Producing unique and engaging content is no mean feat (trust us, we live and breathe the stuff). When you’re running a business, or trying to come up with ideas, it can be tempting to fall back on tried and trusted methods to get your message out there.
But what if I told you there was another way? What if you could ditch the generic infographics and Instagram templates in favour of a new, more individualised form of content?
Well, my friends, you’re in luck. Let us introduce you to the wonderful world of graphic recording, and explain why you need to start using it.
It’s not whiteboarding
Graphic recording is the process of capturing the ideas and content of people’s expressions live in visual form. Pioneered by Mary Brake and others in San Francisco in the 1990s, it’s a field that’s growing in popularity every year. Performed by ‘visual practitioners’, who aren’t necessarily artists or graphic designers, it’s a practice built on the synthesis of information with a splash of magic and performance.
What makes graphic recording so relevant to content marketing is that it’s not simply plotting out ideas on a whiteboard. It involves attentive listening on behalf of the visual practitioner, and an output that resembles a piece of artwork.
It’s unique content
Each visual practitioner has their own artistic style, so every graphic recording is one-of-a-kind. Events, workshops, meetings, conferences and stand-ups can all be captured this way. Imagine receiving meeting minutes as an illustration? Definitely more engaging than your project manager’s bulleted notes!
It helps people retain information
A graphic recording taps into visual memory and according to Sarah Firth, Melbourne-based graphic artist, it can help increase information retention by up to 30%.
It’s shareable on social media
Visuals get your social media platforms buzzing, upping engagement rates which all adds to the conversation around your brand. Sharing your graphic recordings with your audience can clarify ideas and create a narrative around what you’re trying to accomplish.
It creates a valuable asset
Unlike a video recording of your last conference keynote, a graphic recording can be taken in by someone immediately. If they missed your talk, or want to refer back to what you said, they have an amazing visual to share with their friends and networks.
It’s a well-honed skill
Leslie Salmon-Zhu says it best:
“Graphic Recorders are modern-day cave artists, visionaries, scribes, teachers, learners, illuminators and historians … all keepers of the precious written word and imaginings of voices and hearts. Our practice has roots in ancient traditions of paying attention, reflecting, recording and ‘remembering for the future’. We help bring ideas forward, help collaboration, help direct the ‘light’ to the individual and the collective wisdom in this world.”
Whether you’re a business owner looking to expand your reach, or you’re simply sick of creating the same old content, graphic recording offers a new and fresh way of approaching your message. If we’ve piqued your interest, get in touch with us to learn more about this visual word wizardry.
