If you’re looking to make a difference while also making money, impact investing may be the right match. This investing strategy involves targeting companies whose visions of helping the environment or supporting other social causes align with yours.
But even though the process of investing in stocks or bonds looks a lot like the way you would approach traditional investments, the story matters more with impact investments. And you need strong visuals to tell that story so other investors with a stake in the game understand your goals and strategies.
Impact investors always want to see strong results in the form of data. Sharing the human side of the investment process, however, is equally as important. The right visual elements can provide a transparent and engaging narrative.
Read on to find out why visuals matter in sharing your investment journey and how you can integrate them into your storytelling methods.
How Visuals Support Impact Investments
Impact investing has the potential to make real change. Causes could include educational initiatives in low-income areas, improved maternal healthcare in rural locations, leadership development programs for underrepresented groups, or affordable housing.
As a company making an impact investment, you’ll put your money in stocks, loans, or other means that support organizations engaged in these activities.
Then, you can see the results through data-driven reports and documents that report losses and gains, as well as how your finances line up with key performance indicators (KPIs) and your company’s business plan.
From an engagement standpoint, though, these reports don’t always seal the deal on continued investments. Data appeals to the mind, but not to the heart. When you’re hoping to compel others in your company to continue investing in a meaningful organization or cause, visual storytelling should be part of the game plan.
You can present data in ways that are more accessible and memorable. Yes, visuals can entail showing graphs that demonstrate the measurable impact of investments. But visuals can do more than that.
They can show the stories behind the investment: parents caring for newborns in a revamped health facility, families moving into new and affordable homes, or people cleaning a local park as part of a revitalization effort.
These images trigger emotional responses that can touch people on a more human level. Use visuals that show the real-world impact of your investments in your next quarterly meeting slideshow, or send an email blast with pictures. While statistics and other numbers provide a concrete picture of progress, visuals make a more lasting impact.
Building Transparency Through Visuals
Impact investors want to feel confident that their money is helping produce a change. They also want to be reassured that the money is being used as intended. Using visuals, like photographs and video clips, to capture evidence of the impact can be more beneficial than reporting numbers.
Images and videos provide proof of progress that can’t be disputed. If you’ve contributed money to a company that repairs infrastructure and surfaces in underserved areas, for instance, images of patched parking lots or playgrounds can show how the money is having a direct impact on communities.
These images let investors see exactly where their money is going and how it’s making a difference in the most immediate way possible.
In short, visuals build trust among all parties. Investors can trust the authenticity of the impact because they’re not just being told about it – they’re also being given visual evidence of their dollars at work.
Connecting Dollars to Values
Values guide the work of impact investors. Issues like sustainability, equity, and other forms of outreach tend to be top of mind – sometimes even more so than the actual money these investors are contributing. Visuals that reflect these values can forge a stronger sense of alignment between the impact investors are making and their motivations.
But how do you create that connection with visuals? At your next investor meeting, present pictures of urban gardens if your investments are supporting community outreach in inner-city neighborhoods.
Show video clips of projects teaching youth how to grow healthier, nourishing food in gardens, even with limited space. Images like these will resonate with investors whose values are focused on educating the next generation to build a more sustainable planet.
For an impact investment focused on healthcare, show the building process for a new clinic that investors have helped fund. Whatever your missional focus is, be sure to use pictures and video footage that tell the story. These visuals remind investors of why they chose to invest in the first place, and they show them the human connection that often gets lost behind the numbers.
Using Technology to Tell Stories
You don’t have to be the most gifted artist or photographer to create quality visuals. You just need the right tools for the job – and a commitment to learning to use them well.
These are some of the top technological tools to help create a professional set of visuals to share with investors:
- Photographic Editing Software: Capture clear proof of progress through photos that demonstrate the project’s impact. Turn to Adobe Lightroom or online platforms like Canva to make small adjustments to color, contrast, or compositions that elevate your images. Avoid big adjustments that look distracting or compromise quality.
Image converters are critical, too. They format and optimize photos without sacrificing quality. For example, use a png to jpg converter free to shrink the file sizes of your images so they load properly online. You’ll be able to share high-resolution visuals with stakeholders, whether in digital reports or through emails or on websites.
- Infographic Builders: Data is always an essential piece of investment reporting, but it can look more visually appealing in the form of infographics. Look at Piktochart and Infogram to build custom infographics that highlight key impact metrics that are also easy on the eyes. With clear designs and some splashes of color, investors may be more attentive to reporting.
- Video Editing Software: Videos can level up your storytelling game. Platforms like Adobe Premiere Pro or tools like Animoto make it easy to put together short documentaries that show the ongoing journey of an investment. Even if you’re not a video editor by trade, these platforms have intuitive features, and you can always consult tutorials online.
- Social Media: When investors feel looped into an investment’s progress, they’ll be more likely to want to continue supporting it. Social media is a great way to keep them aware and build a bigger audience for what’s happening. Instagram, for instance, offers built-in editing features to share high-quality visuals across platforms. Organizations can post live updates, like videos or images, and celebrate milestones along the way.
Make an Impact
Constantly reading numbers, charts, and graphs can be tiring for even the most committed investors. That’s why incorporating visual elements into your investment updates and presentations is vital. You’ll highlight the direct impact of your organization’s investments while humanizing the experience.
A combination of photos, infographics, and visuals will help investors feel more connected to their work, and you’ll weave greater transparency into the process. The right tools can make visual storytelling come to life. As a result, you can communicate the impact more effectively, setting the stage for better outcomes and lasting connections.
