Visual content marketing statistics show that colored visuals increase the chance of someone reading a piece of content by 80%.
Couple this with the fact that content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without relevant images.
You start to see the importance of visual content marketing.
Let's take a look at how to create an effective visual content marketing strategy with visual marketing examples.
Using Visual Content in Your Content
Use images across your blog posts and articles to get the most engagement out of every article. Make sure that you place an image right at the start. It can be an image right after the headline, or you can place it like this:
Source: The Content Marketing Institute
You then want to spread your images across the article, at least once every 350 words. Of course, if you want to make a point using videos or images, you can use shorter intervals. Spreading images across your article like this allows readers some breathing room, which makes the article easier to read.
Have a defined visual style
When you create your images, a consistent style will give power to your brand and make it instantly recognizable. Using the same color patterns and stylistic choices (conveying speed, warmth, calm, etc.) will cement your content in the mind of your readers, making them more likely to access and engage with it.
Use different types of images
So, what is visual content? There are many types of visual content. First, images that you can use in your content. You have everything from
- graphs,
- charts,
- screenshots,
- stock images,
- custom images,
- cartoons,
- comics,
- memes and
- infographics.
Some images can be used to convey information or make a point, while others can be used for esthetic effect.
Get the most value out of your custom images by adding your logo
If you invest in creating infographics, graphs, charts and any other images, make sure that you add your logo to them. This way, when these images get reposted or used on other blogs, you will get free advertising. And since images created for a specific niche get reposted within that same niche, you will automatically be reaching out to your target audience, without lifting a finger.
Here is an example how we do it with main images for the Dreamgrow's blog posts:
Cover image of Free Images for Blogs and Marketing.
Visual Content Marketing Strategy on Social Media
When using visual content marketing strategy on social media, you have to be aware of the etiquette of each platform. For example, you could use the same image in a Twitter and a Facebook post, but it might not be suited for Tumblr, where you have a more artistic style. You also want to avoid being overly salesy. Your posts should not come across as advertisements. Instead, try to make them look as if they were posts made by regular users.
Source: jeffbullas.com
With your social media visual marketing efforts, you do not want to ask or demand anything from the user (except for a call-to-action here and there). Instead, try to offer information or entertainment in a bite-sized package. Of course, this bite-sized package will work best if you know and understand your audience. Speak in a language of current events and issues that are relevant to your users. Finally, you want to create a self-aware brand identity, which is consistent across platforms and throughout the campaign.
With this in mind, let's take a look at several ways to enhance the effectiveness of your social media with visual content marketing strategy.
1. Create posts that stand out
When using any social media, you have to make sure that your posts stand out in some way. Otherwise, they will get lost in your users' feed. To do this, you want to use line breaks, emojis, unique fonts, and/or visuals, depending on the platform. Of course, you want to keep it tasteful and not overdo it, or otherwise, you risk alienating your followers.
Source: jeffbullas.com
2. Create a connection with your posts
I've mentioned this earlier, but you really need to know your users and what makes them tick. As a marketer, you probably have several personas developed which reflect your customers' desires, lifestyles and purchasing habits. If you do not, however, you are missing out. These personas can help you make a real connection with your customers and offer them your products in truly effective ways.
Creating these personas is not very complicated, but it will require some work:
- Contact your customers and ask them why they purchased your products and how they use them. Try to find out what needs or desires your products fulfill.
- Observe the way your customers use your products.
- Create the persona and a story about how this persona engages with your products from the information you have gathered so far.
- Use this story/persona when crafting images/messages for social media and other marketing efforts.
Source: Xtensio
3. Take advantage of user-generated content
If your brand or company is in a position to request or receive user-generated content, then you definitely want to make this a part of your visual content marketing strategy. If you have very loyal fans who see your brand as something special, and they send you content out of the blue, make sure that you reward that with recognition, retweets, shares, reposts and likes. Take them to the forefront and encourage more users to do the same.
You can also organize giveaways, discounts, and special offers to incentivize users. Not only will you greatly increase user engagement and your brand's profile, but you will also get a ton of new content which you can share across social media platforms. This technique has been used to great success by many companies, from Starbucks to Rent the Runway, a high-end designer dress rental company.
Source: jeffbullas.com
4. Don't forget about video
Throughout the article, we've talked about images, images, and more images, but let's not forget that video is a big part of visual content marketing strategy as well. Whether it is in articles or in social media, video can have a big impact on your users.
For example, 80% of users can recall a video ad they've watched on a website visited in the last 30 days. Furthermore, 75% of users will visit the marketer's website after they've watched a video, and 64% are likely to buy a product from an online retailer after viewing a video.
It does not stop there. If you are running a B2B company, it's worth noting that 50% of users watch business-related YouTube videos at least once a week, and 75% of executives watch videos related to their work at least once a week.
Videos work on landing pages, blog posts, and social media platforms. You can share them on Vine, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Google +. These videos can be anything. You can have great informational clips, which provide users with a very handy video tutorial, or you can create inspirational stories which help develop a connection to your brand. You can engage the audience by answering questions, or you can film and upload conferences that are packed with incredible value.
Below, you can see a short 6-second Vine tutorial from Bacardi UK, which was also posted on Twitter to promote across multiple platforms.
Our #CubaLibre #cocktail in #sixseconds. Which #SixSecondCocktail would you like to see next? #vine #howto http://t.co/T0ybysbD
— BACARDÍ UK (@BacardiUK) February 5, 2013
Make It Easy to Like Your Content
An effective visual content marketing strategy relies on providing value to your users in bite-sized chunks. Information is much easier to process in a visual form, which makes it more attractive to users. To capitalize on this, you have to weave images into your content and social media posts in a way that captures attention and creates a connection. You achieve it by offering statistics, tips, and tricks, or a picture of a kitten.
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Header image credit: Camera photographer woman fashion