When you think of content, do you think of text in forms of whitepapers, blogs, and social media posts? While this is certainly a huge component of content, the rules for great content are changing. To get the attention of your audience, you need to think visually. Simply, visual content is where you will find engagement.
Visual Content: So Many Things to See
The Kissmetrics blog “6 Types of Visual Content You Need to Use in Your Marketing Campaigns,” written by Lucien Joyce of Mammoth Infographics explores the power of visual content in the digital area, especially since the majority of people (65% to be exact) are visual learners. Broken down by category, here are six visual content tips to consider for your next marketing campaign:
Images
According to marketer Jeff Bullas, articles with images get 94% more views than articles that are solely text-based. Be sure to pair up your text with some compelling images that people can’t pass up. And, if you don’t have the budget for top-notch image purchase, check out photo sites and graphic sites like Canva that can help you produce high-quality visuals for pennies.
Videos
If you are focused on telling a good story, video is the obvious choice. It lets you showcase your products and solutions clearly and it allows you to talk to your customers in a more personal way.
Consider some video stats, first from this article:
- One study reports that the inclusion of a video on the landing page increased conversions by 86%.
- Another study by Moz says that posts with videos receive nearly 300% more inbound links.
And, according to Dylan Mortensen’s Business Insider article “The Immersive Video Report: How VR, AR, and 360-degree video are shaping the future of content creation,” immersive video is hitting the advertising scene in a big way.
These are 360-degree videos, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) media that can enhance “impactful, emotion-driven storytelling that’s needed to capture the attention of consumers and cut through the saturated ad space.” According to a YuMe study, “63% of US consumers who’ve tried an immersive experience feel it’s the ‘next big thing’ in video. With an enticing level of engagement, people want to view it longer, making this a great opportunity for marketers. To put this into numbers:
- The global AR market is forecasted to grow at a nearly 81% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2016 to 2024 (Global Market Insights)
- It’s predicted that global VR headset shipments will increase 359% over the next six years, from 12 million in 2017 to just over 55 million in 2022 (BI Intelligence)
Infographics
Since complicated data and statistics can be a tough pill to swallow at face value, infographics allow them to be presented in a much more enjoyable and digestible way. People love a good infographic, and if it’s done right, your chances to go “viral” are certainly there. First, make sure your information is relevant and accurate (peer-reviewed sources are fantastic if possible) and bring it to life with the right mix of colors, visuals, and fonts. If you are sharing an infographic on social media, thumbnail images with a hyperlink to your site can let you skip over the hassle of size restrictions.
Memes
We all know memes. They are images with funny captions that have to be shared. If memes are right for your audience (especially the younger demographic), think about the best insider jokes about your industry or community and create them!
Presentations
If you have a great story to share in a solid presentation, build it and your audience will follow. Through resources like SlideShare, you can create a visually appealing presentation for audiences around the globe, regardless of physical location and device. If you are packing in a lot of information into the presentation, make sure to accompany the text with great graphics to keep people focused.
Screenshots
Do you need to give people an inside look at your product or service? For instance, would you like to highlight specific things about your app (like a button) to your customers? How about capturing customer reviews or testimonials posted to social media? A screenshot, while not the most visually dynamic, can be a very powerful tool to use in your outreach.
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