by Lily Shevitz VISUAL content has become one of the most powerful tools out there.
by Lily Shevitz
VISUAL content has become one of the most powerful tools out there.
With 400 million daily active users, Instagram has revolutionized the way we share content, by utilizing imagery alone!
The visual trend has already grown exponentially from the days of simply posting static images. Social media is now dominated by eye-catching graphics, breathtaking pictures and gut-busting memes. Most recently, incorporating GIFs, 360 photos, and live video.
Businesses rarely ask whether visual content is an effective part of their strategy. In fact 65 percent of senior marketing executives believe that visual assets like photos, video, illustrations and infographics are important when it comes to sharing their brand story.
However, not everyone knows how to effectively leverage the power of graphics, images and videos.
Here, we will share 5 tips to improve your visual strategy and promote your business using the most effective types of visual content!
1. Publish striking images
Our first tip is to simply share images!
BuzzSumo found that updates with images have 2.3x more engagement on social meia in comparison to posts without.
Clearly, that means that you should be publishing content featuring images in order to properly build your following!
However, it is crucial to always use high quality, eye-catching, brand flattering images for your website, blog, or social media efforts, in order to portray a professional feel.
Whether you use royalty free images featured on photo-sharing websites, take pictures yourself or hire a designer to create custom graphics and photos – the source is entirely up to you.
Strategies with a limited budget benefit from free images – like the one above – but if you run a company that highly values brand nurturing the best idea is to contract a designer who will help create fully branded, original images.
Whatever your budget, always be sure the images are:
- Crisp & clear – Avoid dark, pixelated or blurry images
- High quality – Be sure the images are optimized for today’s visual technology
- Relevant to your niche or brand (We’ll get into this more later!)
Looking for places to integrate visuals alongside usual content? How about:
- Featuring an image for your blog posts
- Share an image with a quote on social media
- Promote an eBook cover when advertising a digital product
- Show inspirational images in your email newsletter
Expert tip: Grab Social Studio FX for social media graphics, Pixel Studio FX for eCovers or Email Tools for email images!
2. Share knowledge using an infographic!
Infographics are a visual way to present data or explain an otherwise complex concept. This makes them extremely effective when it comes to your overall content marketing strategy.
In fact, some reports state that infographics are liked and shared 3X more than other any other type of content on social media.
Infographics are suitable for presenting research results, sharing a workflow, showing the passage of time or even teaching a step-by-step process.
This type of content is most appropriate for bloggers who want to enhance their writing with graphics that better help explain complicated concepts. Readers will appreciate the clarity and love learning new things in a unique way!
The layout should be clear, with various different shapes and colors that allow you to highlight different aspects of the presented data:
An inspiring design helps even the most mundane statistics and percentages seem interesting and engaging.
Also, as they share their own view of the topic, your users will actively be promoting your infographic as well, thus helping you expand your audience.
3. Evaluate the use of memes
Memes are commonly known as images that are accompanied by humorous, unpredictable captions.
They even have their own way of being relevant in the world of online marketing…
Some of the most influential blogs in the industry use memes as a funny way to present a certain point, along with entertaining the readers at the same time.
With memes, it’s almost as if you are creating an inside joke specifically for your industry and tailoring it to the topic you’re addressing.
Not only will you engage your readers by utilizing humor and using creativity, but if utilized properly, you will also get likes, shares, comments and even more engaged followers!
4. Create relevant presentations
While on one side we have memes and humorous content, on the other we have presentations, which are an equally important tool when it comes to your visual content marketing strategy.
The recommended approach for presentations is similar to that of infographics – visual elements, shapes and colors are used to create an attractive design and gain the attention of your readers.
Presentations are typically best for promoting short texts, quotes, definitions, etc. and unlike infographics, can be a bit more lengthy, which allows you to present more information and data.
Utilizing online platforms for sharing presentations, such as SlideShare, you can provide a presentation that is accessible to a significant number of online users, enabling them to easily share the presentation on their own blogs or social media.
5. Consider vlogging or filming videos
Videos, vlogs and live chats are increasingly popular on social media, as they allow direct interaction with your social followers.
Videos are particularly useful for creating dynamic presentations especially with accompanying music or a voice over message. Filming vlogs and live chats is a perfect way to create a more intimate bond with your social followers. You could film a part of your speech at a conference, share the atmosphere from an event or simply do an online Q and A.
Online platforms and advanced functions on smartphones allow you to create video content quite easily, without requiring any special technical skills. Before you get started, find a great vlog to subscribe to and take notes!
Need a recommendation? Click through to check out our vlog on YouTube!
Wrapping it Up
All types of visual content allow for the possibility of boosting engagement. As a result, you’ll get to see a ton of benefits such as a gain in followers, an increase in traffic and even more leads.
Define your strategy in such a way that you take full advantage of visual content. Use formats that are suitable for the topics you want to address, and make sure that visual content is relevant to your overall business strategy and intended audience.
Whether you use memes, infographics or presentations, you want the style to fully match the overall message you’re trying to convey. You’ll see the best results when the strategy is aligned with – and reflective of – your business goals.
Think about using visual content as a way of showcasing the essence of your brand while engaging viewers at the same time!
As always, we’d love to hear from you next:
What type of visual content do you find to be the most appealing to you? When it comes to your business, which type of visual content do you use the most and why?
Still trying to get the hang of this visual content thing and looking to learn more before posting your next image? Click to read our tips for small businesses on Instagram!
Learn from your own experience and monitor which content helps you boost your business. Once you’ve had some practice, come back and let us know. What kind of social media posts generate the most likes/shares/comments for your business?
We can’t wait to hear from you!
COMMENTS