The countdown continues! As the year comes to a close, we’re compiling the best practices you need to know for 2016. Get more tips in our Best of 2015 series.Visuals are no longer a nice-to-have in your content marketing; 2015 was the year that solidified them as must-haves. Including graphics, photos, video and other multimedia in your content helps amplify the overall impact of your message – increasing attention, exposure, and conversations, and providing authority to your written words.Keep reading for some of our top blog posts, white papers, and other content about visual storytelling from the past year.How to Map Out a Visual Storytelling Strategy Worth Savoring“Pretty” visuals will only get your marketing so far. Although it’s important to create graphics and videos that will catch and hold onto your audience’s attention, there must be a strategy at the heart of it all. This blog post deconstructs OpenTable’s fantastic #SavorTheRoad campaign and shares takeaways to use in your own visual storytelling strategy.Setting the Record Straight: Press Releases that Stand Out in the Digital AgeIncorporating even simple multimedia components into your press releases can make a dramatic difference in terms of their effectiveness. The key is knowing which ones to include to reach your particular audience. Download this white paper for multimedia, formatting and distribution tips you can use to boost your press release’s impact.DIY Design: 7 Effective Graphics Any Marketer Can CreateDespite multimedia’s many benefits, some brands are still hesitant to tackle a visual storytelling strategy, citing lack of resources and time. The reality, though, is that effective graphics aren’t that difficult to produce. Here are 7 graphic styles that are easy to create — even if you aren’t a designer. The next time you need a visual on the fly, try one of them out.

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