**Many marketers are now hailing visual marketing as the latest break out trend, and for good reason.**
Social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have grown explosively in the last year. And while you could be forgiven for thinking they are just a passing fad, it doesn’t seem that they are going away any time soon.
Brands are turning to visual means to market their products online; learning to show instead of tell, as beautiful and inspiring photography grows in popularity.
A short while ago ‘content is king’ was the key phrase for marketers, but maybe this is no longer the case. Are carefully chosen images now worth more than expertly written words?
Do you need to increase online interaction for your brand?
The need for a (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/content-marketing-plan/ text: content marketing plan) that appeals on a visual level, presenting information in a more engaging format, goes far beyond being just the latest trend. The purchase of (link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17658264 text: Instagram by Facebook for a staggering $1 billion) shows just how big a deal visual content has become.
Instagram is only three years old, but already has 100 million monthly active users, and is used by 59% of Interbrand’s top 100 brands.
Using Instagram gives companies a chance to show a unique and personal insight into their brand, reaching target audiences with appealing messages and photos. It’s quick and easy to keep constantly updated with fresh content – 41% of brands that use Instagram post at least one photo a week, and 40 million photos are posted per day.
Facebook has found that videos are (link: http://blog.hubspot.com/get-instant-results-with-inbound-marketing text: shared 1,200% more) than both links and text posts combined, and photos are liked 200% more than text updates. If you want your business to thrive on Facebook, it might be time to create some social media visualisations.
So, why do visual work so well for online brand management?
What we should consider as marketers is that the (link: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Statistics-On-Visual-Learners-1211593.html text: majority of people are visual learners), either primarily or in combination with other styles. Considering the way people are most likely to consume information should be an important factor when marketing your brand.
Visuals catch the eye and are easy to share in a way that a block of text never can be. Instagram is perfect for businesses to reach out to their audience with visuals accompanied by a short message. It is harder for text to convey emotion and excitement, and attract interest at first glance.
The sheer quantity of information available online means a need for capturing short attention spans quickly. If you do want to inform with a quantity of text, visual content is key to breaking it up and making it less daunting. Images are universal and cross language barriers, making them perfect for sharing via social media.
Infographics are a great way to share complicated statistics in an eye-catching and easy-to-understand format. Once you have grabbed your audience’s attention, it’s easier to keep building on that relationship.
How can you use visuals for your business?
– **Vary your content**: Just one type of visual content is sure to bore your users in time. Use different kinds of images and videos to appeal to all areas of your company’s demographics. Experiment to see which approaches work, and which are less effective. Collages are useful and eye-catching.
– **Create infographics**: You can create simple infographics in PowerPoint to make a point or tell a story. Make sure yours is both useful and well-designed. Even if you aren’t a graphic designer there are (link: http://offers.hubspot.com/marketers-crash-course-in-visual-content-creation?__hstc=20629287.88a139a10fcd44337bd488e767caa377.1369816814828.1369816814828.1369816814828.1&__hssc=20629287.1.1369816814828 text: free tools available online) to help you create great social images.
– **Use Quotes**: People love inspirational quotes and they are constantly shared on news feeds. They are sure to garner more attention when an image contains a quote, which can then be posted as a photo – encouraging more shares!
– **Consider mobile users**: Remember that nearly half of your social traffic comes from mobile users, so design your content to be appealing and easy to access on this format.
– **Get snapping:** The camera on your smart phone will take high resolution images. Keep an eye out for things that might be of interest to social media followers, or add a more personal and friendly feel to your business by showing its culture – try showing company celebrations, or a spotlight on an employee.
– **Employ social media to its full potential**: You can (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/social-media-roi/ text: make use of social media) accounts’ (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) header options, which allow you to display a large image. This can help to capture your current and prospective audience. Social media is a great way to build and maintain a relationship with your audience, and share your images and infographics.