When a group of art students were asked by the American Association of Advertising Agencies if they would enjoy a career in advertising, their responses were mostly negative.

“I would never consider a career in advertising.”

“I wouldn’t be fulfilled.”

“My creativity would be limited.”

The association setup a gallery of advertisements, stripped of their logos, to show these students how artful a career in advertising could be.

To an outsider, art and advertising may seem to be two completely different worlds. In reality, there is a marriage between the two that can benefit digital marketing tremendously. Sure, digital marketers are never going to have their ads hung in a gallery somewhere. However, if you can make something boring into something a little more beautiful, the impact of the message can be seen more clearly and have a longer lasting impact.

What does this mean for your business?

Fifteen years ago, setting up a mediocre website with some content, images, and maybe a video or two was enough to impress your visitors. In some industries, just having a website was enough. Now, in the age of easily installed WordPress themes, clean designs and a flood of overused stock images, you have to do more than “be there” to compete.

Brands need to set themselves apart online. They need to be creative. They need to find their voice.

A brand’s voice is their key to resonating with their prospective demographic and engaging their existing audience. The flow of both information and aesthetically pleasing content on your website is crucial.

How can you achieve this?

The vital elements of a strong voice for your brand are confidence, clarity, and value. This means developing a value proposition and a story that can be supported through every element on the site – color, text, images, etc.

Let’s face it, people judge books by their covers, so you must have an aesthetically pleasing website to hook users in to reading your content. Pair a beautiful site or social media page with a great message and you will hit a home run.

Even if your marketing team is in house, consider bringing in a brand identity consultant to help you solidify your message. If you’re already planning to use an outside team, qualify candidates by asking them questions about how they would solidify your messaging. This will get you started off on the right foot toward a digital marketing campaign with the “wow” factor you need to stand out from your competitors.