July 28, 2017

Why Creating a Great Visual Content is a Must-Have in Today’s Communication Landscape

Marketing is about Telling Stories where Your Customer Plays the Hero and Your Product – the Magic Wand

Even though you might not realize it, marketing is really just another communication medium. You’re taking thoughts and ideas and presenting them to people in a form that is easy to digest and to support.

It’s really not all that different from something like a feature film when you really think about it, only instead of telling the story of “boy meets girl, they fall in love and get married” what you’re really telling is the story of “here is why this particular product or service is going to change your life.”

As is true with any communication medium, the way in which a message is perceived often affects its ultimate impact. You could have an objectively good idea on your hands, but if you present it in the wrong way you’re going to do a lot more harm than good.

These ideas are ultimately why great visual content is so important, especially in an era dominated by digital technology and social media networks. Visual content isn’t just about pretty pictures – it’s about a better, more natural, more effective way to communicate with the widest possible audience.

Make no mistake: creating visual content is ESSENTIAL in today’s communication landscape for a number of compelling reasons that are more than worth exploring.

It’s About Supporting the Way the Mind Works

Part of the reason why visual content is so powerful in the first place ultimately comes down to the way the human brain actually operates. Keep in mind that in a given day, 90% of all information sent to the brain by your senses in visual nature. This goes a long way towards explaining why according to most studies, 65% of people are visual learners. They simply understand and retain more when it’s taken in visually versus what they read or hear.

A number of studies have been done over the years that support the idea that visuals are one of the most effective methods of communication that we have. Consider the fact that the human brain can interpret images in just 13 miliseconds, or that people following directions with text AND illustrations do 323% better than people just trying to follow along with text.

We’ve always been visual learners – it’s an idea as old as the human race itself. The Internet and marketing in general are only finally starting to catch up with what we’ve always known. What is marketing if not an effort to get someone to follow directions, meaning that you’re trying to entice someone to make a purchase or take a particular step?

If the people do far better at following directions with images than they do with just text alone, it stands to reason that this is something you would want to get behind.

Visual Communication Gives You More Control Over Your Message

Visual communication is also inherently more powerful than traditional text because it gives you a far greater level of control over what matters most of all: your message.

Consider the example of a video (in this case from my video series),  when you take an idea and present it in the form of a 1000 word blog post, there are a lot of factors you can’t control. You can’t control how people are perceiving certain ideas. You can’t predict how they’re going to emphasize certain words for maximum impact. You can’t control how fast they read. All of these could potentially dilute your message.

When you take that same message and present it in the form of a video created with a tool like Visme, on the other hand, suddenly you eliminate all of these X factors. A narrator can emphasize certain words for impact. Compelling visuals can keep someone watching. You can control pace, which you can control the rate at which ideas are conveyed to keep people from getting too overwhelmed (or again, to underline a particularly important point).

It’s the Direction We’re Headed In

Statistics like these also go a long way towards explaining the direction that marketing and the Internet in general is already headed in. One study estimates that people tend to form a first impression in a mere 50 milliseconds – because the brain processes visuals much faster than it does simple text, it stands to reason that a visual first impression will almost always be more powerful than a block of words that you hope someone reads.

Likewise, the vast majority of all people already just skim the content they read online. Most people don’t make it past the headline and when you get past the first paragraph of something, those numbers start to drop off very quickly. According to some studies, it takes just eight seconds for someone to get distracted – though others have that number as low as 2.8 seconds.

For marketers, it’s true that these are all challenges – but they’re ones that great visual content helps to solve essentially all at the same time. Remember that by as soon as 2018, an estimated 84% of all communications will be visual according to Inc.com. They also predict that 79% of ALL Internet traffic will be video content by about the same period of time.

Visual content is a necessity in today’s communicate landscape because it checks a lot of boxes in one fell swoop. It’s instantly attention grabbing, compelling and engaging. It translates a message into a medium that the brain is already receptive to and it’s one that people have already said that they want more of.

If you’re looking at a tool that promises all of this and more, it would be a huge mistake not to take full advantage of it. Yet that’s exactly what you’re doing by failing to incorporate high quality visual content into your campaigns.

Want to know more?

Join me on August 3rd @ 2:30PM ET on Visual Storytelling Today live video show. I’ll be talking more about why visual content is a must-have in today’s communication landscape, including sharing an effective end-to-end process, examples, and actionable tips you can apply to your business.

Register FREE  here.

Already have questions you want me to address? Sweet! Tweet your questions using: #myVSI

Source: Visual Storytelling

July 28, 2017

2018 SXSW Registration & Housing Opens Tuesday, August 1

Mark your calendars – SXSW 2018 is open for business on Tuesday, August 1!

