As the old adage goes, a picture speaks a thousand words.
There were no videos in those times. So, they did not say how many words are conveyed by a video.
Anyways, the point is very clear. It is much easier to register something that is visual.
According to a study by Buffer, tweets with images get retweeted 150% more.
How Twitter's Expanded Images Increase Clicks, Retweets and Favorites [New Data] http://t.co/Ttgo3pAKBe #Twitter @buffer ~ VC @VContenting
— Visual Contenting (@VContenting) July 30, 2015
There are many such numbers floating around the internet that tells us that going visual is not an option but a necessity. That is why 70% of the marketers plan to increase their budget on visual asset creation. It is hardly a secret that visual content enhances audience engagement.
Even without any statistics, we can predict that a good image or video is likely to grab immediate attention instead of a paragraph of dry text, no matter how well written it is. Only reason they were used sparsely in the early years of internet was because the prevalent bandwidth those days could not support such heavy usage of audio-visual data.
However, those limitations are behind us and we are seeing an explosion of visual content.
In fact the newer breed of social networks and apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, Vine etc. are focusing completely on visual content.
However, in order to make the most of it, every business must have a concrete strategy. For this purpose, every marketer should keep the following options in mind.
Credibility
The first point that visuals add to your brand is credibility.
Suppose two strangers send you friend requests. One has a profile picture while the other doesn’t. Which one would you accept?
People naturally trust more when they get to see something. It is human psychology and it’s just as relevant when it comes to business.
Be it your product images or a scene from your back office, visuals add to the credibility of your brand and also humanizes it to an extent.
Personality
Visuals also help develop a brand personality. Every business has to target a certain segment in the market. So, there is need to develop a personality for the brand that will appeal to the target segment. Now, nobody is going to read a long passage and figure out the personality of the brand or the organization. This has to be achieved through visuals.
For instance, if you go to the website or social media account of Benetton, you will immediately realize that it is targeting young, upmarket buyers simply by glancing through its images. It not only gets the message across but also gets it done very swiftly in a matter of seconds.
Guess what, autumn starts now! Follow us and spy the #new #Benetton #woman #collection: http://t.co/ll5CXHOcSL pic.twitter.com/h93elo5Apw — Benetton (@benetton) July 28, 2015
Aesthetics
A good visual repertoire simply attracts people.
Well shot photographs or carefully crafted graphics always make a positive impression on the visitors. If possible, brands should also make an effort to create their own visuals and develop an original and characteristic style that gets associated with them in the long term.
Use of generic visuals or stock images will never have such an impact and that is why many marketers are considering enhancing their budget allocations to create original visual assets as mentioned above.
Best Design Tools for Non-Designers to Make Killer #VisualContent http://t.co/QhZzqGJ91r pic.twitter.com/YkM3vdqPu2 via #sbzclub
— Laura Rubinstein (@CoachLaura) July 21, 2015
Number Games
Numbers and statistics influence people, if they are presented well. This is why a lot of organizations are now creating interesting infographics using their market intelligence. They are an excellent way to present your data and even tell a story if possible.
It can especially work wonders for B2B clients who always love such number crunching and detailed insights rather than emotional or sentimental treatment which are better reserved for consumer markets.
Many businesses are also using such data laden reports and whitepapers as freebies or incentives to attract subscribers and followers.
Interactions
Visual content is also excellent for creating a conversation with your customers. Do note that by visuals we do not only mean images.
Videos are always great to deliver detailed messages. Especially if it is a technical product with a known learning curve, there is nothing better than a video tutorial.
Similarly, B2B firms are waking up to the usefulness of live webinars to organize meetings with experts, influencers and prospective customers.
Using modern technology, they are transcending geographical barriers and interacting with every stakeholder in real time.
Born in Los Angeles, Blair Strasser is a business and marketing enthusiast that enjoys sharing his knowledge through his writing. He is also Founder and CEO of eMerchantBroker and passionate about technology.
http://blairstrasser.tumblr.com
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