Not knowing about this should not become a hindrance to your visual story. That is why there are companies such as Draftss that provide graphic design packages for small companies. They have a team of experts on graphic design colors and they will provide you with suggestions and ideas to improve your quality of visual graphics.
Dark shades of blue and black and grey are used to arouse suspense. Note the mood this scenery arouses.
Note the shift in mood for this image. This does not evoke the same eeriness as in the previous one. This is a warmer picture.
Play your trump card at the end
The most important parts of any content are the beginning and the conclusion. While the starting of your visual story should be impressive, the ending is what will remain in the minds of the viewer long after the story has ended. So save the best and most influential scene for the last. This will be your trump card. Make sure the major promotional and enlightening things appears in the end.
The ending needs to show the protagonist solving their problem while promoting your company subtly. You may say that your service or manufactured good HELPED the hero achieve their goal. This powerful ending will lead to the belief that your company will let anyone achieve similar goals.
Visual stories are a great way to promote your business and attain mass viewers. It adds to your company’s creativity and increases your target customers. If your visual story is motivating enough or influential enough your business could grow exponentially. Thus, you may just do a quick Google search “graphic designing companies near me” to check out companies that provide graphic design packages for small companies, in case you wish to take care of your budget. You may check out Draftss who has this benefit of design packages for small companies at very reasonable prices. So go ahead and check out!
