Many people confuse content with just text. Yes, it’s true; text in the form of blog posts is popular. But you should also know that content is not limited to the written word. You should know that in some social networks, such as Facebook, images produce double the engagement.
Have you ever wondered how much information the world consumes daily? Well, of course, it’s a lot, and even if it’s not easy to measure it precisely, it’s also true that up to 82% of the internet traffic used by consumers will be video in 2022. So, as you can see, visuals are here to stay and can be critical to serving an audience better.
What is visual content?
It is content based on images. So you’ll find photos, pictures, infographics, interactive tools, videos, screenshots, presentations, comics, GIFs, and even memes.
Some believe you should add elements in the metaverse and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) worlds.
Since most people learn visually, you are providing value to your audience through visuals. You’ll also find that many marketers believe these graphics are essential to their marketing strategy. As a result, each brand focuses on one or a few of these items. It all depends on the blog size or business they are running.
What is visual content marketing?
It is using visuals to create and exchange value with your audience. This value creation means you have detected and fulfilled a need through graphics-based assets. It’s not just about posting pretty photos. These elements should follow a purpose.
When it comes to brand building, human beings remember graphic elements more often than text. This remembrance keeps your blog, website, or company foremost in your audience’s thoughts. These benefits are significant if you’re under limited resources.
What are examples of visual content?
I’ll provide you with two typical examples of this type of content. The first is Pinterest. This image-based social network boasted an extensive database of images found online and uploaded directly to the platform. In addition, you can “pin” an image, which can be found by other users as well. This social side of the network makes it extremely useful for its users.
The second example is YouTube. You can consider the platform the second-largest search engine. You cannot overstate the popularity of video content since it’s consumed by most internet users worldwide. With 3 billion monthly searches, YouTube is a powerful source of traffic and the livelihood of a large army of YouTubers worldwide.
Why is visual content important in marketing?
A lot of the essential elements of marketing consist in telling stories. Graphic-based features can provide you with a story quickly. This agility means that your audience can understand what you’re about in seconds. In the attention economy, this is golden. You can direct them toward your offers by having the attention of your target market.
Even when people are researching, they feel that visuals are easy on the brain. This feature means that engagement is enhanced when you’re using this content. The result is that users find the content interesting and easy to digest.
The process of creating visuals
Just as you use a process when you write a blog post, probably preceded by keyword research and other editorial guidelines, you should use a method to create visual content. Some social media posts come from templates; depending on how long-lasting the content will be, the more elaborate the process will be.
For example, when you create a logo, you can begin by pursuing market research through surveys or other means. After the survey, you can consider the values of the brand. After that, you can create several drafts on paper. Some of these drafts will be digitized. Then, after reaching a consensus and after a few rounds of minor changes, a final version emerges.
Visual content marketing strategy
Everything in digital marketing starts with a goal (or at least, it should). So, after you decide what you want to share with your audience, choose the people you want to create personal bonds with and how much you want to increase the results. Then, you can use graphic-based content to pursue these goals.
Then each channel should have a different strategy. What works for Pinterest may not work for DeviantArt and vice versa. Aligning this content with your brand identity will give you the best return on investment. Finally, adjust your visual strategy to incorporate what is working and eliminate what is not.
Visual content management
If you’ve used WordPress, you may have been in contact with the Media Library. It’s the perfect way to manage many visual elements inside your blog. If you’re used to creating a video with Adobe Software, you may know about Experience Manager. And so depending on the type of visuals you make, you may find a tool to manage your visuals.
Larger companies may need a dedicated visual CMS, a tool to handle large amounts of data or a custom solution to adapt to unique, established workflows.
Visual content for social media
If you’re a blogger, you publish much of your image-based content on social media. For example, you may use static images, special effects, explainer videos, video collages, Ads, real photos, streaming, user-generated content, memes, etc.
If possible, create and use visual branding guidelines to inform the creation of these assets. Clear guidelines will allow you to obtain coherence for your blog or business. This coherence will enable you to differentiate yourself from your competitors and get the attention of your community. Although it’s tempting to use a template as is, it’s more important to provide a unified visual message.
Final Words
As you can see, this essential information about visual content marketing can kickstart your results. One productivity recommendation I can give you is to batch your graphic and video creation. By doing this, you will not only solve a considerable amount of time but also be more focused on the work.
Switching between tasks is time-consuming, and it takes a while to be in “the zone” again. However, you should know you’ll find many visually oriented websites. These sites are waiting for your contributions so you can create a loyal following willing to pay for your offers since they’re getting lots of value from your high-quality content.
