Your ticket to generating better results through infographics Visual Content Marketing is a more than just a guide to infographics. Written for business people dealing with complex offerings, this is a hands-on, in-the-trenches guide to leveraging this emerging medium to reach bottomline business goals. Uniquely, this book addresses the full range of visual solutions, with an emphasis on using these products to create real business value. Inside, you'll learn the ins and outs of infographics, interactive pictograms, video, animations, data-driven visualizations, and other conversion-generating graphical content. Get inspired by the groundbreaking examples showcased here, and learn how to manage every aspect of visual content, from sourcing suppliers to leveraging content on the appropriate media platforms. Author Stephen Gamble is a leader in visual marketing solutions, with over twenty years of experience in the industry. Thousands look to his firm, Frame Concepts, for insider tips on generating revenue with the help of innovative graphics. This insider knowledge is at your fingertips in Visual Content Marketing. To meet your demanding business goals, you need new ideas. This book will show you how to infuse visual content where and when it counts. * Generate high-quality leads and revenue with infographics, video, data visualizations, and more * Identify the visual marketing and engagement strategies that will work for your business * Source and manage talented content suppliers who will deliver on your strategic vision * Integrate eye-popping visual solutions to update your brand and achieve your business goals Focusing on the visual is the secret to success in the effort to win customer engagement and attention. Visual Content Marketing is applicable to every business function and industry. With this book, you have the start-to-finish information you need to leverage visual solutions to great effect. "As a consultant bringing transformational change to large corporations, it s clear that there is a huge asymmetry - companies spend lots on IP, trivially little on positioning and polishing that IP. It is essentially quitting the race to meet the customer's need yards from the finish line. The ideas and the practical examples within this book is the remedy for this problem. If you have complex subject matter and an audience that needs to engage with your new approach, this book should be at your side on every project." Joe Singh, Board Advisor and Operating Executive, Grace One Advisors, Inc. "As a seasoned enterprise sales leader I know how challenging it can be to get a prospect to engage with a new offering and see the point to the innovation below the surface. This book tackles this problem head on and shows how the value in a new offering can be visually communicated so even the toughest audience gets it and engages. Every sales and marketing leader can benefit from the approaches and industry-specific visual case studies." Alon Verdnikov, General Manager, Glassbox "More and more complex solutions are being developed through strategic partnerships between different companies and it can be a challenge to communicate the point and value of a joint solution to multiple stakeholders. This book shows how even the most complex offerings can be visually communicated so the marketplace and the staff get onboard with the vision of innovative complex solutions. More than just theory, this book provides practical guidance on how to deliver these visual projects and offers provocative visual samples across every major industry. If you need to communicate the point and value of a complex offering, you need to read this book." Kevin Dexter, Alliance Leader, Dun and Bradstreet "We are dealing with complex layers of nuanced content while communicating to the marketplace, our employees and new recruits. But at the end of the day we want our audience to get it quickly and engage with content that can be quite technical with jargon that is business-specific. By embracing the principles and learning from the visual case studies in every major industry, this book shows how one can successfully engage your audience even on the most complex content. If you have complex subject matter and tough audience to reach, you need to embrace this book." Leighton Symons PhD, Senior Vice President, Two Sigma Investments "Innovation is all the rage and now we must face head on the problem of making sure all stakeholders get the point of the innovation and are excited about its prospects. This book delivers both the theory and the practical steps on how to take your innovation