For brands, reaching the point where curious shoppers turn into loyal customers is the ultimate reward for their product, marketing and sales efforts. If a deal was once dependent on a handshake between two individuals meeting face-to-face, it now involves a more complex endeavor, one defined by transcending borders coupled with the importance of individual power of choice, and of course, the need for customer retention to generate revenue over the long haul.

This where the power of visual presentation comes into play for brands.

But in the digital age backdrop, where various omnichannels and different ways of approaching an elevated level of brand loyalty, what strategies can brands deploy to actually best reach this point?

While this question raises many ideas, some of which are addressed in the form of various technologies and marketing automation software, brand loyalty requires brands to really dive into the main parameters that determine consumer behavior, establish trust, and best relate to their (the consumer’s) needs and preferences.

So while some of the most iconic brands may be identified in the most remote places in the world by just a simple logo, or a consistent TV commercial spot, one of the more trending solutions to build brand loyalty lies in creating and distributing personalized visuals and especially, video.

All one has to do is look at Snapchat and see brands such as GE, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, ESPN and more to see how brands are capitalizing on the power of imagery – be it video or still. And according to the CMO Council many CMOs are fully aware of the need to “get visual” with 65% of those surveyed last year stating they believe visual assets (photos, video, illustrations and infographics) are core to how their brand story is communicated.

Here’s three reasons why your brand needs to go visual.

1. Creativity Can Spur Engagement

For the most part, brands today face an array of competitors. Each one is searching for the optimal point to bridge the gap between their products/services and customers. With the emergence of personalized videos as a go-to marketing tool, brands can creatively share specific messages across channels – directly.

Given the sheer immediacy of interactive videos, especially their virality potential, they enable brands to deliver specific messages that are highly targeted and relevant.

Utilize a personalized video solution such as Idomoo or Sunday Sky, which uses video as a medium to best reach out to customers across different touch points in the customer journey process, from the initial customer inquiry to across social media channels.

2. Make Customer Data Interactive

Not only is data important for campaigns, it is equally important to make sure your employees understand and internalize data for better marketing and sales. According to Amir Orad, the CEO of leading business intelligence software company Sisense, brands often struggle with finding the best way to visualize data.

“Companies have a responsibility to understand and cultivate data for educated decision-making,” he says. “The applications of big data in business are numerous, but what’s also important is that data is shared with employees and customers alike in a visual form that is understandable, and more important, engaging. This is where the salience of visualization comes into play.”

What’s more, by utilizing customer data and different behavioral parameters, brands can best target visual content to meet the needs and preferences of customers. Rather than just using text-based content to disseminate information about a promotion or new product launch, brands can turn to videos in order to engage, or at minimum, to trigger emotions based on the personalized story presented.

3. Customers Are A Visual Species

CEO and co-founder of the video-platform Tout Michael Downing says brands can leverage the demand for video content, given the sheer makeup of customers: “We are a visual species who processes thousands of times more information visually by reading text or listening to something.” Furthermore, according to results obtained from a survey conducted by a number of leading content marketing industry professionals, customers prefer online video content to nearly all forms of brand marketing efforts, including free trials and webinars.

Brands will have to rethink some of their existing brand loyalty strategies. With the emergence of video platforms and technologies that make creating engaging and personalized content a creative options for building brand loyalty and exciting customers.

The fact is we as human beings, are a visual breed. Just look at this infographic via The Next Web:

As you can see there is no comparison to how fast our brains process visuals compared to text. Of course it’s not as easy as that meaning you can’t throw just any visual out there. It needs to be relevant to the context and to the end user. Kind of goes without saying but, I just said it anyway.

Actually I just wrote it.

Article written by Steve Olenski of Forbes.