In today’s crowded marketplace where your customers are being inundated with the marketing efforts of countless brands everywhere they go, standing out is harder than ever.
With so much going on, how can your brand compete for attention? How can you not just stop the scroll for a second, but truly make your brand unforgettable to the people who encounter it in the wild?
The answer might just be in the details.
Custom illustrations are more than just pictures — they can breathe life into your visuals and your brand story itself! From bold packaging design to captivating social media graphics, professionally done illustrations can transform your brand into something that doesn’t just catch the eye of your customers, but their hearts too!
But achieving the kind of impact a professional illustration has takes more than artistic talent; what you need are professional-grade illustration services.
Today’s blog is diving into how professional illustrations can elevate your brand, the benefits they bring, and why outsourcing them to the pros can make all the difference!
Let’s get started!
Why Illustrations Are So Crucial for Modern Branding
So, what’s so important about illustrations?
Plenty! They’re not just for picture books, after all. Custom, professionally designed illustrations have become a must for modern brands for a variety of different reasons.
Here are just a few benefits that custom illustrations bring to the table that help your brand:
- Stand Out from the Crowd – Custom illustrations are visuals that are unique to your brand, which can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.
- Be Instantly Recognizable – A signature illustration style makes your brand easy to recognize, no matter where people see it.
- Tell Your Story – Illustrations are great at explaining ideas and emotions in a way that connects with your audience and makes your content more accessible.
- Add Personality – Custom visuals give your brand a personality that feels relatable and approachable to your audience.
- Use Them Anywhere – Illustrations are versatile and fun to use! Use them on packaging, websites, social media, and even merchandise and branded swag.
- Match Your Style – Whether your brand is fun and playful or sleek and professional, illustration styles can be adapted to fit your tone.
- Grab Attention – Eye-catching illustrations are more likely to stop someone scrolling than plain text or a generic photo.
- Simplify Ideas – Complex concepts are easier to understand when they’re broken down into engaging visuals.
- Keep Things Consistent – A cohesive illustration style ties all your branding together, making it look polished and professional everywhere your audience may come across it.
The 4 Benefits of Professional Illustration Services
Still wondering if professional illustrations are worth the investment for your brand?
Here are 4 ways professional illustration services can elevate your visuals and make your brand stand out!
1. A Unique Brand Identity
A professional illustration service connects you with the artists and graphic designers you need to create custom illustrations from scratch.
No stock images here!
Custom illustrations are tailored specifically to your brand’s personality, values, and style, rather than just changing colors or shapes the way you’d do with generic stock templates. And because they’re so unique, they help your business stand out in a crowded market and come off as a one-of-a-kind solution to your target audience.
2. Increased Brand Recognition
A consistent and unique illustration style can easily become a signature of your brand.
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Think Mailchimp or Airbnb, two well-known brands that make use of playful illustrations on their website and marketing material.
This consistent style can make it easier for people to instantly recognize your brand when they come across you on social media or digital ads. Whether you use your custom illustrations on your website, your packaging, or your social media posts, these unique visuals will build up familiarity and trust with your audience, which goes a long way toward keeping your brand top of mind!
3. Storytelling and Engagement
Illustrations are also a great way to bring your brand’s story to life for your audience!
They can simplify complex ideas, evoke the right emotions, and make your content a million times more accessible and engaging. A professional illustration service can help you design visuals that grab attention, pique your audience’s interest, and encourage more people to engage with your brand!
4. The Professional Touch
Last, but definitely not least, is that high-quality, professionally designed illustrations give the overall look and feel of your brand a significant boost.
They look good. They show that you’re a brand that is invested in your visual identity. They help your business look polished, professional, and trustworthy.
Even if your illustration style is cute and playful, quirky and fun, being consistent and having professionally made illustrations can enhance your brand identity, set you apart from the competition, and help you attract your ideal audience!
Where to Use Illustrations for Maximum Impact
As you can see, professional, custom illustrations can be a game-changer for your brand’s visual identity.
But it doesn’t end at just having great-looking illustrations. Knowing where to use them is the real key to unlocking their full potential.
So, to help you out, here are the best and most strategic places where using your new custom graphics can really deliver and drive results for your brand.
Social Media
Nothing makes your social media presence pop like custom illustrations!