and visually engage all your audiences. The fact that its filled with colorful visuals samples for all major professions and industries from startups to Fortune 500 companies makes it a very compelling read. Innovation leaders need to wake up and embrace a visual-centric approach to communications as outlined in this book." Hao Dinh, Innovation Leader, GE "While working with the software development group we come up very large complex trading systems for financial institutions and the success of these project is largely dependent on management, business owners and partners getting onboard with the whole point of these new systems. This book clearly shows how to make the complex intuitive and simply on one page how to get to that ah-hah moments for tough audiences resistant to change. All technical departments need to embrace to the approach outlined in this book for their communications with their stakeholders." Peter Bulko, Fixed Income Risk and Analytics, Royal Bank SecuritiesAcknowledgements x About the Author xii About the Content xiii About Frame Concepts xiv Dedication xv Foreword xvi References xvii Prologue: A Call to Visual Action xviii ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THIS BOOK First-Hand Knowledge of Communication Challenges and Visual Solution 2 Presented from the Perspective of a Business Person, not a Designer 3 ABOUT THIS BOOK Three Main Sections 6 INTRODUCTION: NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND My Career Life Is Symptomatic of Our Business Communication Challenges 10 My First Business Communication Lesson: Explaining the Business Value of Preventative Maintenance11 Academic Complex Communications 12 Corporate Training 13 Wall Street 14 The Startup Laundry Machine 16 A Lot at Stake with Startups 17 Some Visual Light at the End of the Tunnel 19 A Sketch Helps Business 20 Netting It All Out 21 PART 1 WHY VISUAL SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WHY IS THERE A BUSINESS COMMUNICATION PROBLEM? Is Business Communication Important to the Bottom Line? 26 So Why Is There a Communication Problem? 29 Information Overload 31 Information Economy 32 Attention Deficit Syndrome 32 Innovation Requires New Understanding 33 Differentiation in a Crowded Space Very Nuanced34 Offerings Becoming Increasingly More Specialized35 Buyers Have No Time 36 Media Consumption Increasingly Visual in the Media/Consumer World 37 SOLUTION: INFORMATION DESIGN Graphic Design Vs Information Design 40 Illustration vs Information Design 41 Technical Communication Vs Information Design 42 Copywriting and Stock Photo Sourcing 43 So How is Information Design Different? 43 The Ingredients of Information Design 44 Pencil Sketch: Driving Visual Ideation 46 LEVERAGING INFORMATION DESIGN FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS: A PERFECT STORM The Audience Already Enjoys Visual Communication in Media and Consumer ChannelS 50 The Rise of Content and Inbound Marketing 51 Data Analytics has Become Mainstream 52 Value and Solution Selling haVE become the Norm 53 THE ARGUMENT FOR VISUAL-CENTRIC APPROACH Why Are Visual Solutions So Effective in Business Communications? 56 Visuals in Business: The Psychological Argument 57 Visual Solutions in Business: The Marketing Metric Argument 58 Visual Solutions in Business: The Organic Argument 60 Opposing the Financial (or Luxury) Argument 61 PART 2 ONBOARDING, PLANNING AND MANAGING THE VISUAL SOLUTION PROCESS STRATEGY SCOPING IN VISUAL SOLUTIONS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION Where to Start? 66 Considerations 67 It All Starts at Home 68 On to Content Marketing 70 Validating your Approach and Your Solutions 71 Sales Tools 71 Getting Everyone Onboard 72 SELECTING VENDORS: THE LANDSCAPE Traditional Options 76 Visualizing Visual Options 76 Do-It-Yourself Tools 78 Infographic Freelancer 79 Community Site of Infographic Designers 80 Traditional Marketing or PR Agency 81 Ad Agency 82 Technical Writers 83 Explainer Video Shop 84 Evaluating Information Design Agencies 85 MANAGING VENDORS: A REPEATABLE CREATIVE PROCESS Getting the Best Creative Within Predictable Timelines88 Pre-Delivery: The Outline 90 Concept Sketch: Ideation Begins 91 Partial Render 94 Final Stage: Full Render 86 Extending from Static to Interactive, Animation, and Data-Driven Visualization Application 97 Interactive Storyboard 98 Animation Storyboard 100 Data-Driven Visualization Process Storyboard 103 VISUAL SOLUTIONS IN BUSINESS ACTION The Short Answer Is That Visual Solutions Can Be Applied Everywhere 110 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words 111 Visual Solutions