7 Ways to Improve Your Marketing Campaign with Visual Content

If you tell your story without visual content, you might as well not tell your story.

Using visual content in your marketing campaign will not only increase traffic to your website but also create more ways to tell your brand’s story. Finding better methods to captivate your audience can lead to more traffic and engagement in the long run, but where should you start?

Here are seven ways to use visuals in your digital marketing campaign.

1. Images

Your audience is far more likely to retain information when you incorporate visuals. In fact, if a relevant image is paired with information, your audience is likely to retain 65 percent of the information three days later – versus retaining only 10 percent of the same information without visuals.

It’s best to use original photos taken by you or a freelancer because it adds a personal touch to your work in addition and increases authenticity. But doing it yourself is both time-consuming and expensive. Luckily, you can design customized, on-brand visuals with Canva or download free stock images from sites such as Pexels and Flickr. Just be sure you have the right to source the photos (most sources of stock images publish ground rules for applying proper credits, too). A caveat: the quality of stock images can vary wildly. If you are just starting out in the world of navigating stock images, it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion from someone whose visual savvy you admire.

2. Videos

Videos allow you to show everyday solutions that your product or service offers. While there are other budget-friendly visuals out there, a well-produced video can take your business to the next level. One study from HubSpot’s 2017 Content Trends Survey shows that 54 percent of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. 

There are several types of videos that can help you promote, educate, and engage with your viewers–some of these include:

• Interviews
• Live Videos on platforms ranging from Facebook to Instagram
• How-To Videos
• Explainer Videos:
• Animated Videos
• Case Study and Customer Testimonial Video
• In-app video content such as Instagram Boomerang

The rule of thumb when it comes to video content is to keep runtime under two minutes. However, the length a video entirely depends on the use, channel, and industry. For instance, an expert interview is likely going to be lengthier than a playful Instagram boomerang because it has more detailed information.

3. Infographics

Infographics provide an easy way to read data by leveraging a graphic design to simplify complex messages. These compelling visual displays often include tables, graphs, charts and other information to represent extensive research. Whether you choose to make the infographic yourself or hire a designer, always remember to cite scholarly sources that are contextually appropriate to your subject.

Infographics are also known to boost value when it comes to SEO. From link building to SERP rankings, the more publicity means more traffic to your website. With an appealing layout and concise content, infographics will grab your readers' attention while making a meaningful impact across all social channels.

4. Quizzes

Turning plain text into an interactive quiz will help you generate leads and deliver more personalized content to your consumers. By combining a strategic concept with attractive visuals, quizzes could become one of the most integral parts of your content marketing strategy. Check out these tips to learn more about how to include interactive content into your campaign.

• Ideate your quiz around a specific target audience
• Be creative and strategic when it comes to the title
• Pick the right topic or idea before writing your quiz
• Design sharable results with high-quality images of your product or service

Building popular quizzes is no simple task but the return on investment (ROI) can be quite high. Never underestimate the power of a quiz campaign. Given its unique point of conversion, engagement levels, and ability to obtain important customer information, it could lead to a stream of loyal customers in the future.

5. Data Visualization

Data visualization enables trends and patterns to be more easily reached. This type of data involves producing information in the form of images, graphs, or charts–similar to infographics. In fact, the human brain can process visual information in less than 13 milliseconds.

Data visualization is often used to analyze values or potential risks, illustrate changes over time, and identify relationships and correlations within your business. Although most marketing analytics tools visualize data automatically, it might be useful to add a nice design layout to showcase these facts and figures.

6. Screenshots

Screenshots give people a transparent look at content from your perspective. They are mostly used as visual aids to further assist or inform readers during a complicated process. For example, if you want to describe how to use an online application, including a few step-by-step screenshots will help guide users through your instructions.

Another great way to show off eye-catching screenshots is through customer testimonials. Adding reviews to your site will build your brand as a trusted thought leader in your area of expertise.

You should also consider screenshots in SlideShare presentations and infographics, as they to bring in more depth to your topic. But be mindful of any legal restrictions for taking screenshots of content from other websites. Typically, you’ll want to use JPG files for screenshots, while PNG is ideal for more detailed images. Try to keep image resolution to a minimum of 300 dpi (dots per inch) and sizing between 1500 and 2500 pixels wide.

7. Memes and Gifs

Creating your own meme is a great approach to getting your product liked and shared on social media platforms. The key to developing a viral-worthy meme is finding the right balance between your image and text. Keep in mind that memes are supposed to be funny, clever, and entertaining. Using memes as part of your marketing efforts can draw in positive awareness to your brand, whether it’s by laughter or a light-hearted commentary. 

While memes can do a great job of amusing your target audience, animation is even better. Posts that contain GIFs offer more than just an image. A GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, is used for email or social media promotion, landing pages and blog posts. This form of storytelling is similar to popular multimedia platforms like Snapchat, which challenges users to be as entertaining as possible in ten seconds or less.

Creative content taps into the visual and intuitive side of your audience, encouraging them to explore more about your brand. By generating high-quality visual content that truly resonates with people, you are more likely to build a stronger reputation around your business.

The future of content has arrived and is looking better than ever. From influencing website traffic to generating leads and sales, visual content has a large impact on every major business goal. Content marketing as a whole is no longer seen as trial and error, but a proven strategy that aligns with the users’ search needs. You should always think about what your audience wants while keeping your eye on how visual storytelling is evolving in the long run.