Join us for the 2018 SXSW Conferences & Festivals from March 9-18 for an event packed full of showcases, screenings, conference sessions, exhibitions, tacos (so many tacos), workshops, networking events, mentor sessions, unexpected discoveries, and so much more.

Save big when you register early for SXSW 2018 and get the most hotel options. With expanded access to events for all registrants, attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events.

Find out which badge is the perfect fit for you – registration rates and badge information are available now. After you register, make hotel reservations through SXSW Housing & Travel. Rooms during March go quickly, so on Tuesday, August 1 be sure to check the Availability page and enter your dates to see all available hotels, room types, rates, and amenities.

Recently Announced 2018 Programming

Earlier than ever before, we have already revealed the first SXSW Conference announcement of the season including three Keynotes and five Featured Speakers. Keynotes announced include Academy Award-winning writer and director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, Medicine for Melancholy), psychotherapist and best-selling author Esther Perel, and technology entrepreneur and quantum computing expert whurley. Featured Speakers announced include space entrepreneur and futurist Bob Richards, Kaiser Permanente chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson, Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 chairman and CEO Ingrid Vanderveldt, artist and poet Cleo Wade, and author and founder of the Future Today Institute Amy Webb.

Stay tuned to SXSW News for many, more announcements, programming updates, applications, awards, and beyond throughout the 2018 season.

Apply to Participate

Learn how to participate in one of the many prestigious SXSW categories including SXSW Film Festival submissions, SXSW Music Festival Showcasing Artist applications, Interactive Innovation Awards, SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event, David Carr Prize, SXSW Art Program, and SXSW Community Service Awards. Then help shape the March event during PanelPicker Community Voting from Monday, August 7 – Friday, August 25.

Apply to Participate Now

Join Us for SXSW 2018

On Tuesday, August 1, register to attend and book your hotel to begin your SXSW adventure! Get ready to help us write the next chapter of SXSW during March 9-18, 2018.

Sign up for SXSW Event Updates and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Registration Information

SXSW Conference & Festivals – Photo by Carol Watson

The post 2018 SXSW Registration & Housing Opens Tuesday, August 1 appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

July 24, 2017

2018 SXSW Art Program Applications Now Open

SXSW is awaiting your project ideas for the 2018 SXSW Art Program. Showcase your experiential and visual artwork to spark discovery, inspiration and connection at SXSW 2018. The program offers a great opportunity for your creative work to gain exposure to new audiences in the fields of music, film, and technology. Enter your idea before the final deadline on Friday, September 8, 2017.

The art program highlights emerging and established artists, and serves as a launching point for collaborations and discussions around the role of visual and digital media arts in culture and technology. The inaugural art program was held at SXSW 2017.

All visual artists – studios, designers, collectives, and individual artists – are eligible to enter their project. Once we have collected all proposals, final selections will be made by the SXSW Art Team with proposal feedback from our Advisory Board members. Look over the art application details to learn more about proposing an idea for the 2018 SXSW Art Program.

Don’t miss out on the chance to participate in the innovative and inspirational environment at SXSW 2018 by having your work showcased in front of thousands of creatives, global professionals, industry leaders, and more. Enter now before Friday, September 8, 2017 at 11:59pm PT.

Apply Now

2017 SXSW Art Installation, toki – series #02 by Akinori Goto – Photo by Chris Smith

The post 2018 SXSW Art Program Applications Now Open appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

July 24, 2017

Barry Jenkins, Esther Perel, and whurley Announced as 2018 SXSW Keynotes, Plus Featured Speakers

We are kicking off the 2018 season early with the reveal of select Keynotes and Featured Speakers for the SXSW Conference. SXSW spotlights some of the industry’s most inspired thinkers, diverse visionaries, and change-makers who share forward-thinking ideas. We are thrilled to share with you our first announcement featuring some of the biggest and brightest names of our time.

Keynotes announced today include Academy Award-winning writer and director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, Medicine for Melancholy), psychotherapist and best-selling author Esther Perel, and technology entrepreneur and quantum computing expert whurley. Featured Speakers announced today include space entrepreneur and futurist Bob Richards, Kaiser Permanente chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson, Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 chairman and CEO Ingrid Vanderveldt, artist and poet Cleo Wade, and author and founder of the Future Today Institute Amy Webb.

“We are overjoyed to invite Barry Jenkins back to SXSW as a Film Keynote having presented the world premiere of his first feature, Medicine for Melancholy, in 2008,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Moonlight is a magnificent piece of work, transcendent, and made on his own terms. We couldn’t be happier for his success and to have this remarkable artist with such a generous soul return to SXSW.”