Are Being Applied Everywhere 111 Visual Application Samples Category 112 INFOGRAPHICS Financial Data Innovation Lab Wants to Visually Showcase Innovation Output 116 Large Digital Media Company Needs to Shake Up Advertisers During Ad Week with Ecommerce Metrics 118 Predictive Analytics Firm Uses Infographic to Debrief Analysts 120 INBOUND MARKETING PROGRAMS Networking Vendor Scope Visual Strategy Around Their Differentiated Offering 124 Reputation Consultancy Gets Existing Clients to Appreciate Value of Delivered Offering 125 Small Business Health Index Iconic Design Is Integrated with Infographic Content Program 126 VIDEO Enterprise Software Animation Takes the Audience to the Sea with a Compelling Data Management Visual Animation 130 Client Virtualization Gets an Animated Journey with an Infographic Bonus 131 Enterprise Firm Lets Traffic Analogy Drive Data Management Research Key Findings Home with Animation 132 SOLUTION PICTOGRAMS Trading Communications Platform Use Visual Pictogram to Contextualize Offering in Trading Lifecycle 136 Video Analytics Firm Applies Pictogram to Case Study Program 137 Networking Solution Company Applies Pictogram to Case Study Program 138 INTERACTIVE SOLUTION PICTOGRAMS Social Recruiting Platform Gets Interactive Visual Explanatory Lift 142 Construction Field Software Startup Shows Efficiencies Improvement in Visual Before and After Pictogram 143 Trading Communications Platform 144 DATA-DRIVEN VISUALIZATIONS AND APPLICATIONS Nuclear Spare Parts Division Needs to Visually Cause Their Clients to Order Spare Parts 148 An Accounting Association Celebrates 125-Year History with Tablet Data-Driven Visual Timeline 150 Healthcare Managed Service Provider Trains Its Stakeholders the Best Service Delivery Framework with Visual Interactive Card Training Game 151 STARTUPS ORGANIZATIONS VISUAL SOLUTIONS Large Construction Projects Software Startup Engages with Interactive Pictogram 154 Meeting Software Platform Startup Shows Business Inefficiencies in Traditional Meetings 155 Innovative Startup for Movie Industry Showcase New Model 156 AGENCY ORGANIZATION S VISUAL SOLUTIONS SEO Agency Leverages Infographic to Drive Their Client s Traffic 160 Marketing Automation Consultancy Automates the Understanding of Their Processes 162 Branding Agency Leverages iPad Dynamic Timeline Data Visualization 163 NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS VISUAL SOLUTIONS Children and Widow Charitable Organization 166 Architectural Association Showcases Value to Community 167 ENTERPRISE ORGANIZATIONS VISUAL SOLUTIONS Nuclear Energy Spare Parts Provider Engages its Clients with Data-Driven Visualizations Tools 170 Financial Data Firm Showcases Financial Data Innovation with Infographic Series 172 Network Performance Monitoring Solution Visualizes How Process Delivers Business Value 173 TRAINING AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT VISUAL SOLUTIONS Managed Health Services Provider Trains Its Staff with Interactive Application 176 Trading Analyst Training Agency Leverages Pictogram to Show Competency Gaps 177 Sales Training Consultancy Shows Transition to Solution from Product 178 OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT VISUAL SOLUTIONS Canadian Telecommunications Provider Enables Its Clients to Appreciate Its New Platform of Integrated Data Services 182 Data Reconciliation Offering Gets Its Clients Onboard with Integrated Visual Solution 184 Video Analytics Firm Demonstrates the Social Effect of Super Bowl Ads with Data Visualization 185 SOCIAL MEDIA AND PR VISUAL SOLUTIONS Online Real Estate Gets on the Wall Street Journal Blog 188 New Name for California Credit Union Calls for a New Infographic Social Media Play 189 RESEARCH VISUAL SOLUTIONS Enterprise Software Vendor Showcases Innovation with a Three-Part Infographic Series 192 IT Hardware Provider Puts Viewer on Client Virtualization Journey 194 Innovative Green Startup Showcases Energy Savings Research 196 SALES AND MARKETING VISUAL SOLUTIONS Leading Reputation Consultancy Markets Their Insight Workshop 200 Social Media Recruitment Platform Visualizes Steps in Sales 202 New Product Release in the Enterprise Risk Space Gets a Visual Product Brochure 203 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMERS Nuclear Spare Parts Provider Wanted to Dynamically Visualize Spare Parts 206 Pension Fund: Security Impact on Bottom Line 207 Innovative Media Analytics Platform Unifies Online Television Metrics on One Dashboard 208 CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Showcasing an Innovative Tablet Construction Solution on a Tablet 212 