In 2013 and beyond, visual media is being tapped as one of the most influential content marketing trends. As a whole, it has already become apparent that content marketing is an essential tool for reaching an audience.
Text content is not the only means by which your clients can attract attention. Eyes are now turning to the utilization of visual content marketing in order to reach audiences beyond what written content has been able to achieve. The old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” rings true when it comes to the effectiveness of visuals in content production online.
Message Enhancement
Visual media is effective at attracting the eyes of consumers, journalists, bloggers and other powerful traffic that may not normally have the time to read written content. Visual content is used in conjunction with written content to enhance the message that needs to be delivered. Most organizations will benefit best from a mix of visual and written content marketing. The key is to allow each to enhance the other for a seamless marketing strategy online.
Today’s most-read blogs and top content producers are attracting attention because they offer bite-sized paragraphs of text interspersed with appealing graphics, videos and other imagery. According to Jeff Bullas, content with images can bring in up to 94% more traffic than content without. Press releases containing video or photos increase viewership by more than 45%. Powerful content is the first step to bringing in viewers, but visuals are also essential in emphasizing the content.
Content creators are also creating visually appealing content through YouTube and similar video sharing websites. The most appealing videos go viral, allowing them to spread to and beyond target markets across the globe. According to The Social Skinny, an additional hour worth of video is uploaded to the YouTube website every single second. A decade worth of video is uploaded in a single day to the website.
Less is More
In situations where less content can mean a greater impact, visual content marketing is integral. Visuals can get the message across in a big way. Infographics are an excellent example of this concept at play. Infographics allow the most important content on a subject to shine in a visually appealing format which is eye-catching and impactful. An organization can share data about itself or a facet of the industry in a visually pleasant method through Infographics. Infographics trend toward going viral more easily than other types of marketing. Jeff Bullas offers an excellent infographic detailing how images impact content.
Companies and organizations that have something powerful to put on display will find great benefit in this principal. Organizations doing positive work around the community, events happening in the area or globally and other eye-catching situations will make great photo opportunities. Allow these great photo opportunities to become powerful keys in visual content marketing.
Explore Visual Media Outlets
Where Twitter was once a primary choice for exploding content marketing campaigns, websites such as Instagram, Imgur and Pinterest are now garnering attention. These websites allow for organizations to create brand awareness through visual representations. All three rely on the viral nature of visual information to spread powerful messages across the globe. Facebook's timeline is another example of the shift in content focus from written to visual. Facebook's Timeline offers the ability for users to post, share and comment on images as well as written comments in a more visually attractive format.
Another excellent method of driving traffic through content marketing is to emphasize user generated content. User generated content is effective for enriching the experience for users on a website as well as the organization behind the website. Urge customers or users to snap and upload photographs following a specific cue, such as holding up a sign or logo in an interesting geographical location. Allow this content to go viral and reap the benefits of allowing users to generate content for the marketing movement.
The Bottom Line
In the past, written content has been king in driving traffic and attracting customers and users. Today however, the reliance on social media and quick production of content has paved the way for brand new avenues to explore. Visual content marketing is becoming an essential tool that can attract users and customers to an organization’s brand and web presence. Visual content can both be used to enrich or enhance written content, as well as to stand on its own. In both formats, this method of content marketing is effective in generating new traffic and reaching new markets.
How much is a picture worth? The addition of a picture or other visual to a content piece can mean an enormous difference in the amount of traffic brought to the site. No number of keystrokes can produce the same brand recognition that an image can create for your clients.
