THE POWER OF BRANDING & ILLUSTRATIONS
Go to any SaaS website and you’ll see one very strong common thread: Illustration. It’s no surprise the fire started here––SaaS companies are in the business of combining science and technology to create bigger, better, faster and more intuitive digital experiences.
The user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are key components of a successful digital marketing campaign and illustrations allow people to absorb and process information quickly.
When we say quickly, we mean quickly. Like, 250 milliseconds, quickly.
But SaaS’s secret is good and out––corporate brands, eCommerce brands and service-based companies have all leapt onto the illustration train with great success. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late to break into a sprint and jump aboard.
This train is not slowing down.
ILLUSTRATIONS ARE DIRECT LINE TO BETTER UX
The human visual system processes an image in 150 milliseconds, and understands the image in about 100 milliseconds. Hence, we can process and understand an image in about 250 milliseconds. A+ in math for us!
But processing and understanding text takes a lot more time and focus. Content is still a critical piece of the marketing puzzle, but you can amplify the impact of your content by pairing text-based information with key images to catch attention and support messaging.
However, let’s breakdown “image” into categories: Real-life photos versus illustrations. To be clear, illustrations aren’t just “cartoons”. They are effective UI and UX tools that convey a boatload of information in a friendly, approachable way.
Connecting with your audience through a medium that caters to faster processing speed and emotional connection makes your brand more likable, peaks deeper interest and prompts the click you want.
UX design begins with a solid understanding of specific user behaviour patterns, campaign goals, prospect pain points and user expectations. Here are five ways illustrations enhance your user experience and help you sell more products or services:
1. QUICKLY TRANSFER CRITICAL INFORMATION
Our human brains are designed to effectively interpret symbols and process visual data quickly, even if it’s abstract. We need about 1/10th of a second to understand an optical element. Added bonus: Illustrations are universal so you can communicate to people around the globe quickly and effectively.
2. CREATE A POWERFUL AND DYNAMIC BRAND EXPERIENCE
Traditional photography can be a strong way to communicate your brand purpose, but the effect can be amplified by including simple graphics like custom icons and short animation effects. These and other types of micro-interactions encourage heightened user engagement and create a memorable experience.
3. BOOST USER ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY
Animations tell stories. They lead your prospect into an easily digestible and pleasing visual tale that shows them exactly what your service or product can do for them. From email campaigns and websites to digital marketing campaigns, landing pages, check out pages and thank you pages, illustrations can be the cohesive thread that always brings your prospect back to your brand.
4. INCREASE THE UX OUTPUT OF YOUR WEBSITE OR CAMPAIGN
The truth is, there are few people who will give your text the full attention it deserves. Most likely, they’ll skim the information to assess whether the content is, indeed, worthy of their full attention. Creative illustrations instantly convey a website theme or feature, helping draw them into that fantastic content.
5. CAPITALIZE ON THE PEAK-END RULE
The peak-end rule is the theory that people judge their experiences primarily by their peak and their end. The peak is the most intense part of the experience and can be positive or negative. Creative, moving, thought -provoking or funny illustrations have a unique ability to become a peak moment for your online visitor and therefore, make your brand memorable.
HIT THE ESCAPE BUTTON ON THOSE DOUBTS
Have you hit Control+Alt+Delete on any misconceptions that illustrations aren’t worth the investment? Good, because illustrations give your brand wings.
Let’s recap real quick: Illustrations are a fast, effective way to sell your brand and that means excellent ROI.
Illustrations have the power to:
- make your brand stand out online
- make your brand instantly recognizable
- help your brand engage emotionally with your audience
- convey complicated products or services more easily
- earn consumer trust and brand loyalty
Is the idea that “illustrations might hurt the brand” sufficiently crushed like a pesky mosquito? Good.
PUT THE TEVAO FLOCK TO WORK ON YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations are such an incredible marketing tool and the Tevao team gets ridiculously excited creating memorable branded illustrations, animations and iconography.
Ready to make marketing memories? Reach out!
Get WYZE on strategy so you can grow your business!
Get RYTA on the content train so your marketing pops!
Get ARTY and farty with us, you’ll have a gas!
