Raphael Creatives

The Art of Visual Storytelling in Presentations

What is Visual Storytelling?

Visual storytelling, also known as visual narrative, refers to the skilful use of visual elements like images, videos, and diagrams to effectively convey a compelling story. This technique is particularly valuable in business presentations and PowerPoints, as it has the ability to engage, inspire, and persuade the audience more effectively than traditional presentations that lack visual elements.

Elements to include in your visual story telling:

Photos

Visual stories often incorporate photos to add life and depth to the subjects being presented. For example, in a visual story by Stuff on New Zealand netball coach Mrs Muir, photos are skilfully combined with text to provide a face to the main character.

Infographics

Infographics serve as effective tools for simplifying complex topics and enhancing understanding. Popular infographics utilize illustrations, fonts, and data visualizations such as graphs, charts, and maps. With the availability of new online applications, creating and integrating infographics into visual stories has become more accessible than ever.

Animation

Animation breathes life into visual elements within a story. Custom animations can establish instant brand recognition and aid in explaining products or enhancing the reader’s comprehension of a concept presented in the story.

Video

Video holds significant persuasive power as a medium in visual storytelling. Prominent news outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post have embraced this form of visual storytelling to create engaging videos that delve into in-depth investigations.

How To Build an Effective Brand Visual Story:

  • Develop a compelling narrative that captures the interest of your audience.
  • Select visual media that aligns with the specific requirements of your story.
  • Integrate essential storytelling techniques into your presentation.
  • Immediately engage your audience with attention-grabbing and vibrant imagery.
  • Enhance your visual narrative with appropriate text and audio elements to provide context.
  • Maintain clarity and simplicity in delivering your message.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of your visual media using pertinent key performance indicators (KPIs) such as social shares, backlinks, and site metrics.

 

Visual Storytelling Steps To Avoid:

  • Chasing after viral memes may seem enticing, but the reality is that the internet moves at a rapid pace, often leaving such content outdated by the time it is released.
  • Forcing a narrative into a specific visual idea that doesn’t align naturally is likely to backfire, as audiences today are more discerning and can easily detect inauthenticity.
  • Substance should take precedence over style in visual storytelling. Visuals should enhance and complement the narrative rather than overshadow it.
  • Repackaging the same story across multiple visual media formats, unless they are well-suited, can negatively impact the audience’s perception of your brand. It is advisable to avoid excessive repetition.
  • Excessive use of imagery can confuse or distract your target audience. Strive for conciseness to ensure a clearer understanding.
  • Don’t discard audio and text simply for the sake of maintaining a 100% visual story. Audio and text can be valuable tools that should not be abandoned in favor of a purely visual approach.
  • Every decision you make should focus on enhancing the clarity and appeal of your story. While dynamic and eye-catching presentation design choices may seem attractive, if they do not serve the narrative, they can end up being distracting rather than beneficial.

 

What are the benefits of visual storytelling?

  1. Visual storytelling offers numerous benefits, with the primary one being its ability to captivate and hold our attention. While academic sources for statistics on shrinking attention spans may be challenging to find, it is widely acknowledged that competition for attention in today’s world is intense. Visual storytelling plays a crucial role in engaging and entertaining audiences, providing an edge to cut through the distractions they may encounter.
  2. Furthermore, visual storytelling excels at leveraging the power of video. Video has been a popular trend for several years and continues to gain traction. According to Cisco’s predictions, video is expected to account for 82% of consumer internet traffic by 2022. Additionally, Cisco’s research reveals a significant 17-fold increase in mobile video consumption since 2012. These trends highlight the prominent role of video in visual storytelling and reflect the evolving ways in which we access and consume such content.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, we are currently experiencing an exhilarating period for both brands and consumers. In this era, disruption is embraced, and consumers are more knowledgeable than ever. The adage “innovate or die” has become commonplace, urging marketers to adopt a smarter approach, and compelling them to cut through the noise to effectively convey their brand narrative.