How Using Visual Content will Drastically improve your Digital Marketing

December 12, 2014

As a marketer, you know it’s no surprise that humans are visual creatures. 90 percent of information that is sent to the brain is visual. The brain processes this information 60,000 times faster than text. As such, including visual content is one of the simplest and most effective strategies for improving your digital marketing tactics.

In an age where there is an ever increasing number of platforms for sharing photos and videos on the go, using visual content to improve your digital marketing is becoming more and more important. The following details just three of the most important places to use high quality relevant images and videos right now.

Rise of mobile Internet use

Mobile Internet usage has nearly passed desktop Internet usage, and this trend isn’t going to change any time soon. The statistics for mobile video use are staggering. 15% of all time spent watching online videos is on mobile devices. There are 25 million smartphone users who stream four hours of mobile video monthly. 75% of smartphone users watch videos on their mobile devices while a little over a quarter watch videos at least once daily. The most important way to ensure that users have optimal image and video viewing experiences is to adopt a responsive website design. If you haven’t already done so, it’s never too late.

Rise of image-centric social media networks

It seems like every company is vying for a piece of the action on Facebook and Twitter. In the past five years, there are several image-centric social media channels that have also gained substantial ground, most notably Pinterest and Facebook. Visuals have been so successful in social media because they’re more enjoyable to browse, especially on the go. They are also very easy to share. The more high quality, relevant images that you can use on these networks, the better chance that there is of getting users to share them.

Demand to have more conversations with customers

Once upon a time, companies used advertising to tell consumers what to think about their products and services. Now consumers expect to have relationships with their favourite brands and to have input on new product and service offerings. Visuals play a key role in these relationships. For example, if you’re sharing ideas for a new line of holiday scarves, what better way to get feedback than to share pictures of the scarves on Facebook or Instagram?

Now that you know where you should be using visual content, consider the following tips to help you use the right type of content at the right time and in the right manner.

Understand why you’re sharing certain images

Many companies make the mistake of using visual content for the sake of using visual content. In order for it to be a viable tactic, you must be able to justify why you’re using a certain image or why you’re creating a new video. For example, for ecommerce websites, you should consider how you can use photos to sell your products in a way that you can’t sell them with text alone. You want your visual content to promote your products and services in a way that is distinctive, inspiring, and meaningful to your target audience without being too pushy.

Think about the type of product and the viewing patterns of your target audience

Once you’ve selected the right type of content, you also have to consider how and where you’ll share it. Think about your target audience’s Web browsing patterns. For example, for a younger demographic, social media channels are likely to be a good outlet. You also have to think about the type of product that you sell or service that you offer. If you want to include lots of detailed photos, it may be more effective to use high resolution images with thumbnails, so that customers get the information that they need in a streamlined fashion.

There is no denying the fact that people are visual thinkers. Tapping into this innate human function is key to marketing success, particularly in an age where most people are overwhelmed with more information than they’ll ever have time to read. Use the power of visual content to your advantage, and you’ll be blown away by how far your marketing campaigns take your company.