Visual marketing

How to use images, video and design to make your brand seen and remembered

Think about the last newsletter you opened. Before reading a single sentence, your eyes had already taken in the main image, the colors and the button. In a couple of seconds, you decided whether it was worth reading on. That’s visual marketing in action.

What is visual marketing?

Visual marketing is the strategy that uses graphic elements to communicate a brand’s message. Photos, videos, infographics, illustrations, colors or fonts: everything that catches the eye is part of it.

Its goal is to capture attention, convey information quickly and spark an emotion. And, like any marketing action, to get people to take the next step: click, subscribe or buy.

That’s why aesthetics matter, although they aren’t enough. Every image has to help tell something specific about your product or your brand.

Why it works

Because our brain is wired to process images at great speed. An MIT study published in 2014 found that we can identify an image seen for just 13 milliseconds.

What’s more, visuals are remembered better. Molecular biologist John Medina explains it in his book Brain Rules: if you hear a piece of information, three days later you remember about 10% of it. If you pair it with an image, that figure rises to around 65%.

In an environment saturated with messages, that advantage makes all the difference. You have very little time to get someone to stop and look at your content.

Elements of visual marketing

These are the most common elements:

Photos: of your products, your team or customers using what you sell. Your own images convey more trust than generic stock photos.
Videos: tutorials, demos or brand stories. Video marketing is one of the formats that generates the most engagement.
Infographics: they summarize data or complex processes in a single image. If you want to create one, we explain how in our guide on how to create an infographic.
GIFs and animations: a GIF adds movement without having to play a video.
Visual identity: the logo, color palette and fonts that make your brand recognizable.
Memes and social media content: very effective on platforms like TikTok, as long as they fit your brand’s tone.

Benefits for your business

The first is attention. A good image stops the scroll and makes your message stand out among many others.

It also improves understanding. A chart explains in seconds what a paragraph takes a minute to say.

Another benefit is brand reinforcement. If you always use the same colors and the same style, your audience recognizes you without reading your name. That strengthens your branding and your brand image.

Finally, visuals connect with emotions. And emotions have a big influence on purchase decisions, as the field of neuromarketing shows.

How to create a visual marketing strategy

Start by defining your identity. Choose a color palette, one or two fonts and a photographic style. Put it all together in a simple guide so that anyone on the team applies it the same way.

Then adapt each piece to the channel. An image for Instagram doesn’t have the same format as an email header or a website banner.

Pay attention to visual hierarchy. The eye should go to the most important element first and end on the call to action. The Gestalt laws help you organize elements so that the design can be understood at a glance.

Always pair the image with a message. Storytelling and visuals reinforce each other.

And measure the results. Compare which images get more clicks or more conversions, and stick with what works.

Visual marketing in email marketing

In email, visuals carry enormous weight. An attractive header, clear product photos and a highly visible button can multiply your clicks.

But it’s important to strike a balance. An email that is just one large image can have deliverability problems. Many email clients also block images by default, so the message must be understandable even if they don’t load.

Some best practices:

Combine text and images: that way your message gets across even if the images aren’t displayed.
Add alternative text: alt text describes each image and improves accessibility.
Optimize file size: very heavy images take a long time to load, especially on mobile.
Design for mobile: a responsive email adapts to any screen.
Make the CTA visible: your call to action should stand out through its color, size and position.
Test variants: an A/B test will tell you which image or button color works best.

If you want to go deeper, we explain step by step how to insert images in an email.

How we help you at Mailrelay

At Mailrelay, we make it easy for you to create visual emails without any design knowledge. Our editor lets you drag and drop images, videos and buttons, and start from a mobile-friendly email template. You can also run A/B tests and see which version gets more clicks.

All of this on a free plan of up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts. If you want to try it, you can create your email marketing account at Mailrelay today.

Frequently asked questions about visual marketing

What’s the difference between visual marketing and graphic design? Graphic design is the discipline that creates the pieces. Visual marketing is the strategy that decides which pieces to use, where and for what purpose.

Do I need a designer to do visual marketing? Not always. With a clear style guide, templates and simple tools, you can achieve professional results.

Is it the same as visual search? No. Visual search is a technology that lets you search the internet using an image.

In conclusion

Visual marketing helps you capture attention, explain your message better and make your brand recognizable. It works on social media, on your website and, of course, in your emails.

Define your own style, adapt it to each channel and measure which images work. That way, every visual element will work in favor of your results.

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