Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve likely seen the growing trend of illustration in business branding. Gone (well, almost) are the dull, same-same stock photos that don’t tell your customers a thing about your business or how you’ll help them.
Illustrations are a fun way to reach new heights with your branding and build connections with your ideal customer.
Stick around; I’ll tell you how.
The power of illustration in business branding
Why should you use illustrations in your business? Unique illustrations that represent your brand make your business stand out.
An illustration incorporates your business attitude and character and gives your ideal customer a sense of what it’s like to do business with you. It’s a visually fun and friendly way to share your story. But don’t just take my word for it.
Here are a few stats that prove how visual marketing is worth every penny:
- 90% of the information processed by the brain is visual
- It takes only 13 milliseconds for the human brain to process an image
- The human brain processes an image 60,000 times faster than text
- People remember 80% of what they see, compared to 10% of what they hear and only 20% of what they read
Mind-blowing isn’t it? When you understand what you want to achieve through your business branding, you can use illustration to help get your message across more effectively.
How to make illustration work for your business
So, now that I’ve convinced you that custom illustration is worth every penny, let me show you how you can make it work for your business.
You can use illustration in:
- Branding and brand characters
- Packaging
- Infographics
- Blog posts
- Social media
- Custom icons
Let’s look at each of these more closely.
1. Illustrated fun for your branding and brand characters
Let’s face it. It’s marketing madness out there. It’s fast-paced and social media-driven, and it’s easy for brands to get lost in the crowd. Using illustration is the perfect way to create a fun, unique brand that breathes life into your business.
Illustrations can be used in your logo, on your website and across your marketing material. You can even have fun illustrated versions of yourself or your team created, adding spark and energy to your business.
Illustrations are an engaging and memorable way to communicate who you are, what you stand for and what your customers can expect from you. And, when your branding is cohesive and consistent, your business is instantly recognisable.
Here are 10 brands that use illustration to stand out online.
2. Pack a punch with illustrated packaging
If you’re in the business of selling products, you’ll know that packaging is the cornerstone of your branding strategy. How your packaging looks and feels can make or break a sale.
Intriguing illustrations on your packaging and labelling can draw consumers to your product. By creating an exciting visual experience on your packaging, you have the power to entice, arouse curiosity and engage with your ideal customer.
3. Strikingly successful illustrated infographics
Infographics are growing in popularity and are a great way to visually communicate information, data or knowledge. People following directions that include both text and illustrations do 323% better than people following directions without illustrations.
You can educate your audience on a complex process, communicate your brand story and show off your knowledge within a small space using illustrated infographics.
Want examples? Cast your eyes over 56 of the best infographics.
4. Clickable illustrated social media posts and branding
Your social media feed is full of selfies, smartphone foodie snaps and not-so-memorable memes. And, when it comes to marketing, businesses are turning too quickly to the use of seriously dull stock images for their marketing efforts. It’s all boring, unoriginal and completely “scroll-past-able” (yes, I made that one up).
Using illustrations on social media will instantly make your brand stand out. Use them across your banners and your posts. But don’t stop there. Get a little crazy and spice up your social media by creating motion illustrations that capture attention and entice users to click through to find out more.
5. Unique illustrated icons
Illustrated icons designed specifically for your brand are more valuable to your business than using the same stock icons that are found everywhere. It’s all about creating a unique user experience and representing your business as one of a kind.
When you use custom illustrated icons on your website, mobile application or in print (yes, print is still relevant; see here), you’re instantly improving your brand recognition. People will remember your brand simply because they recognise your icons.
6. Not-so-boring blog posts
Most business owners turn to stock photos to split up the body of text on their blog.
Boring.
Start using custom illustrations to add personality and a much-desired personal touch to your posts.
And, if you’ve got an important message to get across, did you know that 65% of people are visual learners? Which means that if you combine visual aids (like illustrations) with your words, your content will be more effective.
Shine a light on your business with illustration
One-of-a-kind illustrations don’t just catch the eye. They help tell a story. Your story. Business branding is the way you connect with your ideal customer. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, it’s getting crowded out there. Now is the perfect time to invest in illustration so you can stand out and shine a light on your business.
We all know that curiosity killed the cat. But it doesn’t have to get the better of you. If you’re ready to jump onboard the illustration fun train, download my price list or visit my folio for a peek at my work.