Whether you use custom graphics and illustrations for your daily posts, animated illustrations for reels, or branded icons for highlights and promotional material, using unique illustrations helps your content stand out and grab attention as your followers scroll.
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn need visual engagement to attract followers and custom illustrations are just what you need to give your brand a creative edge and make your content instantly recognizable!
Packaging Design
In a competitive market, your packaging design can often be the first interaction a potential customer has with your product!
This is why custom illustrations are a perfect addition to your packaging to make your design unique, memorable, and better positioned to connect with your audience and drive sales. Whether you use playful graphics to appeal to a younger crowd or sleek and luxurious graphics to highlight your premium products, your choice of illustrations lets you tell a visual story and make your packaging shine on the shelves!
Website and Apps
Consider your brand’s website and app like a digital front door to your brand.
A well-designed interface can hook them from the start and custom illustrations can only elevate the experience! Use illustrations for engaging hero images, eye-catching icons to break up text, and as interactive elements that help guide your visitors through your site or app.
Illustrations help you break up dense information and can make your content more approachable and accessible no matter how complicated it may be! They also work to reinforce your brand’s style, enhance onboarding flows, gamify user interactions, and help create an atmosphere that keeps visitors coming back for more!
Print and Marketing Collateral
Even in our digital-first world, print materials like brochures, flyers, and posters are still valuable tools for marketing campaigns.
Take them to the next level with custom illustrations that can add personality, boost their visual appeal, and help you make an impact! Whether it’s a vibrant graphic on a billboard or detailed artwork in a product catalog, illustrations help you communicate your message in a way that’s both professional and creative.
How to Choose the Right Illustration Services for Your Brand
Once you’ve decided that professional illustration services are the right choice for your brand, your next step will be to find the service provider that works best for you, your brand, and your budget.
So, to help you make the right choice, here is a handy step-by-guide:
- Define Your Needs — Consider what types of illustrations your brand needs. Are you looking for a logo? Something to elevate your product packaging or social media graphics? Custom characters for an eLearning video or to tell your brand story? Knowing your specific needs will help you find a provider that has the right expertise.
- Evaluate Portfolios — Once you find some service providers, review the portfolios of their illustrators or agencies to get a feel for their style and versatility. Look for work that resonates with your brand’s visuals and aligns with your vision.
- Check for Industry Experience — If possible, choose providers with experience in your industry. They’ll have a better understanding of your target audience and can help you create illustrations that speak to your niche.
- Ask About Their Process — You always want to know the process a provider goes through when completing work for a client. So, ask away. Ask about their creative process, everything from initial concept sketches to final delivery. What you’re looking for is a clear and collaborative process so that you know your ideas will be understood and brought to life the way you want them to.
- Discuss Customization Options — Make sure your service provider offers fully tailored illustrations instead of relying on generic templates or stock graphics.
- Consider Their Communication Style — A good working relationship is key. Choose a service that communicates clearly, listens to your ideas, and provides regular updates throughout the project.
- Compare Pricing and Value — While budget is important, yes, you should also focus on the value provided. The cheapest option isn’t always the best value. High-quality, professional illustrations are an investment that can elevate your brand for years to come so choose accordingly!
- Read Reviews and Testimonials — Look for feedback from previous clients to get a feel for an illustration service provider’s reliability, professionalism, and quality of work.
Ready to Take Your Visual Identity to the Next Level
If you’re ready to start looking for an illustration service to elevate your brand’s identity and breathe some life into your social media graphics, packaging, and more, then we hope we’ve given you enough information to start your hunt.
Or …
You can just partner with Designity.
Designity is made up of the top 3% of all of the talented creatives who apply each year, meaning that our creative community is comprised of the best of the best in fields like graphic design, illustration, motion graphics, and more — all of the folks you need to develop custom illustrations for your brand identity and help you implement them across your content, packaging, and online presence.
And with each account led by a designated Creative Director, a marketing and design expert, to manage and source your creative team and make sure your illustrations are ready to go when you need them, you can revamp your visual identity without spending long hours away from your core duties.
Why not check out our graphic design and illustration services page and portfolio to see how Designity’s talented artists, designers, and illustrators have made all the difference for brands just like yours?
If you like what you see, book your demo call today! We’ll get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can see firsthand how Designity’s expert illustration services are the visual boost your brand needs!
Are you ready to elevate your brand’s visual identity?
