So by now you now that one of my passions is marketing and pretty much all that falls under the marketing umbrella. At the moment I am taking a course called Strategic Corporate Communications that encourages exploring the new methods of communicating with your business members and target audience. In our first class last week the professor asked us to create a blog that will serve as a platform for our take on some given readings. I thought that since I dabble in a little bit of marketing related info, (events and bits I find here and there), on this blog already, I would include some of the tips from the readings on my blog. If like me you are interested in pursuing a career in public relations and marketing, you might find these insights helpful! And as always, why not include pictures to make this visual!

This post will feature my thoughts and ideas from a reading explaining how to “make your message visible.” I thought I’d combine it with a little photo shoot my sister and I did together that features how I make myself visible, all sequins all the time. (Photography and styling by Monika Loevenmark).

So this reading was particularly interesting to me because it highlighted something that I think I’ve been doing all along, but didn’t know that it was a strategy to lure you readers in; captivating the audience’s attention with imagery, or “data visualization,” via social media and creating that one-on-one connection with your audience. Although, I wonder if writing a piece on marketing and including fashion shots with it counts as “data visualization”… But it sure does make it more fun!

The reading: “How to make your message visible: On becoming better visual storytellers” by Susan Suggs, APR, (from Public Relations Tactics Journal by the Public Relations Society of America). That’s sure a mouthful. 

So what I took from the reading was this main principle: “the more visual you make your data, the greater its potential impact due to a stronger impression and better recall.” What this means to me is when you want to communicate a message, use creative and strong visuals to promote and enhance what you are saying. I think this is why blogs have become such an important part of internet marketing. Blogs are the perfect platform for communicating a message because the posts are infused with captivating pictures, (who doesn’t love peeking into someone else’s life, or closet?). I can learn from this principle, the more I continue to make my posts visual for my readers, the stronger the impression I will give to you about what I’m about and will probably have you coming back to check my blog, hopefully! On that note, time for a photo…

This reading also says, “for PR professionals to be better visual story tellers, they should try using a problem-solving outline or a direct human interest story.” So, does this mean that as a wannabe PR professional that I am promoting myself through this blog and the way that I communicate with you, my readers, by telling little stories from my life, could be considered “visual story-telling” through my own “human interest” stories? And therefor I am making this a stronger connection with you? Rad. Lets keep this going!

A quote that I like from the reading goes like this: “audiences today mine data for the short vignette that encapsulates the best and brightest ideas.” Your audience still wants “access to pertinent data, but perception of key messages improves when delivered with an understanding of the shortened attention span of today’s media-infused consumer.” So keep it short and sweet. Say what you gotta say in the most effective way possible, make it interesting and if possible, unique to all the many thousands of messages out there on the internet, (since we’re talking about an online forum). On that note I shall end the writing portion of this post, (see how I am showing that I understand what I’m reading?? Haha), now for SOME FABULOUS PHOTOS!

Im wearing: vintage sequin jacket, H&M over-sized T, Zara snakeskin printed skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs necklace, Michael Kors watch, H&M bracelet and Zara leather flats. 

Hope you enjoyed my thoughts, : )

Xo StyleStruck