6 Key Visual Content Marketing Trends in 2017. The Content Marketing arena has grown by leaps and bounds in only a matter of years. Today, St. Joseph is immersively working with brands looking to tell richer, more vibrant stories, as well as create video and photographic imagery that captures imaginations, cuts through the clutter and inspires people to respond.

Getty Images releases an annual trend report that showcases where brands are going in the year ahead… and three months into 2017 and you can already clearly see some of the vibrancy cascading through our mediums. “Visuals have become the language of the 21st Century, and in a world fascinated by data, the creative research team at Getty Images has unprecedented access to unique information.” It’s astonishing to see which image searches have increased in the last year: images of ‘Selfie’ by 3,987%, ‘Emojis’ by 338%, ‘Smart Tech’ by 602%, ‘Virtual Reality’ by 260%, ‘Texting’ by 17,066%, ‘Millenials’ by 386%, ‘Drone’ by 696%, and ‘Artificial Intelligence’ by 262% to showcase a few.

Getty’s 6 Key Trends for 2017:

1. Virtuality – VR has the ability not just to immerse the viewer in an event, but also inspire them to action. 2. Colour Surge – Colour is no longer just one component of an image; it’s become the star. In our hyper-kinetic world, audiences are fatigued with the ordinary. 3. Unfiltered – Challenger brands are adopting the aesthetics of photojournalism to connect with younger consumers and bring a raw, spontaneous edge to their storytelling. 4. Gritty Woman – As debates around gender politics intensify, we are seeing the emergence of a new type of woman who is ready to reframe the battleground. 5. Global Neighbourhood – The ever-increasing circulation of people, goods, and information around the world is having a transformative effect and has the potential to change the way we see ourselves. 6. New Naivety – Increasingly savvy consumers are shunning the overly curated approach in favour of a looser, more irreverent touch – big brands are following suit.

Why does it matter? Because humans are visual by nature. Because visuals stimulate our emotions. Because the right visual stops us in our tracks, gets us to take a moment, and inspires us to engage. Are your visuals engaging your audience?

NewsCred – Visual Content Marketing 2017: Trends that Will Attract + Resonate with Your Audience
It’s only a few months into 2017, but brands are already making their presences known – in a big way. Concepts and visuals are stronger than ever in this year’s content marketing effort.

Getty Images – Visual Trends 2017

Michael Chase, CMO
St. Joseph Communications