Green Energy Startup Showcases Approach and Savings with Infographic 213 214 Real Estate Infographic Goes Wall Street Journal Viral 214 EDUCATION INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Visual Engagement for Literacy Learning Application 218 Tablet Vendor Shows How Tablets are the Next Generation Classroom 219 Higher Education Gets an ROI Visualization 220 ENERGY INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Dynamically Displaying Spare Parts Status 224 Green Energy Startup Showcases Approach and Savings with Infographic 225 Dynamically Displaying the Control Room in 3D 226 FINANCIAL SERVICES VISUAL SOLUTIONS Showcases New Trading Communication Platform 230 Credit Union Drives Distinction Between a Bank and a Credit Union 231 Insurance Brokers Association Showcase Their Membership in Numbers 232 VISUAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY New Community-Based Delivery Model Gets Visual 236 Offering Interactive Training Game to Showcase Managed Services 238 Dental Kits Distribution Visualization 239 HR AND RECRUITING INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Social and Mobile Recruiting Solution Gets Interactive and Visual 242 Social Employee Referral Program Gets a Visual Sales Slide Presentation 244 Pharmaceutical Merger Visually Translated into Improved Employee Experience 245 IDEATION AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Finance New Credit Approval Process: Storyboarding Ideation Phase 248 Innovation Lab Rolling Out New Financial Data-Driven Solutions 249 Collaborative Tool Goes Through Visual Ideation Phase 250 IT/NETWORKING INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Predictive Analytics Firm Debriefs Analysts Visually 254 Large Networking Vendor Visualizes Best Practices for Setting Up Network 256 IT Network Data Visualization: Top of Mind for CIOs 258 MANAGEMENT CONSULTING INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Reputation Consultancy Visualizes Results Against Bottom Line 262 Management Consulting Firm New Corporate Performance Model Gets Visualization 263 Marketing Consulting Firms Gets Clients Onboard with Automation Process 264 Digital Media Company Disturbs Ad Week with Infographic Series 268 Independent Film Platform Startup Shakes Things Up with Pictogram 270 Analytics Firm New User Interface Integrates TV and Online Metrics 271 PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS 274 Large Pharmaceutical Merger Leverages Pictogram to Get Staff Onboard 276 Improving Prescription Delivery with Tablets 278 New Allergy Over-the-Counter Drug Gets Interactive Engagement PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Marketing Automation Firm Visualizes Its Marketing Automation Process 282 Architecture Association Poster-Foldout Shows Community Value 283 Accounting Association Visually Celebrated 125th Anniversary with iPad Dynamic Visualization 284 RESEARCH INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Research Infographic Showcases Best Practices for New Construction Network Deployment 288 Data Visualization Highlights Management Consulting Firm Research on New Business Performance Model 290 Financial Data Firm Small Business Health Index Research Report Gets Iconic Treatment 291 RETAIL AND ECOMMERCE INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Digital Media Firm Visually Shakes Things Up at Ad Week Trade Show 294 Tablet Maker Showcases How Tablets Are Reinventing the Retail Customer Experience 296 Translating Super Bowl Ads Metrics to Social Channel Performance 297 SOFTWARE INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Global ERP Software Vendor Engages with Shipping Analogy 300 Large Enterprise Software Vendor Showcases Productivity in Cloud 302 Security Software Vendor Shows Right Approach to Patch Management 304 TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Large Computer Hardware Vendor Showcase Benefits of a Converged Infrastructure 308 Demonstrating Business Value for Tablets 309 Big Data and Social Business 310 TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Alaskan Telecommunications Firm Showcases an Engineering Marvel 314 Canadian Data Services Firm Visually Launches it New Platform of Business Data Services 315 Verizon Engages Engages with an Infographic Rich Media Ad 316 TRAVEL INDUSTRY VISUAL SOLUTIONS Large IT Airport Solution Provider Infographic Facts Showcases Impressive Numbers and Innovation 320 Student Travel Agency Visually Demonstrated Differentiated Value 322 Cloud Services in an Airport Industry Context 323 IN CLOSING: A SOBERING AND A POSITIVE NOTE Sobering Note 326 Index