The Importance of Graphic Design in Digital Marketing

Graphic design is an important part of digital marketing. It is not just about including images or visuals in a marketing piece but engaging in the art of communication that requires a vision, creativity and a well-thought out plan to achieve a particular objective. 
 
It also helps build the brand identity and creates awareness in the minds of the customers, thereby influencing their purchase decisions. 
 
With this in the backdrop, these two industries have become inseparable in the recent past. 
Let’s take a look at why that is so. 

What is graphic design?

Graphic design is the art of creating visual content to communicate an idea. 
 
It is a visual representation of an idea or a marketing message that engages the customers by either creating awareness about the product or builds brand’s identity. It usually helps skip verbose texts of an advertising or marketing campaign and represents an idea in an interesting, creative and easily-consumable format. 
 
It can help you direct the end-consumers’ attention to the content you want them to focus on while improving the user experience. 
                                                                                     

Why is it essential to marketing? 

There are many reasons why graphic design is essential for digital marketing. Apart from creating a brand identity, it is the way you can communicate your business proposition to your potential clients. 
 
Think of it like dressing up for an event, say an interview. You would not dress in pyjamas for an interview. You would want to make the right impression. 
 
Similarly, graphic design ‘dresses up’ your brand so it creates the right impression in your customers’ minds. 
 
Here are some compelling reasons why you should incorporate graphic design into your digital marketing strategy: 
 

  1. Build your brand identity

Graphic design helps businesses create a unique tone, style and identity, especially with respect to their competitors. As people see more and more of your brand colours, logos, designs, they start associating them with your brand. This is usually more effective than having punchu taglines or even clever brand names. These carefully crafted images tend to create easier recall in your consumers' minds and help them distinguish your brand from your competitors. 
 
For example, the colours red and yellow and the simple graphic M became iconic of Mc Donald’s. 
 
                                                                                            
                                                              
 
You see them using it consistently across packaging, merchandise, signs. The colours and graphic elements of the simple yellow lines, the happy meal yellow smile became so iconic that they ran a marketing campaign with blurry images reading ‘Say no more’ , indicating that their products are so easily recognised that nothing more needed to be said. 
 
                                                                    
 

  1. A picture is worth a thousand words

Ganier proved this age-old saying true with their ad campaign in Switzerland. 
 
                                                                       
 
This image is bound to stick in the consumers’ minds - the man seems to have a luxurious beard but when  you look closely, you will see that there is a woman with the same hair colour and clothes standing in front of him! Look at the pockets - those are back pockets! 
 
This one image shows the product’s strengths while creating an unforgettable image!
 
This image by Weight Watchers speaks everything about what they do. 
 
                                                                                      
 
This campaign by World Wildlife Federation literally creates the mental image of ‘lending a hand’
 
                                                                                     
 

  1. Builds credibility

Creating marketing campaigns with high quality graphic design adds value to your company and creates credibility and a professional image. This view in the public mind is bound to create more potential customers for your brand. 
 
Look at this example of a visiting card of a plywood company - that turns into a chair!
 
                                                                                                 
 
Another unique card of a stock broker: 
 
                                                                                 
 
This kind of attention to detail and design goes a long way in creating a very positive and unforgettable impression in your potential customers’ minds. 
 
Here is an ad campaign by Faber Castell where they colour matched their products (coloured pencils) with real life animals and objects. 
 
                                                                                                         
 

  1. Surpasses language

The internet has made the world a small space. While a lot of your marketing material might be in the language that is native to you and your clients, good visual graphics can overcome the barriers of language to help anyone looking at your campaigns understand what it is that you offer. 
 
                                                                 
 
This ad by burger king shows how their products are cost effective. 
 
Here are a couple of clever ad images by FedEx which clearly talk about the speed with which they deliver without actually saying it. 
 
                                               
                                                 
Here is an ad by Ariel - Bright White - talks about how they help wash clothes to a supreme white that the shadow is actually missing the shadow of the shirt. 
 
 
                                                                                                               
 
 
In this ad for dental floss, the image communicates the power of the product.
 
                                                                                                        
 

  1. Better memory recall & increases sales

While other animals like dogs or bats are characterized by a sense of smell or auditory sense, humans are definitely visual beings. 
 
Research at 3M Corporation concluded that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Hence it is even more important for businesses to create strong visuals to help better memory recall thereby influencing the purchasing decisions of your customers and increasing sales. 
 
This clever graphic design by IKEA showcases the need for space, then suggesting their potential clients to try some of their space saving closet options. 
 
                                                                                              
 
Or this ad campaign by World Wildlife’s Federation to bring awareness about extinction of different animal species
                                                                
 

Conclusion

These are the compelling reasons why businesses need to focus and sharpen their graphic design in digital marketing. While creating a strong brand identity, it also aids in creating better memory recall and helps in increasing sales. 
 
The first impression a graphic design creates on your potential customers is crucial to drawing their attention and reeling them in. 
 
And it doesn't have to be an expensive affair! If you are looking to hire flexible graphic designers to give a boost to your brand, then do leave us a message here. 
 
We can help you design success without burning a hole in your pocket!