A very famous proverb reads:
A picture is worth a thousand words
This cannot be truer than in the case of online visual content. When a user visits your website what catches the viewer’s gaze? A paragraph about how your company started? or the testimonial section filled with customer reviews ? It is a well-known fact that when it comes to online business content rich in visual elements, particularly images, is very well-received in the online world. Even if placed appropriately, the text-based content on your website should also be accompanied by a visual element that speaks about your brand and is easy to contemplate.
Visual content can speak louder than words. When it comes to giving your audience the best experience, you want to capitalize on the emotional appeal of illustrations to communicate your message. Our eyes are immediately drawn to faces in everyday life. So using photos of people not only humanizes your brand but is a great hack to grab attention.
So, let me first present you with the 6 types of visual content which will boost your online business in no time and take it to the next level.
1. Images
In the digital era, visual content plays a very important role in businesses online. Attaching riveting images with the text-content can attract more visitors on the site and pull more interest towards your business. High quality or professionally clicked images always require more investment from your end. Therefore, it is preferable to use original images , like the ones you clicked. This adds a sense of personal touch to your business and is feasible too. Orange county web design has created a compelling and eye-catching website by using warm colors and images that are pleasing to the eye and garner interest of the audience in the company and it’s activities. This is an example of how images and colors can attract audience. Designed by : orange county web design.
2. Videos
If you’re looking to visually stimulate and boost engagement, video is your go-to friend! Video serves as an extra clout for your business by demonstrating that you’re prepared to go the extra mile for quality. You can apply video content in several ways. It can be in the form of pre-recorded videos where you can be talking about how-to-do tutorials, demonstrations or instructions on some recently launched product.
However, the thing that is in trend these days are the “live videos” culture. Unlike pre-recorded videos, live videos are more interactive and responsive. It opens up new possibilities of interacting with others and simultaneously gives the audience a chance to see an unedited and more participative version of you. So make sure that the videos are congruent with the overall style and ethos of your brand.
3. Infographics
An intelligible visual display, infographics if used correctly is an amazing tool for drawing upon all your data and statistics. Make sure that the layout and design are as impactful as possible. The combination of the right colors, shapes and fonts is essential to convey your idea. The information you choose must be accurate and contextually relevant. Sometimes even the most seemingly mundane things can be brought to life when presented as stunning visualizations. When you share your infographic via social media, it’s best to include a thumbnail image as well as a hyperlink to your site where the full image is hosted. This enables you to escape any restrictions based on size on social media platforms and bring more traffic to your site.
4. GIF’s And Memes
What plastic is to Earth, gif and memes are to the internet. Social media is flooded with them and are a representation of today’s “web culture “. Both of these are used as an element of humour in a text and add an extra something to your online engagement. Not many would have thought of memes playing such a pivotal role in online content marketing. Given their humorous nature, memes act as a type of ice-breaker between the brand and the crowd. They are representative of an easy to create , quirky form of visual content and can provide some visual flair and chuckle to the website viewers. Most importantly though, you must determine if memes are appropriate for your niche and will they gain actual engagement with your audience. Here is an Example of One:
5. Emotional Connection
It is very important to build an emotional connection with the audience in order to pave way for your online business to flourish. It is in people’s nature to respond better to what they see as compared to other forms of stimulation. If your audience is ‘moved’ by your content, they associate the same sentiments with your brand, thereby inspiring loyalty. Some common visual elements that can be associated with positive or negative emotions include color, texture, words, photo style and shape. For example, warm and earthy colors like, yellow, orange and red tend to stir up positive emotions and symbolise optimism and happiness.
6. Optimize Images For Seo
The sooner you start preparing visual content and sharing it with your audience, the better it is for you business online. It drives traffic, leads, and sales to your business. And images play a very important role in SEO. They can be optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords in the description or title of the image. Make sure to reduce the size of the file to enable faster loading. This method helps in improving your search ranking. It is only read by search engines and not displayed on any social media platform or even your website.
The above mentioned points would definitely help in improving your visual content. But have you wondered why do people respond to visual content ?
• Visual Content Breaks Down Complicated Information
The main reason why our brain responds to visual content faster than text-based content is because the information has been broken down. Articles and blogs, even though a popular form of content, tend to complicate the information. Breaking down these posts into Infographics or presentations can make it more appealing for the viewers and can be interpreted easily by them. And as long as customers can consume your content and understand complex information because of the visual guidance, you’ll generate more leads and sales.\
• Creativity and Credibility
A website’s design is the number one criteria for discerning the credibility of the company. Consumers, before making a purchase are going to judge your brand on the grounds of the visual quality. If your website is not attractive or mobile responsive then the bouncing rate will be quite high and will affect your business. So it is very important to design and use the right images when doing business online. Use product images and high quality visuals to draw people in and enhance your credibility.
• Give Your Audience an Experience
Business these days has become less of a buy-sell process and more of an experience. In order to create a niche for your brand among the masses you have to involve them emotionally in your brand so that they know what your brand values. The best way to do this, as already mentioned above, is through video marketing. It costs nothing and it’s engaging because it gives users direct insight into the heart of your company.
Conclusion
Marketing through visual content is a trend that is not going to fade away anytime soon. Online consumers spend more time watching videos than any other type of content. Can’t blame them – it’s undoubtedly very powerful. Generating high quality visual content which truly resonates with the audience is sure to win your brand commercial customers and a stellar reputation.
Remember to consider the needs of your audience and don’t put out random content just to stick to an upload schedule. Be it any type of content, it’s the quality that counts, wrapped up in a box of excellent style. So, if you have not yet developed a strategy driven with visual content then it’s definitely time for you to rethink and give your business online – a makeover !