Beginning Tuesday, August 1, register to attend SXSW and explore what’s next in the worlds of entertainment, culture, and technology during the 2018 SXSW Conference & Festivals from March 9-18 in Austin, TX.

“SXSW has become a premier destination for innovation and creative discovery. We’re pleased to begin our 2018 season with strong programming that represents a diverse and talented group of pioneers in the technology, social sciences, and entertainment industries,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “To be able to announce such a strong lineup before registration opens is an excellent indicator that this is going to be one of our best years ever.”

Read more about our first installment of speakers for the 2018 SXSW Conference below. We cannot wait to see what these industry leaders and visionaries share with SXSW attendees.

Keynotes

Barry Jenkins (Film Keynote) – Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins feature film debut, Medicine for Melancholy (which had its world premiere at SXSW in 2008) was hailed as one of the best films of 2009 by The New York Times. Jenkins received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his second feature Moonlight, which won Best Picture at both the Oscars and the Golden Globes (Drama). His upcoming projects include adaptations of If Beale Street Could Talk and The Underground Railroad.

Esther Perel (Interactive Keynote) – Psychotherapist Esther Perel is recognized as one of today’s most insightful and original voices on modern love. Fluent in nine languages, she holds a therapy practice in New York City and serves as an organizational consultant for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Her celebrated TED talks have garnered more than 18 million views and her bestseller Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence became a global phenomenon translated into 24 languages. Her recent book, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity, is another example of her bold synthesis of complex cultural shifts.

whurley (Convergence Keynote) – whurley is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and the founder of Honest Dollar, a fintech company Goldman purchased in 2016. He is the Chair of the Quantum Standards Working Group at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). His latest book Endless Impossibilities brings the realities of a quantum future into the present, helping readers understand and prepare for the coming age of quantum computing.

2018 Keynotes

Featured Speakers

Bob Richards (Intelligent Future) – Bob Richards is a space entrepreneur and futurist. He is a Co-Founder of the International Space University, Singularity University, SEDS, the Space Generation Foundation, and Moon Express, Inc., a space transportation and lunar resources company located at Cape Canaveral, where he currently serves as President and CEO.

Bernard J. Tyson (Health & Wellness) – Bernard J. Tyson is the chairman and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals — known as Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s leading integrated health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Under Tyson’s leadership, Kaiser Permanente continues to focus on providing affordable, accessible, high-quality health care and improving the health of its members and communities.

Ingrid Vanderveldt (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Ingrid Vanderveldt is the Chairman and CEO of Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 (EBW2020). Previously, she was the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (“EIR”) for Dell Inc. where she oversaw entrepreneurial initiatives worldwide helping to build a $250 million business segment and founded the $125M Dell Innovators Credit Fund, Dell Founders Club, and the Dell Center for Entrepreneurs during her 3-year term.

Cleo Wade (Social Impact) – Cleo Wade, an outspoken artist, speaker, poet, and the author of a forthcoming book, is an inspiring voice in today’s world for gender and race equality. She creates motivating messages, blending simplicity with positivity, femininity and arresting honesty. Her poems, accessible yet empowering, speak to a greater future for all women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, preaching love, acceptance, justice, and peace.

Amy Webb (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Amy Webb is an author, futurist and Founder of the Future Today Institute, a strategic foresight and futures forecasting company that advises the world’s leading businesses and governments. Forbes named Amy one of the world’s preeminent thinkers on the future impacts of technology.

2018 Featured Speakers

Join Us at SXSW 2018

Registering for SXSW is the only way to experience these fantastic speaker sessions. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 1 when registration and housing opens for the 2018 SXSW Conference & Festivals in Austin, Texas from March 9-18. With expanded access to events for all registrants, attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events. Start planning today by browsing badge types to find the perfect badge for you.

Learn how to participate in one of the many prestigious SXSW categories including SXSW Film Festival submissions, SXSW Music Festival Showcasing Artist applications, Interactive Innovation Awards, SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event, David Carr Prize, and the SXSW Art Program. Then help shape the March event during PanelPicker Community Voting from Monday, August 7 – Friday, August 25.

We have only just begun – stay tuned for many, more big announcements, programming updates, applications, awards, and beyond throughout the season. Sign up for SXSW Event Updates and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Registration Information

2018 SXSW Keynotes (l-r): Berry Jenkins – Photo by courtesy of the speaker; Esther Perel – Photo by Karen Harms; and whurley – Photo courtesy of the speaker.

The post Barry Jenkins, Esther Perel, and whurley Announced as 2018 SXSW Keynotes, Plus Featured Speakers appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film