Most people think of content marketing as just written content, but in reality, it encompasses all forms of marketing that involve creating and distributing content. In a world where we’re constantly bombarded by content, it’s more important than ever to make sure your content stands out. And one of the best ways to do that is with visual content.
Visual content is taking the marketing world by storm. Why? Because it’s highly engaging, easily sharable, and works well for both humans and search engines. As people are presented with more videos, images, infographics, charts & graphs, gifs, emojis, memes daily on social media sites like Pinterest, Tumblr & Instagram, it’s important to join the party.
Visual content is essential for marketers because each visual content provides a different benefit. A video has benefits that are entirely different from an infographic, which is why using all forms of visual content in your marketing works so well.
Visual content marketing is a broad marketing channel with endless potential. It can be used for social media posts, videos ads, and infographics. To create a compelling visual content marketing strategy, you need to understand the different types of visuals and how they can be used to reach your audience.
Visual content marketing can be broken down into two main categories: videos and images.
Videos
Videos are audio-visual experiences that engage viewers by seeing and hearing what is going on in the video. Viewers typically watch videos online through their mobile phones or computer, but videos can also be seen on TV screens, cars, gaming consoles, and smart TVs. Videos are good for telling stories, promoting brand awareness, or explaining complex concepts or processes.
Videos are more likely to be shared on social media, increasing their reach exponentially. They are also more certainly to rank higher in search engine results. Data from Wyzowl reports that videos on mobile devices have a 90% higher reach than text-based content. 89% of marketers say that video marketing is the type of content with the best ROI, while 87% say video increases their website traffic.
There are a lot of video content ideas you can use for marketing. The videos on your site or social media will generally fall into four categories: videos telling a story, videos advertising your product, videos promoting your brand awareness, and videos explaining a complex concept.
1. Video ads
These are promotional videos focused on driving website traffic or encouraging customers to purchase from you. You can use videos to tell a story or give your customers more information about your products.
An example of a video ad on Facebook might be a short clip of how your product or service works and why someone should buy it. Video ads can also be used to build brand awareness through videos featuring your employees, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes videos of projects you’re working on.
2. Animated videos
Animated videos can get more attention on social media than videos that are not animated. Adding animation to videos makes them stand out among passive videos, making them more likely to get watched and shared by others (Hubspot). Brands love animatics because they’re a quick and inexpensive way to make videos.
3. Explainer videos
Explainer videos can explain a concept or process in a fun and engaging way. These videos generally have an entertaining script paired with visuals to help viewers learn something new.
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4. How-to videos
How-to videos show people how to do a specific task in a step-by-step process. These videos provide value to the viewer by teaching them something they didn’t know before. Many brands create videos that show customers how to use their products and services, but other videos can also fall into this category. For example, videos that show how to apply makeup or videos that teach new employees about your company’s history and culture also fall into this category.
Images
Images consist of pictures that engage viewers by allowing them to see what is going on in the photo. Consumers can view images online through their mobile phone or computer or offline through print materials like flyers and brochures. Images are the most common types of visual content because they’re easy to digest, and it’s easy to tell a story or show concepts using them.
People are more likely to remember information that is paired with an image. It tells a story that words cannot. Images also help marketers to reach a larger audience and stay top of mind with their customers.
These are six of the commonly used types of content marketing images:
1. Stock photos
Stock photos are royalty-free photos, which means you can use them as much as you want without having to pay additional fees or attributions. They’re a great way to give your videos or posts consistency and save time on photo shoots.
2. Banners
Banners are rectangular, eye-catching images that are best used to direct attention. They’re an excellent tool for social media campaigns, and they come in all shapes and sizes.
3. Collages
Collages are photos that have been edited together into one large picture. These images give a viewer a better understanding of the scenes and concepts they’re depicting. They’re great for storytelling, infographics, and listing posts.
4. Screenshots
Screenshots are images that show what is on your computer or mobile device screen. They help show videos you want to include in blog posts or product videos but can’t embed. They’re also helpful when you want to share the steps of a process with your audience. They’re perfect for tutorials, how-to videos, and reviews.
5. Infographics
Infographics consist of a series of visuals arranged together to present information in an easy-to-digest format. They are great for entertainment and conceptual marketing because they’re made with facts and figures.
6. Memes
Memes are images that express a concept or idea using words and imagery. They’re usually fun, and they tell a story in one image. They’re great for reaching a younger demographic and getting people to share your videos on social media.
Note: Be careful not to over-post too many photos because that will clutter up your feed making it hard for people to find the posts they want or need quickly without scrolling through tons of pictures first.
Summing It Up
Now that you know the basics of visual content, it’s time to get started on creating videos and images for your own business. Visual marketing is a great way to engage with your audience in new ways, but only if you create videos or photos that they actually want to watch or look at.
People won’t want to follow you if your feed is full of content that they don’t care about. Using images and videos in your social media marketing will help you engage with people interested in what you’re advertising.
There are many tools available for creating visual marketing material. For videos, popular services include Clipchamp and VEED. And for images, check out Canva and Adobe Photoshop.
