Read a text book about the power of images! Somehow The Power of Visual Storytelling is a mixed message. The human brain processes images more quickly than text, and from proven marketing techniques we know how important visuals are. The authors, Ekaterina Walter & Jessica Gioglio made an inventory of the status quo of online social networks concentrating more or less on visual storytelling: Flickr, Youtube, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest, but also the developments withing platforms like Twitter and Facebook, as well as content curators as Rebelmouse. These now more eager on the (re)use of images and video then when they were launched. Functionality, usage statistics and opportunities for an online marketeer are covered for each of these platforms. The unavoidable question then remains: how should we spend our time and money? What shall be the media mix? The book provides case studies from leading brands that exemplify best practices in visual marketing and storytelling. Corporate branding and customer interaction are key to corporate storytelling according to the authors.
One may hope that the online marketeer reading this book doesn't find much new. It's also the main weakness in this book: the popular platforms as we know them now, will not be around in a decade. And if they're still with us, their appearance and functionality will be shaped differently. ( )