When it comes to content marketing, having the right visual content is crucial to success. The success of video in content marketing has become quite clear, and 50% of marketers are currently leveraging video in their marketing strategy. This is closely followed by 47% who are utilising images.
Focusing on professional, effective visual content in your marketing can enhance communication, engagement and retention. But why is using visual formats so effective?
The science and psychology of visual content
For those who are not visually impaired, visual data can be processed better than any other type. The brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. This makes it the ideal medium for processing complex information quickly and succinctly while also grabbing the attention of your potential customers and followers.
The science and psychology of how we see colour is important to understanding how to best use visual content to support your brand. We see colour when cone cells in the retina respond to different wavelengths of light.
It is thought that there is psychology behind certain colours as to how they can make us feel or alter our state of mind. When the purpose of marketing is to influence and persuade, it becomes useful to know what types of colours to use in your content. Colours can have symbolic meanings; for example, red is passion and yellow is hope.
This also lends itself to colour psychology in the world around us. Signs and flags are red to warn us, many social media networks use a blue palette to signal an air of trust and reliability. The point is—the colours, shapes and images we use should be chosen purposefully to get the most out of our visual content.
The benefits
Whether it’s high quality photography or video, infographics or animations—there are many benefits to each. As with all marketing, it is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every business. However, with 61% of consumers’ purchase decisions influenced by custom content, it pays to include it.
With the brain processing images faster than text, when people see a combination of text and visuals, it can help their understanding and allow them to recall what they saw much more easily. When trying to condense lots of information into a social post, accompanying visual content can be a great benefit.
In terms of effectiveness, visual content has also seen a 150% surge in engagement on social media compared to text-only content. This is also backed up by a 27% higher click through rate. Plus. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads.
As well as boosting engagement, visual content also increases the shareability of what you are promoting. Infographics or compelling videos are more likely to be shared across social platforms than text heavy ones.
Creating effective content
Creating effective visual content is made much easier by using the right tools. While you can use programmes such as the Adobe suite, these can be costly and will require hiring a graphic designer/editor or spending time and resources to train existing staff. An alternative options is to use free online graphic design software like Canva, or Open-Source software such as Inkscape or GIMP to create high-quality graphics for social media.
Another important component to keep in mind is branding. As we have already established, the use of colour is more important than you might think. Which colours complement your branding while also relaying the tone of the business? Picking a consistent font or two as well as styles will help your visual content to become instantly recognisable. In a sea of visuals on social media—it’s good to have your own aesthetic.
Design principles should also be kept in mind. Sometimes simplicity is key. Clean, uncluttered designs can help convey information in a simplified way. Alternatively, you could be an interior design brand all about maximalism and more is more. In which case, the corporate, sleek design style wouldn’t reflect your business or resonate with your customers.
Make the most of visual content
Incorporating more visuals into your content marketing can boost your engagement and improve business communications. It can help your audiences to process more information and retain it better at the same time.
Adding effective visual aids into your content marketing means dedicating time and resources. Building a solid brand with complementary content isn’t a process that happens overnight.
At DCA, we offer services for creating video and content that tells your story, reflects your brand and speaks to your customers. If you’re looking to benefit from visual content, get in touch with us today.
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